Category Archives: Automotive Fuses

GPS Vehicle Tracking Systems: Do I Need One?

Posted on by
Reply

By Ken Sink

GPS vehicle tracking systems are more affordable and more popular than ever before, but do you need one? Take this short quiz and keep track of your ‘yes’ answers. I’ll help you total your score and decide after you finish.

Step One: Take Quiz

1. Do I use vehicles in my business? Yes/No

(The definition of ‘vehicles’ includes heavy, medium and light-duty vehicles, construction equipment (dozers, graders, backhoes, etc), cars, motorcycles, RV’s, pick-up trucks, vans, tractor trailers, buses, trailers, dump trucks, snow plows, limousines, taxis, etc.)

2. Have any of my vehicles been stolen in the past? Yes/No

3. I’d like to know what is going on and where my employees/vehicles are during the day: Yes/No

4. I’d like to reduce my fuel expenses and know if any of my vehicles are wasting gas: Yes/No

5. Being able to give my customers accurate and precise arrival/delivery estimates is important to me: Yes/No

6. It is important to know if any of my vehicles are used after hours or on weekends for non-business purposes: Yes/No

7. I’d like save up to 30% on my vehicle insurance: Yes/No

8. It is important to know if my employees are speeding or otherwise abusing my vehicles: Yes/No

9. If any of my employees are using my vehicles to ‘moonlight’ or do work without my knowledge, I’d want to know: Yes/No

10. Knowing about mechanical problems before they become expensive to fix is important: Yes/No

11. If any of my vehicles are ever stolen, I’d like to locate them within minutes: Yes/No

12. I’d like to have vehicle use data to compare with overtime requests as a way to guard against errors and fraud: Yes/No

13. I’d like a reminder when it is time to do routine maintenance on my vehicles: Yes/No

14. Occasionally, customers question when we were at their location, having the exact date and time recorded in our tracking system would really help in those cases: Yes/No

15. I’d like to help my employees be more productive by seeing where they go each day: Yes/No

Step Two: Total Your ‘Yes’ Answers

Add up your ‘yes’ answers.

* Fewer than 7 ‘yes’ answers:Thanks for taking the quiz, you don’t appear to want/need a vehicle tracking system.

* 7 to 11 ‘yes’ answers: Thanks for taking the quiz. You could greatly benefit from a vehicle tracking system.

* More than 11 ‘yes’ answers: Thanks for taking the quiz. You need a vehicle tracking system.

By the way, every question above (except question 1 & 2) is answered by using GPS vehicle tracking systems.

Step Three: Cost vs. Gain

The average business owner recoups their investment in GPS vehicle tracking systems within 6 – 12 months after purchase. Of course, your ROI may vary. Recovering one stolen vehicle may pay for your entire tracking system.

Vehicle tracking helps you reduce operating costs and boosts productivity.

Tracking systems reduce vehicle costs by putting a spotlight on speeding employees, who waste fuel, cause excessive engine wear and drive up insurance rates. Vehicle tracking systems will also remind you when it’s time for preventive maintenance, like oil changes, helping you keep your vehicles on the road and making you money.

GPS vehicle tracking systems improve productivity by:

* documenting long lunch hours,

* exposing unauthorized breaks,

* comparing driver overtime requests with system reports of driver activity,

* highlighting unauthorized vehicle use after hours and on weekends,

* eliminating driver logs.

Many insurance companies offer discounts of up to 30% for vehicles protected with tracking systems.

Step Four: Due Diligence

GPS vehicle tracking systems are outstanding tools for vehicle and fleet management, but you need to find the right system for you. Take a look at the different types of GPS vehicle tracking systems.

Check a company’s hardware and software, as well as their monthly data access plan. You’ll also need to decide whether to buy or lease your GPS tracking system.

Good luck.

About the Author: Ken Sink, owner of My Vehicle WatchDog, is a veteran with 20+ years of transportation experience, including fleet management of over 800 vehicles. Visit http://www.MyVehicleWatchDog.Info for more information about GPS vehicle tracking systems from Fleet Management Solutions, Networkfleet and Sprint/Nextel.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=31673&ca=Computers+and+Technology

The rest is here: GPS Vehicle Tracking Systems: Do I Need One?

Don’t Rent A Vehicle Until Your Read This

Posted on by
Reply

By D Ruplinger

If you are renting a car or other vehicle, the process will be the easiest and smoothest if you have a credit card to use for the transaction. Some car rental companies won’t even rent you a vehicle if you don’t have a credit card for payment. If the car rental company does allow you to rent without a credit card, you may have to pay a large cash deposit to cover any potential damage to the vehicle you are renting. If you are using a travel agent and do not have a credit card, ask your agent about using pre-paid vouchers to pay for your vehicle rental. A voucher is typically easier to use than cash when renting a vehicle.

Be aware that a large part of your credit line on your credit card may be tied up while the rental vehicle is in your possession. The car rental company may place a certain amount of money on hold on your credit card for possible additional charges such as late return fees and damage fees. The charge won’t be processed unless you incur those additional expenses. But because that money is on hold you won’t have it available to you for other purchases so you may want to use for other purchases such as your hotel.

Your driving record may be a factor when you rent a vehicle. Not all car rental companies check driving records but some do. If your driving record doesn’t meet the car rental company’s standards they will not let you rent from them. To prevent this from happening check with the car rental agency to see if they check driving records and what their standards are.

Twenty five is the magic age when renting a vehicle. If you are at least twenty five years of age you will not incur additional fees to rent a vehicle. If you are between the ages of eighteen and twenty five you will likely be required to pay more money for renting your car than a twenty five or older driver. If you are under 18 years of age you will not be able to rent a vehicle in the US. Although those rules may not seem fair, it is just the way it is in the car rental industry

Rental car companies will offer you various optional insurance and waiver options, but you may already be covered. Before you go to rent a vehicle, check with both your personal auto insurance agent and with your credit card company. You may already have protection if you have an accident, lose, or damage your rental vehicle. If you do have protection, you shouldn’t need to purchase the collision damage waiver or CDW offered by the car rental company because it will be a duplication of coverage you already have.

If you do purchase a CDW, keep in mind that it is not insurance but an agreement between you and the car rental company stating that you will not be liable for loss or damage to the rental vehicle as long as you comply with conditions stated in the agreement. Those conditions are common sense ones such as not driving while under the influence of alcohol, not driving the vehicle off-road, and not allowing an unauthorized person to drive the vehicle. A CDW will almost always not cover you though for personal injuries or damage to personal property sustained while using the rental vehicle. If you are renting overseas though, you may not have a choice of whether or not or purchase a CDW. Some countries require you to purchase it.

If you are renting a vehicle overseas you may need to obtain an international driving permit. Check on this before you show up at the overseas rental car counter.

After you get to your rental vehicle walk around the outside of it and inspect it for any possible damage. If you notice damage such as a dent or noticeable scratch report it to the lot attendant right away and get it noted on your rental agreement so you won’t be liable for that damage. I learned this lesson the hard way. On one of my first rentals I noticed a dent in the vehicle, told the lot attendant about it who told me not to worry about it. I didn’t insist he write anything on my rental agreement stating the damage was already on the vehicle when I picked it up. When I returned the vehicle the rental car company wanted to charge me for that dent. I eventually got my money back but it took time me quite a bit of time and frustration to get those charges reversed.

If you find you are going to return your rental vehicle more than 4 hours late, call the rental company and arrange for an additional day’s rental. Although most companies allow you a one hour grace period before they start to charge you additional money, the hourly rates can quickly add up to more than the cost of an entire day’s rental. Usually when you get to the 4 hour mark, renting the vehicle for an additional day is cheaper than paying the hourly late fees.

About the Author: D Ruplinger is a featured writer for http://www.autorentalpro.com. For more information about vehicle rentals visit http://www.autorentalpro.com.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=19923&ca=Family+Concerns

More here: Don’t Rent A Vehicle Until Your Read This

Recreational Vehicle Ownership

Posted on by
Reply

By Terry Lowery

The joy of recreational vehicle ownership hasn’t been dimmed by rising gas prices. As late as August of 2005 recreational vehicle sales were seeing only a very small affect of rising gas prices. Sales of recreational vehicles in 2004 were the highest see in twenty five years. The popularity of recreational vehicles doesn’t seem to be waining at all. In fact, there is an RV and MV (Manufactured Vehicle) hall of fame located in Elkhart Indiana.

Today’s motor homes or recreational vehicles have all the comforts of home, and then some. With luxury leather recliners, granite floors, washers and dryers, plasma TV’s and looks of professionally designed spaces recreational vehicles are a stylish and comfortable home away from home.

There are several different types of vehicles considered “RV’s”. The first is a truck camper which is a unit affixed to the bed or chassis of a pickup truck. Then there is the folding camping trailer, or pop-up trailer. A travel trailer is a unit that is towed by another vehicle. A fifth wheel travel trailer is designed to be towed by a pickup truck. A motor home or what is frequently called a Winnebago which resembles a bus.

The process of purchasing a new recreational vehicle is somewhat like purchasing a new car. A recreational vehicle dealer will sometimes take advantage of an uniformed customer. There are huge markups on recreational vehicles by all dealers. The only way to come out with a fair deal is to do your homework before you buy.

There are several fixed prices when you are looking at new recreational vehicles. The dealer price, the taxes and any motor vehicle fees. As with a car, the only option left for the dealer is to play with the profit margin. As recreational vehicle dealers sell way less than car dealers do they must make a much higher profit margin per vehicle. As it is widely known that used recreational vehicles have a huge depreciation you don’t want to overpay for your vehicle.

About the Author: This article courtesy of http://www.rv-home.com

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=15690&ca=Recreation

Original post: Recreational Vehicle Ownership

Traveling With Vehicle Tracking

Posted on by
Reply

By Shawn Davis

Vehicle tracking is not just for anti-theft purposes anymore. It used to be that vehicle tracking was mainly put into cars by the wealthy who could afford to buy such high-tech devices. However, with the increasing affordability of technology, it is possible for more people to make use of tracking devices like Lo/Jack and the Spy Matrix GPS in order to prevent long-term loss of property. Now, however, vehicle tracking is a popular thing to use when doing regular travel. With it you need never stop and ask for directions.

Vehicle tracking for use with tourist functions is fast becoming popular because it is a great way to learn an area, and a great way to quickly find destinations. Most tracking devices make use of GPS and interact with satellites in order to give you your current locations. Many of these devices can also help you find other locations in relation to where you happen to be at the moment. All you need to do is type (or sometimes even speak) an address into the car’s on board computer and a map appears to show you where to go.

The amazing thing is that vehicle tracking does not simply show you where to go. GPS systems on cars can be hooked into computers that turn the data into voice signals. It is possible for such programs to interact and for you to actually hear directions such as “turn left on First Street” or “proceed straight through the light at Main Street.” That way you do not have to be worried about looking at a computer generated map. It is still available, if you like to see where you should be going, but the audible directions can help you focus better on driving.

Vehicle tracking can help you track where you are. It can also help you figure out where you have been, so that you can find your way back. And with vehicle tracking standard on many rental cars, you can take advantage of it even when you are away from your own vehicle. When you go on a trip with a properly outfitted car, you will never need to ask for directions again, thanks to vehicle tracking.

(c) 2005 Copyright www.spyassociates.com.

About the Author: To learn more about Spy and Surveillance Products visit http://www.spyassociates.com Read other related articles at http://spyassociates.blogspot.com/

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=13549&ca=Computers+and+Technology

The rest is here: Traveling With Vehicle Tracking

Do You Own A Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV)?

Posted on by
Reply

By Diane Nassy

What in the world is a Flexible Fuel Vehicle? It’s a car or truck that is capable of burning certain alternative fuels. Now we’re not talking gasoline vs. diesel engines here, we’re talking about gasoline engines that can also burn ethanol, natural gas, propane, hydrogen, methanol, and p-series fuels. According to some chemist at the U.S. Department of Energy, p-series fuels are “a unique blend of natural gas liquids (pentanes plus), ethanol, and the biomass-derived co-solvent methyltetrahydrofuran” just in case you were wondering.

Anyway, if you own one of these flexible fuel vehicles, and you could own one without realizing it, then you might be able to save yourself a whopping amount of money now that gas is nearing the price of gold.

Although some of the more exotic alternative fuels may not be flowing out of the pumps at your neighborhood service station, there is a good chance that ethanol is.

Ethanol is alcohol-based and it’s made by fermenting and distilling corn, barley, or wheat. It can also be made from “cellulosic biomass”, which is just a fancy phrase for “chunks of trees and grass”, except that this version is called “Bioethanol” instead of plain “Ethanol”.

E85 is an Ethanol/Gasoline product that’s being sold at a lot of gas stations. It’s a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. E95 is a 95/5 blend of ethanol and gasoline. Both blends are capable of being burned by most Flexible Fuel Vehicles.

Some service stations are selling an E10 (10/90 ethanol/gasoline blend), that doesn’t really qualify as an alternative fuel. Its primary purpose is to reduce carbon monoxide levels, and it can be burned by most any engine that burns gasoline.

Unlike Hybrid Vehicles, flexible fuel vehicles are not necessarily more expensive because of the alternative fuel option, and they aren’t anywhere near as rare. In fact, there’s a chance that you’re driving one right now. If the salesperson didn’t tell you, and you’re not the kind that reads owner’s manuals, and you’re ignoring the sticker that’s probably on the inside of your gas tank cover, you could be in for a cash-saving surprise.

If you’re not sure if you own an FFV, or you’re planning on buying a new car soon, then visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s Flexible Fuel Vehicle ( http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/afv/models.html ) list.

If there isn’t a FFV in your life, there’s still hope. You can have an aftermarket conversion done. When you do a conversion, your gasoline-only engine ends up being able to burn some particular alternative fuel such as compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG, or propane), or Ethanol. You have three conversion choices; “dedicated”, “dual-fuel”, and “bi-fuel”. Dedicated means that your engine only burns one fuel after the conversion. Dual-fuel engines can burn two different fuels, and with a bi-fuel conversion, your engine burns two different fuels at the same time.

So, if you think that you have no choice but to continue paying through the nose when you’re paying at the pump, look into getting a Flexible Fuel Vehicle or an aftermarket conversion.

About the Author: Diane Nassy is the founder of http://www.save-on-gas-prices.com. Visit her website for great tips on ways to save on rising gas prices.
Email : deeljeabiz@gmail.com

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=9998&ca=Automotive

Continue reading here: Do You Own A Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV)?