The town of Plantation, near Fort Lauderdale, is equipping the voice warnings on the automatic vehicle locator devices previously installed on police cruisers. When excessive speeds are recorded, a voice will intone: "You are speeding."

The change followed a South Florida Sun Sentinel investigation which determined almost 800 law enforcement officers from a dozen South Florida agencies, including Plantation, were caught traveling anywhere from 90 mph to 130 mph over a 13-month period. Many were off-duty.

Given the safety capabilities and increasing affordability of fleet GPS tracking, it isn’t surprising the devices are being more widely deployed every day

But it may surprise some to see the devices are used on police cruisers. If there was a constituency to be trusted alone with a “company vehicle” at any hour of the day or night, it was the sworn law enforcement officer.

"This is something that had always been there but I didn't believe I'd have to use it," Police Chief Howard Harrison told the Sun Sentinel. (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/plantation/fl-plantation-speeding-cops-20120316,0,2381155.story)

The newspaper investigation attributed at least 320 crashes and 19 fatalities since 2004 to speeding officers.

Fleet safety managers know no driver is above administrative review, and no tool advances safety as much as GPS.

Retail pump prices are up 11.5 percent nationwide over last year, and February 2011 was itself a national record. On the West Coast, the March 12 average was a staggering $4.22 per gallon, while the nationwide average was $3.83, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.  Economists expect the national price average to surge well past $4 per gallon during the summer heavy driving season. Yes – things will be getting worse.

Fleet GPS devices save fuel costs through reductions in idling, speeding, harsh braking/acceleration, and continuous vehicle diagnostic monitoring.

“A lot of business owners are surprised when they see just how much fuel is wasted through inefficient and unsafe driving and behavior,” said Paul Milazzo, Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of Driver’s Alert. “Then, they’re even more surprised when they see how much they can save, what kind of reports they can run and what they can do with the units. Fuel is really just an entry point.”

By the numbers:

Idling can burn anywhere from one-quarter to one-half gallon of gas per hour, depending on engine size and air conditioner use. With the AC on, and assuming prices of $3.51/gallon, that can cost at least $.02 or $.03 per minute.

Speeding: Besides being an inherent safety risk, every 5 mph driven above 60 mph in an average vehicle (let alone a heavy truck) adds an additional 8 percent to the cost of each gallon of fuel, the U.S. Department of Energy has found.

Because many fleet GPS units hook up to the vehicle’s on-board diagnostic port, the units continuously transmit information about engine health and other metrics. That can provide instant information if there’s a problem with your engine or a fault code throws. Managers can prevent and anticipate vehicle wear and tear, schedule maintenance reminders and extend the useful life of parts. And, hopefully, spot small problems before they grow large and costly.

It’s difficult to put a round number on this benefit. One manufacturer, Geotab, has estimated savings of 5 percent on total vehicle running costs. For light-duty vehicles, that cost is typically $.50 per mile. For large trucks, it’s usually cost about $1 per mile.

This recently became a point of contention when a French rugby coach refused to close the roof on the stadium, despite inclement weather, because the coach feared that would interfere with the signal.

“We want to use the GPS,” Philippe Saint-Andre said.

If it can help a rugby team, what could it do for your fleet?

Having discovered the same advantages as the French coach, Driver’s Alert customers with fleet GPS tracking technology from Geotab know it’s essential to the way they do business.

Driver’s Alert GPS customers consistently find fuel savings of at least 10 percent through reductions in idling, speeding and other inefficiencies. GPS fleet tracking units also significantly lower insurance, reduce claims and workers’ comp costs by identifying high-risk drivers and trends.

Our proprietary software integrates GPS with the driver’s observation and online training programs. In addition, the software filters and consolidates data into actionable alerts, assuring you won’t be overwhelmed with redundant warnings for the same driver infractions.

Why not give us a test drive and see how GPS could benefit your company?

The chamber made that stipulation a component of its surface transportation reauthorization bill, according to the American Trucking Associations.

The question now is whether the House of Representatives will act on the legislation before the current transportation funding lapses. Even though that would pose critical problems for the federal government, there is no certainty Republicans and Democrats can hammer out a compromise – even on a piece of legislation that routinely sails through both chambers of Congress. If no agreement is reached before the end of the month, the federal government’s authority to collect gas taxes will expire.

That will provide some serious leverage for this two-year transportation bill and the proposed Electronic On-Board Recorder mandate for all carriers now required to keep RODS (records of duty status).

You can get ahead of the curve now with an EOBR from Driver’s Alert, compatible with the Geotab GO4 units. The devices simplify record-keeping and eliminate the inefficiency of paper logs.

EOBRs empower managers by providing valuable, real-time information about driver availability according to FMCSA rules. They also profoundly and immediately simplify audits and roadside inspections. Once you make the chance, you'll wish you'd done so years ago.

Driver’s Alert hosted dozens of safety professionals from around the country December 12-14 at the Boca Raton Resort and Club in Boca Raton, Florida. The DDLC is an organization committed to promoting “best practices” for integrating safety leadership, productivity, and profitability in the delivery and service industries.

Membership spans multiple industries, including package and product delivery, messenger services, direct store delivery of consumables, pest control companies, cable and communications providers and others. Experts from around the country shared success stories on programs that improved fleet safety, kept costs low and protected the bottom line.