Teletrac adding traffic alerts

Fleet Director, a GPS-based tracking and fleet management system from Teletrac Inc., will begin offering users real-time traffic information delivered to drivers as a voice alert starting in September. The new service will also be able to automatically reroute trucks to less congested roads.

The new traffic feature is powered by Navteq Traffic, which uses a mix of proprietary and government data sources that include road sensors, incident reports and vehicle “probes.” The system also provides drivers with fully automated voice-prompted driving instruction that can be individually tailored to truck size and weight restrictions.

Fleet Director is a hosted application, performing all routing functions on Teletrac servers and downloading routes and alerts to individual vehicles. The hosted system approach not only allows for real-time traffic information but means data is always up to date, according to Teletrac.

“Time lost sitting in traffic is expensive in terms of wasted fuel and productive time,” said Tim Van Cleve, Teletrac COO. “Calculating the most efficient route, then making adjustments for traffic delays . . . goes a long way in reducing driver frustration and helping improve on-time arrivals to customers’ locations.”