MAGTEC Products, Inc. recently introduced a new asset control device and a new fleet tracking system. Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, with a wholly-owned subsidiary in Las Vegas, the company specializes in preventive technologies and control systems designed to address the increasing costs of theft and legal liability for the commercial transportation industry, including trucking.
Dubbed M5K, the new asset control system incorporates two new proprietary security system technologies: Acceleration Control Technology (ACT) is designed to enable dispatchers and fleet managers to remotely and safely shut down a vehicle by slowly reducing the vehicle’s speed in preset increments. The passive Unattended Idle Protect system (UIP) was developed to secure a vehicle and prevent normal operation until proper driver authentication has been provided via a numeric keypad. It is designed to engage without driver intervention on a vehicle left unattended and idling.
The new Fleet Control System is a cellular-based application, designed to enable information to be accessed through a wireless modem from any fixed or mobile, web-enabled device, such as a desktop computer or personal data assistant (PDA). According to the company, the system can handle thousands of enterprise assets, as well as group them into sub-categories. Other key features include the ability to track continuously; zoom up or down through ten different detail levels, including a street-level view; display last-known locations through a “breadcrumb” feature; draw a virtual boundary or “geo-fence” around any given asset, building or location; prepare customized reports and more.
“This advanced technology provides carriers with an unparalleled line of defense, and the ability to remotely manage their trucks safely, 24/7/365, anywhere in the nation,” said Robert Morisset, the company’s president and CEO.
One of the first companies to integrate with MAGTEC’s new M5K onboard vehicle security device will be Qualcomm, Inc. The wireless applications and services supplier announced that it is currently testing a new web-based vehicle security and driver management tool called Vehicle Command & Control. The new tool will allow MAGTEC’s M5K to provide driver and vehicle management functionality, including the over-the-air vehicle disabling function, using Qualcomm’s OmniTRACS mobile communications solution. Commercial release is anticipated this summer. Dispatchers will use the system by accessing a secure website, hosted by Qualcomm.
“Qualcomm and MAGTEC are committed to enhancing the security of trucks, trailers and cargos for the transportation industry,” said Norm Ellis, vp and general manager of transportation and logistics for Qualcomm Wireless Business Solutions. “We specifically designed Vehicle Command & Control to allow dispatch operators to remotely manage driver access and control the parameters of their equipment.”
