By Susan Smith, Staff Reporter 
Major Ian Miles, general manager of ClearChannel Communications Limited, explains from his office how the device works. He is holding a sample of Cleartrax. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
FLEET MANAGERS and department heads say that Cleartrax, a vehicle tracking device, is a very effective tool to minimise the cost of maintaining large and small fleets of vehicles.
The device which is more popularly associated with establishing security for vehicles and their owners, is said to cut cost by protecting vehicle usage, increasing job flexibility and ultimately enhancing service according to its users. "We use the system to make sure we improve our services for the clients," says Claude Clements, managing director for the Guardsman Limited.
"No longer do we have people going off to help out someone else using the firm's vehicle on company's time, because we can monitor their every move on the job," he added.
COST CUTS
Major Ian Miles, general manager of ClearChannel Communications, the supplier of Cleartrax, told Sunday Business that "With the use of Cleartrax, one of my clients has cut the cost of vehicle management by virtually 50 per cent."
According to a fleet manager, one of the many expenses of fleet management is maintenance.
This involves routine check ups of the vehicles, taking care of damage resulting from accidents and fuel purchase. Cleartrax is useful in cases where companies have to suddenly redeploy a vehicle to assist another when there are delays or difficulties with deliveries or pickups. This kind of networking makes shifting orders more flexible and cuts down on fuel usage, thus minimising cost. Additionally, Cleartrax' tracking software, Rastrax, enables close monitoring of the driver's route and speed via graphic images thus discouraging recklessness on the roads. "We have just started using it and are able to track our vehicles" says Ravi Bhamidipati, operations manager for IGL Limited. Sunday Business learnt that the cost of replacing stolen vehicles can be as high as $2 billion dollars in claims per annum for the average insurance company. Major Miles expects the device to impact positively on the recovery rates of vehicles for this sector as well.
Already insurance executives are exploring the possibilities of having their companies buying the units to install them in the cars of policy holders for a nominal fee. Nevertheless, not every fleet manager considers the product feasible. One insurance executive sees it as a double expense.
ASSET RECOVERY
"The purpose of insurance is for asset recovery. Purchasing this product to do the same job is spending extra money," said a fleet manager requesting anonymity.
But current users argue that the product will help prevent having to recover anything. "When you weigh the benefits, they outweigh the cost by far," says George Kates, head of Asset and Revenue Management Protection for Jamaica Public Service. "It has been quite good for us so far and we are looking at managing our entire fleet with it."
Cleartrax is a simple black box measuring four by six inches, utilising Cable and Wireless' GSM or GPRS network and is monitored by the Internet from a central controlling office. It was launched by ClearChannel Communications Limited in January 2004. The company has already sold over 200 units since its launch according to Major Miles and hopes to double the number by year end. The device can be easily installed in a hidden part of the vehicle and pre-programmed to the clients' specifications.
"It's a fit and forget item," explains Major Miles. It alerts you to illegal entry of your vehicle and alerts the driver when he or she is going off course.
