MIAMI – Ryder System has entered into an alliance with Teletrac and Cingular Wireless to launch RydeSmart, an onboard telematics technology intended to improve vehicle uptime, driver efficiency, highway safety, and cargo security through real-time tracking of customer fleet operations, according to Supply and Demand Chain Executive magazine. Currently in the pilot phase, RydeSmart combines Ryder’s fleet of more than 160,000 vehicles with Teletrac’s integrated global positioning system (GPS), wireless data and micro-chip technologies, and Cingular’s wireless data coverage area, which provides digital wireless data network availability in 13,000 population points and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. RydeSmart is a compact hardware and software unit that is installed into a truck and connected to the vehicle’s existing computer and diagnostics systems. The unit continuously monitors the vehicle’s location, mileage and speed, as well as other performance and diagnostic data, the report said. That information is communicated every 15 minutes, or on-demand, via a dedicated and secure connection with the Cingular network to fleet operators’ desktops. Using this real-time fleet information and visibility down to individual vehicles, fleet operators can work on saving labor, time, and money, while improving productivity and customer satisfaction. RydeSmart provides access to real-time, online vehicle fleet data, such as vehicle locations, driver routes, and performance. It also continuously monitors vehicle data, including automated transmittal of odometer readings to replace trip records for fuel tax and vehicle licensing regulatory compliance. Integrated GPS capabilities also enable RydeSmart to help customers locate vehicles in case of emergency and provide central dispatch capabilities enabling customers to assign pick-ups and deliveries using the closest available vehicles. Following an initial pilot now underway in a limited geographic area, RydeSmart is expected to expand to customers across North America in multiple phases through 2007. The pilot includes more than 5,000 vehicles assigned to specific customers in the food and beverage, textiles, and building and construction materials industries.