LAS VEGAS, March 4, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- XRS Corporation, (formerly Xata Corporation) (Nasdaq:XRSC), debuted its new XRS product, the trucking industry's first and only complete mobile platform for compliance and fleet optimization. The company announced at the Truckload Carriers Association Annual Conference today in Las Vegas that the XRS product is now available for sale, with shipment during the second quarter of the calendar year. Demonstrations of the new XRS product are available during the TCA conference in the XRS booth #402. The XRS product had been available to a limited number of customers beginning in January 2013.
"The future of trucking compliance, fleet efficiency and road science is portability and convenience – the mobile phone or tablet that goes where the driver goes," said Jay Coughlan, chairman and chief executive officer of XRS Corporation. "We have a legacy of experience with our pioneering first-generation mobile tool – Turnpike – and we are building on that heritage with our new XRS mobile fleet optimization technology."
The new XRS mobile platform runs on more than 50 types of devices and automatically transmits vehicle and operator data directly to a management dashboard, preparing for compliance with the pending MAP-21 compliance mandate for recording hours-of-service. Nearly 90 percent of drivers already use mobile devices, meaning there are no additional hardware costs associated with the XRS platform, and XRS Corporation has partnership agreements with the leading brands in mobile communications in both the U.S. and Canada.
More than just EOBR software, the new XRS mobile communications solution combines all the features and benefits of the leading fleet management platforms in a single package. Additionally, XRS is working with industry-leading fleet technology partners – including TMW Systems, McLeod Software, BOLT, ProfitTools and RoadNet Technologies – to ensure seamless compatibility and full functionality with the new XRS mobile platform.
"Our industry is only starting to talk about the impact of mobile applications on fleets and drivers, but we are leading and shaping this trend that will benefit fleets and drivers because we've already built a wireless infrastructure to support XRS," said Christian Schenk, senior vice president of product and market strategy for XRS Corporation. "The mobile revolution is accelerating at breakneck speed, with federally-mandated EOBR rules making electronic logs the law of the land. XRS offers fleet owners the lowest cost of entry and most robust performance of any other software available today."
Features and Benefits
XRS is easy to install, with no bolt-in hardware or custom in-cab installations necessary. The technology is as fast as the wireless network on which it runs, with real-time operation and immediate data availability to benefit busy drivers and fleet managers alike. Set-up time is minimal – drivers are ready to use XRS after only a few minutes of training – and return-on-investment is immediate because of reduced fuel consumption, improved driver awareness and better vehicle utilization.
XRS customers will see immediate improvements in the speed of data delivery, instantaneous safety and compliance alerts and real-time command of vehicle and driver performance measures, such as speed, fuel economy, idle, braking, clutch use, fault codes and many other variables. There's also no downtime for hardware installation or driver training, since XRS is 100 percent mobile and cloud-based.
Additional XRS features and benefits include:
- An open platform, built to partner with existing applications on multiple carriers while keeping up with the staggering pace of change in mobile communications.
- A truly "plug and play" solution, without the complexity of fixed onboard systems. Simply plug the proprietary XRS Relay device into the truck's computer and download the XRS software to a mobile device.
- Easy, intuitive and seamless compliance for both drivers and fleet managers. For example, a speech prompt tells drivers when hours-of-service limits are being approached.
- Simplified fleet optimization tools, with seamless, automated reporting of fleet performance indicators, including fuel consumption, hard braking, shift patterns, idle engine wear, PTO usage, trip reporting and much more.
- Automated fuel-tax reporting, made even easier with a unique and efficient "Print-Sign-Send" service that is excusive to XRS.
XRS also boasts a series of integrated dispatching functions, such as:
- Order planning, which uses GPS location information from XRS to locate drivers and vehicles nearest an order. Dispatchers will then use XRS hours-of-service data to assign the load to the driver with hours available, in order to stay in compliance.
- Electronic dispatching, to dispatch a driver once a vehicle is assigned to a load. XRS accomplishes this electronically by communicating bill-of-lading number, trailer, cargo information, delivery and pickup locations and any other information the driver needs to complete the load accurately and on time.
- Order status updating, to communicate critical information in real time. This enables shippers to provide their customers with instantaneous updates about load status and delivery timing. These updates can be sent either manually (with a driver form) or automatically through the XRS schedule service.
One of the greatest benefits of XRS is its flexibility for fleet owners and drivers, many who already use mobile technology for work productivity purposes. "We're excited to deploy XRS as we believe that the features and functionality of the system will provide a better customer service experience for our clients," said Lou Giardelli, chief information officer at New Century Transportation. "In addition, our drivers will also enjoy the advanced in-cabin user interface and increased functionality that XRS provides."
Existing Turnpike customers will begin the transition to the new XRS mobile solution on a scheduled basis, facilitated by XRS customer care representatives and aided by its customers' familiarity with mobile technology.
Monthly pricing for the XRS mobile fleet optimization platform is $39 per subscription. To sign up or learn more about the XRS platform, please visit http://xrs.tv/xrsdemo.
About XRS Corporation
XRS Corporation (formerly Xata Corporation) delivers fleet management and compliance software solutions to the trucking industry to help maintain regulatory compliance and reduce operating costs. XRS is leading the trucking industry's migration to mobile devices for collecting and analyzing compliance and management data. Its existing mobility-based products have no upfront hardware costs and run on smartphones, tablets and rugged handhelds. XRS has sales and distribution partnerships with the major wireless carriers supporting the U.S. and Canadian trucking industries. Through our mobile products, fleet managers, dispatchers and drivers collect, sort, view and analyze data to help lower costs, increase safety, attain compliance with governmental regulations, and improve customer satisfaction – all through their mobile devices. For more information, visit www.xrscorp.com or call 1-800-745-9282.
Contacts:
Megan Derkey
XRS Corporation
megan.derkey@xrscorp.com
952.707.5681
David Hlavac
Bellmont Partners
david@bellmontpartners.com
612.803.3350
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