A fleet of vehicles is very hard to manage. You have to remember the tiny details like making sure you have enough rubber wheel chocks to ensure the stationary vehicles keep in place to the major details like where the fleet is and what repairs are needed for the vehicles. However, there are management solutions that make it much easier to deal with.
Prova Systems sells companies technology that tells them a lot about the performance of their vehicle fleets, like how fast drivers travel and how many miles each car gets per gallon. And many businesses have told the Scranton-area startup that they like the idea of what the system can do for them. Problem was, small and medium-sized businesses found it was out of their budgets.
So last month Prova debuted Fleet Manager in a Box, a scaled-down version of its original product. Like its predecessor, it monitors vehicles around the clock and keeps track of fuel efficiency, diagnoses problems and monitors maintenance schedules. John Collins, the company’s president, says Fleet Manager in a Box is targeted at local governments and owners of businesses like landscaping and construction companies. “We fine-tuned it to make it work in this kind of an environment,” Collins says.
The company is planning to hold seminars on the new product in northeastern PA. In the future, he hopes that customers can receive discounts on their vehicle insurance for using it, but details haven’t been finalized.
Prova, based in Carbondale, is also planning to market Fleet Manager in a Box to households. Parents of teen drivers might find it especially useful, but Collins says anyone would benefit from knowing when fluids need to be changed and tires are due to be rotated. “Everybody is trying to make their vehicles last longer,” he says. “It’s certainly cheaper than overhauling an engine or buying a new car.”
Source: John Collins, Prova Systems
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen
