Fleets utilizing Drivewyze PreClear weigh station bypass, and its included Drivewyze Safety Notifications service, now have in-cab notifications to inform drivers of the number of parking spots available at 10 rest areas throughout Indiana.
Indiana is the first state for which Drivewyze has added parking spot availability into the COVID-19 response rest area alerts initiative. The initiative, a program run voluntarily by the Drivewyze team to help drivers during this time of need, has recently produced critical parking area open/close notifications for drivers in Pennsylvania, Florida, Arizona, Virginia and Ohio.
“This is a great example of delivering safety information to drivers where and when they need it most in Indiana,” said Brian Heath, CEO of Drivewyze. “Truck parking availability is a chronic problem in the trucking industry, made worse by the COVID-19 crisis. We’ve leveraged integrations with our state partner and utilized smart infrastructure data to help drivers and go one step further than previous open/close status sharing. The Drivewyze team has worked hard to add the availability of truck parking spaces statewide so that drivers now approaching rest areas in Indiana will be shown how many parking stalls are reporting availability by the state system in real-time. Advance knowledge is a stress reliever when you are a driver and allows you to plan ahead. Parking stall availability is leap forward in our continuing development of the temporary Rest Area Notifications feature and is something drivers appreciate.”
According to Heath, rest areas in Indiana are some of the most modern facilities in North America, and they incorporate truck parking detection technology that allows the Indiana DOT to monitor and share real-time parking space availability. “Drivewyze is now providing this parking availability information directly to truck drivers via the Drivewyze service embedded in their vehicle's telematics devices,” he said.
The in-cab notification alerts are strategically placed. Most alerts are 25 miles out, then updated again at 5 miles out. “Some sites use customized distances to avoid duplication with state electronic signboards, that display parking information, or to add informational value by optimizing the time drivers can consider alternate parking areas when lots are full,” said Heath.
“The number one focus and responsibility of the Indiana Motor Truck Association is safety,” said Gary Langston, President of Indiana Motor Truck Association. “There’s no question that proper rest is an important factor in helping our industry to be safe. We appreciate this Drivewyze technology which will give drivers valuable information about available parking in rest areas and help to address the ongoing driver parking shortage issue.”
Drivewyze’s temporary Rest Area notifications will continue for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.
“We’re continuing to work with our state DOT partners to support driver safety,” said Heath. “We’re not done yet; our team is committed to making a difference and improving driver safety. Driver’s do so much for all of us, this voluntary initiative is our way of giving something of value back to them.”
