Springfield sales veteran opens fleet-tracking business

Now she’s applying those skills to help build her new company, Fleet Watch Online.

Johnson, the founder of Springfield’s Best Locally Owned Companies, started Fleet Watch Online earlier this year, reselling equipment and service from Networkcar, a division of global automotive-dealer software company Reynolds & Reynolds.

Fleet Watch Online clients use global positioning systems to monitor their business vehicles with real-time location and performance information by installing a small box into their vehicles’ diagnostic ports. Two antennas per vehicle transmit information that can be accessed from any Internet-enabled computer on the planet.

“It’s almost as if the owner were able to ride in the vehicle with their employees,” said Johnson.

Johnson sells both the Motorola equipment – about $700 installed – and Networkcar service – $24.95 per unit per month.

Her company’s Web site is www.fleetwatchonline.com. She’s operating from home and doesn’t maintain extra stock, but she said she hopes to one day be in her own store.

She discovered Networkcar in October and left her post as a territory manager at U.S. Foodservice Inc. on Nov. 11 to devote her full attention to Fleet Watch Online.

Her clients have access to 16 reports that they can use to find ways of cutting business-fleet fat.

Midwest Security Inc., Pro Tech Parts & Service LLC and Amberg Entertainment are Johnson’s first clients.

Shirley Wheeler, corporate manager for Midwest Security, said she bought nine units because she likes the idea of scratching wasteful idling, discovering maintenance issues early and keeping track of patrol times.

“It’s not to keep track of the employees,” Wheeler said. “It’s more to keep track of costs.”

Johnson said her service is targeted at small- to medium-sized businesses seeking a way to reduce fleet operational costs.

While Johnson’s equipment could be installed on tractor-trailers, trucking companies have different GPS equipment made specifically for their long routes.

Johnson is not targeting companies such as Prime Inc. to equip their fleets; instead she’s talking with officials from City Utilities, Herrman Lumber Co., St. John’s Health System and the Springfield Police Department.

She answered quickly when asked what client she wanted most: O’Reilly Automotive.

“All those little pickup trucks running around out there,” Johnson said.

Less than 5 percent of the nation’s business vehicles are equipped with GPS monitoring equipment, according to Networkcar. Springfield is even more of an untapped market than the East and West coasts, so Johnson said she expects competition.

“There is so much potential (in the product),” she said.