Article taken from Fuel Oil News

TUXEDO NEW YORK, the city behind the stone wall, is at the foot of the Catskill Mountains, an ICON of history.Everyone knows what a tuxedo is, but few know that a local millionaire on a trip to England observed the dinner jacket, and had his tailor add tails and a top hat to create the tuxedo.The Red Apple Rest on highway 17, where the water fountains once spouted seltzer, and where many a celebrity arrived by train from New York City. The drivers, from the Catskill resorts, waited for their trains to arrive while filling up at the highest volume gas station in the country.This is history, but SOS Fuels also located in Tuxedo NY, is the ICON of the future.
 
SOS installed the RF DELIVERY System, from Automated Wireless Environments Inc, where each delivery truck is now part of the office network. Robert Spiegel, an owner of SOS, worked closely with AWE, during the installation of the system, and with his radio provider to use his VHF radio system.The radio system has a tower 1100 feet above sea level giving him excellent coverage.He is now using his radio frequency for both voice and data.AWE is an expert in wireless communications using VHF radio, UHF radio, cellular, CDPD, GSM, Satellite, Nextel, PCS, or whatever is required to provide that wireless link.
 
Accountability, control, and immediate availability of information, at the office, are the reasons to automate delivery trucks and service vans. Routes are created and assigned visually to each truck, as well as the addition of new orders and the cancellation of existing delivery stops.The dispatcher can view the trucks and their course, speed, and location, as well as pending deliveries and inventory on-board.The truck is equipped with a communication device, a Melard Sidearm computer operating with Windows CE, and a PC-104 computer to process and control all functions on-board the truck, including the electronic register and Global Positioning.
Automated Wireless is currently developing a system to retrieve engine data from the engine’s J-1708 interface. This will also include odometer and tachometer readings.Customers receive a computer printed invoice from the truck immediately following the delivery and the customer service department has the point of sale information a few minutes later. Loading transactions and time accounting are also part of the system. SOS uses a well-known business system from a software supplier, also in New Jersey.A fully functional seamless integration, with the new wireless system, was ready in just a few short days.Robert has recognized that a rapid transition to new technology is the only method for providing service and efficiency to compete in the 21st century. After product cost, labor and fleet are the largest operating expense. The trucks are equipped with meters and electronic registers, from Liquid Controls, that are connected to the AWE on-board computer system, controlling the delivery process. AWE has many systems installed using electronic registers from both Liquid Controls and also from Midcom. Both companies manufacture equipment to meter liquid products such as gasoline, heating oil, and propane.
 

AWE is located in a newly renovated office complex overlooking Lake Hopatcong in NJ, The lake view promotes creativity for innovative software and hardware development. The company has alliances with truck builders and repair centers to support its products.These many alliances allow a small company to provide service anywhere. AWE currently provides systems to some of the largest petroleum companies in North America. AWE is a Microsoft Beta developer creating products for the petroleum industry. In addition to its RF Delivery system, its RF Service system provides work order management, assigning work orders to each service technician with time accounting. Unlike delivery, the calls are managed, one by one, allowing for priority adjustments and re-assignments. As calls are completed, the service technician can bill out parts and labor and provide a point of sale invoice to the customer.Systems from Automated Wireless are an extension of the office or business system. AWE has designed a standard table structure, defining the orders coming from the office system and completed transactions to the office system, using industry standard ODBC.The majority of suppliers of office software have interfaces to AWE, itself a standard for the wireless industry.