United Parcel Service of America is testing a new rugged mobile computer made by Motorola Inc. for use inside its delivery vehicles, and hopes to deploy the device by 2010 if all goes well. 

Known as the VC6096, the computer would provide UPS managers remote access to information about the delivery vehicle, such as fuel economy, vehicle status and help in better scheduling driver departure and arrival times wirelessly. Long-haul trailer trucks and other large trucks that haul packages between sorting facilities are the current test vehicles for the VC6096.

The VC6096 is not expected to replace the proprietary handheld computer device currently in use by over 100,000 drivers in UPS Vehicles, known as the Delivery Information Acquisition Device IV (DIAD), which is currently manufactured to UPS’s specifications by Motorola. The DIAD is a global package tracking device.

The VC6096 uses a Windows Mobile 6.1 OS, which provides wide-area network connectivity and Wi-Fi connectivity for drivers to be able to stay in touch with company dispatchers both at the facilities and away from them. The new VC6096 devices are mounted inside the vehicle and use the power of the truck to operate it. Expected to sell for about $4,400 each, the devices should be available in Q1 of 2009.

The new computer includes a standard QWERTY keyboard, a 6.5-in. touch display and weighs 4.8 lb., according to a Motorola specifications sheet. It is 9.5 by 9.2 by 1.9 inches in size. It includes 128MB of RAM and 256MB of Flash memory, with an SD card slot for an additional 2GB. Rugged specifications include protection from extreme temperature, dust, humidity, vibration and more. Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth are supported.

It will also measure information about the trucks, including driver speed, engine RPM, braking data and vehicle idling time. This information gathering concept has raised objections from drivers’ unions who are concerned that managers will be micromanaging their time and invading their privacy. In the past the New York City taxi drivers threatened to strike if GPS capabilities were required in their cabs. UPS management claims that such devices will help to improve the overall productivity of its drivers.