With gas prices on the rise, trucking fleets need to watch every penny that flows into the big rigs.

Now, a new service called TruckerLink — developed by SignalSet and truck manufacturer Paccar Inc. — allows managers of large fleets to remotely monitor truck locations, driver logs, vehicle inspection reports and, perhaps most importantly in this age, fuel consumption.

TruckerLink allows fleet managers to remotely view miles per gallon and idle time by individual drivers in an online report. That means trucking companies can easily pick out “top savers” and “fuel hogs,” according to a description on the site.

This marks the first announced customer for SignalSet, a Seattle startup which raised $6 million in funding in April. The three-year-old company has developed a new technology that seamlessly switches wireless devices between CDMA and GSM networks depending on the strongest available signal strength.

That’s a key technology for truckers who may pass through dead zones on some wireless networks on certain routes.

Paccar and SignalSet plan to share revenue from TruckerLink, which will be sold through Kenworth and Peterbilt truck dealers. Monthly subscription plans are available which include access to unlimited messaging and data, with drivers and fleet managers able to access the system through a laptop.

SignalSet CEO Peter van der Gracht said that Paccar represents a big win for the startup.

“Their endorsement of our technology makes it possible for any fleet to quickly realize the benefits of a well-engineered fleet management system,” he said.

Backers of SignalSet include Vanedge Capital, Point B Capital, Globespan Capital Partners and Razorback Capital

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