Planet Antares Inc | Planet Antares | Planet Antares Vending

A blog to discuss vending solutions provided by Planet Antares Inc

Friday, January 25, 2008

Importance Of Vending Business Vehicle Inspections

The booming vending industry has been estimated to have over 100000 route delivery vehicles that drive over 120 million miles an year. The vending business spectrum includes not only servicing of vending equipment but also following of federal regulations and state rules for your vending route vehicles.

Every state uses the Federal Motor Carrier Act to regulate truck and other vehicle drivers and ensure that they abide by trucking regulations applied uniformly to all states of the United States.

With recent changes in regulations, a large number of vending route vehicles have become subject to trucking regulations. In 1998, the definition of a commercial motor vehicle was modified to include any vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) over 10000 pounds.

Make sure that your Planet Antares vending business vehicles have:

  • current state driver’s license
  • current insurance card
  • fire extinguisher
  • medical examiner certificate card
  • emergency kit

The responsibility of Antares business route drivers includes reporting of safety procedures through a safety report that has to be prepared on completion of each day’s work. It must include information about different parts and accessories such as steering wheel, lighting, tires, horn and brakes.

Your vehicle drivers need to identify the vehicle described in the report and list any defect or problems observed during examination and would effect the safe operation of the vehicle. There should not be any chance of mechanical breakdowns or malfunctioning. Such a report must be given to the designated person after being completed in all respects.

Not only observation but also the solutions must be sought for making your Antares vending business vehicles in top condition. When you take the vehicle out on the next day, it must be repaired for any issues discovered earlier. The duties of your vending business must not be delayed due to any vehicle problems.

If these safety regulations are not taken seriously, your vehicles may be taken off the streets or you may have to pay fine for breaking rules. It is essential to maintain the inspection reports for 3 months after preparation and details of any accidents must also be included in your report.

Don’t forget to fill the daily safety reports and practice defensive driving to get best results from your vending business vehicles.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Electronic Locks For Vending Machines

Your vending business is as god as your vending machines and products. Once it is up and running, your Planet Antares vending business will need protection from theft and vandalism. This may include both internal as well as external damages. Technological advances have provided solutions to this persistent problem faced by the vending industry today.

Electronic locks can offer protection from all sorts of vending machine thefts. You can choose from a large variety of locks available in the market. There are several advantages of using electronic locks instead of the conventional lock and key methodology.

Given below are a few important benefits of using electronic locks for preventing vandalism and theft from your Antares vending machines.

  • Eliminates possibility of picking
While the traditional locks were usually picked by intruders, electronic locks eliminate that possibility. There is no visible lock at the front of the vending machine and it can only be opened through an electronic key. Certain vending machines incorporate non-contact infrared key fobs for enhancing the level of security and minimizing theft incidents.
  • No duplication
There is no key that can be duplicated and used to open the lock of the vending machine. Encrypted software is used in the keys of the vending machine’s electronic lock so that only the vending machine operator or owner can have access to the key codes.
  • Total control
You will be able to have complete control over the lock and the number of times the key is used to open the machine. This will help in monitoring employee operations as well as keep an eye on any irregular activities.
  • Efficiency
If a set of keys gets lost, you don’t have to bear the headache of changing all the locks on your vending machines. Just enter a new key code for replacing the previous one and carry on with your vending machine operations without any disruption.
  • Route personnel monitoring
It becomes easier to keep track of the route personnel’s activities such as time taken for filling, servicing, cleaning of the machine. Also, the time spent in moving from one machine to another will also be noted by the electronic lock software.
  • Avoid drilling
By selecting and implementing hardened steel roll pins, you can make the vending machine’s t-handle locks even more secure and difficult to break through. As the drill bits will not come in contact with the actual lock, it will be very tough for any person to open or break the lock.

The safety of your vending machines is crucial for ensuring smooth operations and preventing theft of cash generated by it. If you want to buy and install electronic locks, it will not take longer than replacing a conventional lock with another one.

Focusing on certain vending machine components will also enhance the level of security. For example, installing mechanical security panels for protecting dollar bill acceptors at front and back of the vending machine will reduce the chances of an individual attacking the weak parts of the machine.

Another technological innovation is the cashless payment systems wherein cash is replaced by credit cards, debit cards and smart cards. These make it easier to maintain vending machine security as the cash element is removed from the transaction.