The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has deployed Magellan’s Return to Route navigation solution across its fleet of salt spreading vehicles. It is the first municipal fleet to deploy the solution, according to Magellan. The devices have been installed in the cabs of 700 large and small salt spreaders, covering the city’s five boroughs.

“Our drivers now have, at their fingertips, turn-by-turn directions that will greatly assist them in quickly getting roads salted and plowed efficiently and safely," said DSNY Chief Shari Pardini in a statement. “Through the combined efforts of our team, the Operations Management Division, the Bureau of Motor Equipment, and Magellan, we have been able to load 1,400 of our custom routes into the navigators and deliver turn-by-turn directions right from the cab.”

Magellan's Return to Route solution ensures salt spreading equipment will not miss any portion of their designated route. If a driver deviates from a route, the onboard navigator will immediately detect the deviation and re-route the vehicle in real-time so it can complete its task in the most timely manner and ensure streets aren't missed.

“[DSNY] needed a solution that could accommodate a large library of custom maps and an onboard device that enables its fleet of experienced drivers to move around the city as needed, even in the most severe weather conditions,” said Mark Perini, vice president of fleet solutions at Magellan. “DSNY worked hand-in-hand with Magellan to create a state of the art GPS Return to Route solution to better adhere to the complex geography of all New York City's five boroughs, making DSNY an ideal partner for this first roll-out of Return to Route.”