The new VC6096 from Motorola, announced Monday, would give UPS managers automatic access to vehicle information such as fuel economy, and will help drivers log departure and arrival times wirelessly, a spokeswoman said.

UPS is currently testing the VC6096 inside long-haul trailer trucks and large trucks that move packages from one sorting facility to another. A UPS spokeswoman, Donna Barrett, said it would not replace the fourth-generation proprietary handheld computers that more than 100,000 UPS drivers use globally to deliver packages to customer's homes and businesses.

That proprietary computer, known as Delivery Information Acquisition Device IV (DIAD), was manufactured to UPS specifications by Motorola and Symbol Corp., which was acquired by Motorola. The was announced in 2003.

UPS won't reveal how many VC6096 computers it intends to buy, although it will be a "sizeable" number, Barrett said, assuming testing goes well.

One advantage of using the VC6096 is its use of the , which is expected to be widely used in business settings. It gives UPS Wide Area Network connectivity as well as Wi-Fi connectivity to allow drivers to stay in contact with dispatchers outside of facilities and inside them, where Wi-Fi access points are often deployed, Barrett said.