Provide Customers Real-Time Updates on Current Shipments

Always looking for opportunities to build on their premium service offerings, JD Smith identified that providing shipment updates in a near real-time environment would be a tremendous asset to the majority of their clients.

“Our objective was to provide even more accurate and real-time updates than we were currently offering through EDI and via our online tracking,” said Cam Arntsen of JD Smith and Sons. “These updates needed to be made available the moment the activity occurs. One customer has set a goal of EDI load status updates received from us, no later than 15 minutes after the event occurs.”

JD Smith and Sons realized that delivering what the client needed would require a solution that could integrate with TruckMate™ for Windows and fit their unique operation.

“Unlike longer haul companies, we don’t have the luxury of time for making updates. Working within a metropolitan area, our stops are very quick and in rapid succession.” explained Arntsen. “There are a lot of great communication systems available to fleets but our goal was to find a system that would allow a driver to send the required updates back as quickly, economically, and in as few steps as possible ."

After closely evaluating the options available to integrate with the TruckMate™ for Windows system, JD Smith selected FleetMind Solutions as the best available provider. Located in Dorval Quebec, FleetMind provides the technology to wirelessly send valuable updates to a fleets dispatching system including vehicle behavior, driver activities, time stamps and GPS locations.

“With the Fleetmind solution, the driver actions are limited to simple multiple choice options. The driver can make these updates very quickly, and move on to his next delivery,” added Arntsen. “Our customer service team can then give clients better updates on when a delivery will be made by receiving these updates in our dispatching system and seeing the truck progress in real-time.”

The role of the dispatcher has also changed significantly at JD Smith. By signing on to the FleetMind system in the morning, drivers are dispatching themselves on morning deliveries. The dispatchers working in TruckMate™ simply need to add additional work to the drivers trip, causing it to send pick up details to the truck. At the end of the day, the driver has the ability to offload his own freight to the crossdock and end his own trip.

“We are getting real-time information about all deliveries. Not only are we sharing this information back to our customers via EDI, but we can also use the information for internal analysis. The information can be used to find troubled consignees or deliveries were the rates may not be compensatory,” described Arntsen

 Investment in Technology Improves Service and Lowers Costs

Over their rich history JD Smith has earned a reputation as a premium carrier that utilizes leading technology to deliver a high level of service to customers. The recent investment in FleetMind and integration to TruckMate™ for Windows has not only enhanced service but has also reduced costs.

The company has recorded measurable improvements in the accuracy and reliability of timestamp information, faster, more efficient dispatching, as well as constant engine performance and driver skills monitoring.

“Our single largest ROI is based on fuel consumption, which is reduced through engine and driver skills monitoring,” said Arntsen. “Another significant costs savings has been the elimination of the time and labor required to do manual updates.”