Fragile Freight - DTC Holdings Ltd
“We saw the benefits immediately - better control, reduced idling time, easier dispatching. Navman’s a brilliant tool.”
| BENEFITS OF NAVMAN |
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DTC Holdings Limited specialises in transporting fragile freight with a fleet of 40 trucks that carry out both local and line-haul deliveries.
Since DTC owns all their trucks, they wanted a GPS tracking system to ensure their vehicles were being used as efficiently as possible and that drivers were operating trucks as expected. Dale Smith, DTC’s Managing Director, says, “In this business, we can’t have any mucking around. We need to know where everything is at any time.”
After trialing a radio telephone system that wasn’t effective enough, they turned to Navman. “We’ve been using Navman for several years now and found that it offers us the best operational benefits and cost effectiveness of any system” says Mr Smith.
Better Control
Navman Tracking is installed in DTC’s 40 trucks and almost everyone in each office uses OnlineAVL. Mr Smith says, “All our drivers and administration team are comfortable with the system."
”Before Navman, DTC’s dispatchers could only rely on what drivers told them. Now they’ve got visual knowledge so they can schedule jobs more efficiently and offer customers more accurate ETA’s. “In regards to Auckland, Navman’s Geofence feature alerts us when trucks come north of the Bombay Hills or south of Orewa so we can get the next consignment ready or instruct the driver to make any extra stops,” explains Mr Smith.
Adrian Rice, Operations Manager, adds, “We also use Customer Sites to let us know when a truck is arriving at a specific client’s premises. We don’t have to talk to the driver - we just check the OnlineAVL and he gets on with his work.”
Cost Savings
Both Mr Smith and Mr Rice use Navman’s various reports. Mr Rice says, “We use the timesheet report to verify our drivers’ log books and accurately calculate wages. We also use the idle time and overspeeding reports on a weekly basis to let the guys know how they’re doing. Before Navman, we had no way to measure these things. Now, everyone’s more aware and idling and speeding are definitely down.”
DTC has seen a reduction in truck wear and tear as well. By using Navman’s mileage report, Mr Rice can check the diesel usage per kilometre. Additionally, personal use of trucks and vans has ceased since installing Navman.
More Accurate Pricing
Mr Smith says that Navman has been invaluable for setting prices and conducting annual client rate reviews. “We use reports to help us gauge exactly how much we should charge a client. They appreciate the transparency and we’re more profitable.”
He concludes, “Overall, it’s a brilliant tool that helps us manage our people very well.”
"Navman’s easy to use and it’s made us a more efficient company.”
Adrian Rice, Operations Manager
