Automotive Fleet, November 2020

17 2020 THE CONNECTED FLEET GUIDE ABOUT Napa Transportation a family owned logistics business founded in 1991 and headquartered in Mechanicsburg Pa has 450 tractors and 400 drivers From the start the company was driver focused but also very technology oriented THE CHALLENGE Fleet operations are not easy Operators have to manage large fleets nationwide with varying vehicles different site managers complex technology integrations and hardware compatibility while enforcing safety and compliance regulations Drivers are often frustrated by technology that is not easy to use or when problems they encounter in their daily lives dont get addressed Napa Transportation discovered a great example of this through actively listening to their drivers Drivers seemed to be spending 20 40 minutes per trip trying to locate trailers on large lots and would routinely call in to driver managers to get support Also in the past anything that was compliance related would be passed across departments including safety and compliance and this would lead to frustration for drivers as they were expected to support the resolution of issues THE SOLUTION When the current telematics solution was selected by Napa a key priority was involving drivers in making technology decisions As Jim Brighton IT Director sees it drivers can become advocates for technology when they are involved early on in mapping out requirements to address their challenges and priorities For example to make locating trailers easier Napa implemented a find my trailer feature in its telematics driver app to guide drivers precisely to a trailers location Besides making driver trip management easier the companys telematics solution simplified communication between drivers and managers and improved compliance with HOS and ELD regulations The flexibility of the new solution means that drivers can immediately get notifications when safety and compliance rules are violated so they can take immediate corrective action THE RESULTS Napa Transportation has a driver retention rate that is about twice the industry average Their approach of listening to drivers when they make technology choices and implementing solutions to make drivers lives easier is at the core of this significant competitive advantage they have over other fleet companies BESIDES MAKING DRIVER TRIP MANAGEMENT EASIER THE COMPANYS TELEMATICS SOLUTION SIMPLIFIED COMMUNICATION BETWEEN DRIVERS AND MANAGERS AND IMPROVED COMPLIANCE WITH HOS AND ELD REGULATIONS Photo courtesy Napa Transportation NAPA TRANSPORTATION