Customer: Werner Enterprises
Industry:   Transportation
Scope of Work: The Meritor Tire Inflation System by P.S.I.™  – an Automatic Tire Inflation System – ATIS™
Number of Units: 24,000 plus
Number of Sites:  10
Timeframe:  9/2010 to present

Werner Enterprises, Inc. was founded in 1956 and is a premier transportation and logistics company, with coverage throughout North America, Asia, Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. Werner maintains its global headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska and maintains offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China and Australia. Werner is among the five largest truckload carriers in the United States, with a diversified portfolio of transportation services that includes dedicated, medium-to-long-haul, regional and local van capacity, expedited, temperature-controlled and flatbed services. For more information, visit http://www.werner.com/.

THE CHALLENGE

More than 50 percent of new trailers being built today are being specified with tire inflation systems as part of the package.  The attractive ROI makes it a natural decision to also consider a retrofit of existing trailers.  However, fleets commonly struggle with developing a plan for capturing trailers for such a project. Installing an automatic tire inflation system is not a quick task, even with the Meritor Tire Inflation System by PSI, which is by far the easiest retrofit to accomplish.  However, it does take time and labor, therefore concerns about the time vehicles will be down and the heavy workload employee technicians already have, combined with the cost to retrofit when older vehicles may not be in operation as long, are the biggest issues for most decision-makers. Therefore, Werner decided to carefully evaluate the risk vs. reward for retrofitting the 24,000 trailers in its fleet.

THE SOLUTION

Realizing that a quick turn around with minimal downtime for the fleet was key towards making the retrofit yield a high ROI, Werner turned to Velociti, Inc., the industry leader in technology deployment.  Velociti was able to provide a dedicated technician, working six days a week at each designated location.  The locations were a mix of Werner shops and Werner customer sites, so Velociti technicians were prepared for fully mobile installs anywhere the trailers could be captured.  Velociti also provided a dedicated project manager to oversee the project and prepare a schedule that would ensure efficient deployment throughout the fleet.  By working closely with Werner, the project manager proactively secured access to two trailers per day for each technician, guaranteeing continuous workflow.

THE BENEFITS

The Meritor Tire Inflation System by P.S.I.™ prolongs tire life, increases fuel efficiency and safety, maximizes recap potential and keeps trailers on the road by dramatically reducing the incidence of in-service tire failures. This translates into lower costs, less maintenance and higher profits.

“Once Werner saw the benefits of the PSI inflation system, it didn’t take them long to make the decision to begin the retrofit program,” said Mike Niemeyer, Director of Fleet Sales, North & Central America at PSI.  “Using PSI saves them a lot of money, especially on older trailers that typically require more maintenance, and using Velociti to install the systems saved them even more by getting the job done efficiently and effectively.  That is why we partnered with Velociti and have since 2004, they have proven that they are the only vendor that can handle a project of this magnitude and scope.”

Dwayne Haug, Executive Vice President of Equipment Purchasing for Werner explained, “Once we looked at the pros and cons of a retrofit and took a look at the model developed by Velociti for successfully deploying it across our entire fleet, the decision was clear.  The key is finding the right product and the right company to deploy it and we certainly got both with PSI and Velociti.”

According to Deryk Powell, COO of Velociti, Inc., “Technology retrofits on trailers present unique equipment access challenges.  But due to the compelling ROI from tire inflation, the industry needs a solution.  Therefore we built a model for performing these projects several years ago, which has been leveraged by many fleets.  We are pleased Werner saw value in our solution and are honored to be working with them.”

Customer: Advance Auto Parts
Industry: Retail
Scope of Work: Upgrade RF  & Computer Equipment
Number of Sites: 2,600
Timeframe: 90 days

THE CHALLANGE

For Advance Auto Parts, the challenges were daunting. The Roanoke, Virginia-based Fortune 500 Company– the second-largest retailer of automotive aftermarket parts, accessories, batteries and maintenance items with 35,000 employees and 2,652 stores in 39 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands—had an immediate need to upgrade various generations of RF and computer equipment as part of a larger project to modernize store layout and systems to enable more efficient business processes for store management.

Not only was the project huge, but Advance Auto Parts wanted it done in an expedited timeframe which called for just two weeks notice for the installations to begin and approximately 90 days to outfit and implement working systems in more than 2,600 locations across the US.

The deployment required:

• upgrades and installations of in-store RF networks and devices
• installation of memory in PC-based cash registers
• firmware upgrade in existing RF devices
• network enable all back office printers and install new printer in some stores
• install new wireless switches to control and manage the new RF devices and
configure these devices to store specific specifications

THE SOLUTION

To meet its technology deployment project management needs, Advance Auto Parts turned to industry leader Velociti, Inc. Velociti was responsible for all aspects of the deployment and installation.

Staging and Invemtory Management:

Velociti assembled all of the necessary technology, staged all equipment in it’s Atlanta facility and shipped customized kits to Advance Auto Parts Stores across the US. The project required:

• 25,000 pieces of computer memory
• Nearly 2,300 network cards for in store printers
• 265 new laser printers
• Over 2,300 new wireless switches
• More than 2,500 RF printers
• Nearly 280 new Symbol access ports
• Over 2,600 antennae
• More than 200,000 feet (or roughly 38 miles) of cable

Project Management:

Velociti provided a dedicated manager who oversaw the efforts of 23 full-time technicians as they completed two store installations per day, six days a week. Each technician was trained and took part in a 50-store pilot project to validate installation processes.

In addition, Velociti created a web-based tool for tracking the progress of the technology deployment and for daily, periodic and end-of-project reconciliation reporting. This web solution gave designated personnel at Advance Auto complete insight to the progress of the project, allowing them to know exactly which stores were complete and which were next to be deployed.

The entire Advance Auto Parts technology deployment project required over 52,000 route miles, including over 4,300 miles by one technician, in order for all locations to be successfully completed in the 90-day timeframe.

THE RESULT

With an in-house IT staff of less than a dozen people, outsourcing this large, complex and time critical technology deployment was the most viable option for Advance Auto Parts. “We investigated our options thoroughly and found that not many companies were willing or able to handle the diversity and challenges of the project,” stated Chuck Kingery, Director of Store Technology. “Only Velociti offered the versatility and ability to manage a large, nationwide project on budget and on time and with the expertise we needed to get the job done.”

Customer: Old Dominion Freight Line
Industry: Transportation and Logistics
Scope of Work:  PeopleNet On-Board Communication Systems and Cisco Access Points
Number of Units: 4,000+ Tractors
Number of Sites:  208 Locations
Time frame: 9 months

Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. (NASDAQ: ODFL) is a national less-than-truckload motor carrier providing one-to-five day service among six regions in the United States and next-day and second-day service within these regions. Through its four product groups, OD-Domestic, OD-Expedited, OD-Global and OD-Technology, the Company offers an array of innovative products and services that provide direct service to 48 states within the Southeast, Gulf Coast, Northeast, Midwest, Central and West regions of the country. In addition to domestic less-than-truckload services, the Company offers assembly and distribution services as well as LCL and FCL delivery services to and from all of North America, Central America, South America and the Far East. The Company also offers a broad range of expedited and logistical services for both its domestic and global markets, and for more than 75 years, Old Dominion has been helping the world keep promises. More information can be found at www.odfl.com.

THE CHALLENGE

Old Dominion Freight Line had a unique dual-scope requirement to install PeopleNet On-Board Communication Systems in approximately 4,000 tractors across 208 locations as well as 140 Cisco Access Points at 92 locations. The sites for both installs spanned 48 states.

Old Dominion initially considered performing the project with it’s own employees.  In the process of developing a deployment plan, they realized that the need to deploy in-cab and WLAN technology simultaneously involved complexities that made the project very challenging. They realized it was more than just an installation, it also involved project management, data and inventory management, scheduling and training.  Old Dominion determined that using internal resources, it would take 30 months to complete the project, which would delay their ROI significantly.

THE SOLUTION

Old Dominion Freight Line turned to Velociti Inc., the industry leader in technology deployment, after determining that utilizing an outside firm was the best choice.

According to Ken Erdner, CIO of Old Dominion Freight Line, “Velociti told us point blank that they could complete the project in 9 months and that using them would dramatically improve our ROI and they proved it.”

Velociti provided 10 highly trained, full-time installation technicians and a dedicated project manager to oversee every aspect of the project.  Velociti’s web-based data management system provided Old Dominion with 24/7 access to project details, status reports and inventory management, including detailed tracking information showing the complete history of each device.

THE BENEFITS

Velociti’s dedicated and highly efficient team successfully completed the project in only 9 months compared to the 30 months it would have taken Old Dominion to accomplish the task themselves.  As the systems were installed, Old Dominion saw immediately the increased fuel efficiency exceeded expectations of 1/4 mpg with an actual rate of 1/2 mpg, yielding huge savings.

Ken Erdner went on to say, “The difference between seeing those returns in 9 months versus 30 months not only paid for Velociti’s incredible service, but keeps paying through their quality of work and continued support.  Velociti has proven it’s value to us and will be an important partner as future technology projects require deployment services.”

According to Barry Craver, Director of Freight Processing for Old Dominion, “Prior to working with Velociti, we didn’t think we could find a company with expertise to deploy technology in our trucks and our terminals.  The diversity of Velociti’s capabilities would be of value to any fleet, as it was to ours.”

Velociti was uniquely qualified to handle the dual deployment.  Deryk Powell, COO of Velociti Inc. explained, “We are the only company with the full-time staff certified to handle both the in-cab and in-building scope of work, which streamlined the process saving significant time and money.  We coordinated all aspects to ensure a seamless deployment between the two solutions and made sure everything was up and running correctly before leaving each location, allowing Old Dominion to immediately leverage the systems capabilities.”

Sysco Corporation

Customer: Sysco Corporation
Industry: Food Service Distributor
Scopes of Work:  DriveCam, XATANET, SAP Fleet Re-identification, STS Handheld Cradles, SLS Zone Tags, EDVIS Barcode Systems, Gasboy Fuel Management

Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the food service and hospitality industries.  Sysco has sales and service relationships with approximately 400,000 customers and remains committed to helping them succeed in the foodservice. Operating from more than 180 locations throughout the United States, Canada and Ireland, Sysco’s product lines are as diverse as the 45,000 employees who support its daily operations. For more information visit www.sysco.com.

THE CHALLENGE

Sysco was faced with a major challenge, the need to deploy multiple fleet technology systems, consisting of seven unique scopes of work, over a period of approximately 2 years.  In addition to XATANET in-cab communication systems and DriveCam driver performance systems, several of the projects had mandatory deadlines in order to comply with an enterprise wide SAP implementation.  The SAP related scopes included Fleet Re-Identification, In-Cab Handheld PC Cradles, SLS Zone Tags, EDVIS Barcode Tags and Gasboy Fuel Management Systems.  At more than 60 locations throughout the US, Sysco operates more than 15,000 pieces of equipment.  Due to the multiple scopes of work, each piece of equipment would potentially have to be taken out of duty several times in order to complete the projects.  Combined, these projects represented a daunting challenge of more than 100,000 hours of project management and installation time.  A unique, scalable and flexible strategy would be required to make this happen and missing deadlines was simply not an option.

THE SOLUTION

Sysco turned to Velociti Inc., the leading technology deployment experts.  As stated by David Cullom, Sysco’s Director of Fleet Services, “We knew of Velociti’s reputation for performing large-scale, rapid deployments, but we were concerned these projects would be too much for even Velociti to handle”.  Cullom continued, “Much to our relief, from the first meeting with Velociti, they came in prepared.  They presented and ultimately executed on a strategy that was well thought out and allowed us to meet our goals”.

Velociti’s project plan was based on a complex, yet flexible schedule which combined scopes of work whenever possible, limiting the disruption to Sysco’s business.  By deploying installation crews consisting of between 1 and 8 technicians at each location, equipment could be taken out of service for a limited amount of time with multiple tasks being completed at once.  Velociti provided up to 40 full-time technicians at certain points of the project, in addition to 2 full-time project managers.  Due to the complexity of the scopes and varying availability of systems, the deployment schedule required continual revisions, which were possible to absorb due to the flexible design of the crews.

THE BENEFITS

Sysco was able to meet all of the project deadlines and realize improved ROI as a result of Velociti’s deployment strategy.  “Velociti listened to what we needed, developed a plan, took ownership of the deployment and quite honestly, we couldn’t have met the challenges of these projects without them”, stated Cullom.

Deryk Powell, COO of Velociti added, “Sysco put a great deal of trust in our commitment that we could get the job done.  We are proud of our Project Managers and Technicians for going the extra mile to satisfy Sysco’s needs.  Sysco has proven to be a great company to work with and we look forward to continuing to support their technology deployment requirements in the future”.

Customer:   Heartland Express
Industry:   Transportation & Logistics
Scope of Work: PeopleNet On-Board Communication Systems
Number of Sites: 9
Timeframe:  6 months

Heartland Express is a national truckload carrier serving the continental United States.   Headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa, Heartland is considered a leader in on-time service specializing in mission critical levels of service for leading shippers throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.heartlandexpress.com.

THE CHALLENGE

Heartland Express needed to install PeopleNet On-Board Communication Systems in their entire fleet, but had a limited number of locations available to access the trucks.  The varied scope of work, which was comprised of pre-wire installs, custom mounts and unique activation procedures, coupled with training drivers on the new systems, meant coordinating a complex schedule was key for successful deployment.

THE SOLUTION

Velociti, Inc., the industry’s leading technology deployment experts, worked with Heartland Express to develop a flexible, detailed schedule their dispatchers could use to route all trucks to install locations.  Velociti was able to provide certified technicians with flexible schedules that included weekends and evenings to meet the trucks as needed.  Technicians were also deployed to OEM facilities to install new trucks as they rolled off the production line.

Velociti dedicated a lead technician to the project, responsible for traveling to each location during the kick-off phase to ensure consistency and tracking on new components.  Heartland also utilized Velociti’s locally based resources in certain markets for shorter deployments, allowing for more cost effective installs at less accessible areas.

THE BENEFITS

Velociti’s management of the deployment allowed Heartland to focus on training and user acceptance with their staff.  Training sessions were scheduled to coincide with the install so drivers experienced minimum down time and were able to get back on the road quickly.  The detailed schedules and rapid deployment increased driver acceptance and improved ROI.  As the larger project was completed, Heartland continued to leverage Velociti’s local resources for post-project service and installs, ensuring the same quality and consistency throughout their fleet.

According to Jim Tornblom, Director of Maintenance at Heartland Express, “Heartland is committed to controlling operating expenses, so install cost was an important consideration for us on the project.  Velociti really took the time to understand our desire for a cost-effective project and offered us a project plan that met our cost goals without sacrificing quality or schedule.”

Deryk Powell, COO of Velociti, Inc. said, “When Heartland assured us they could provide unrestricted access to their trucks to meet the deployment we proposed, we were somewhat concerned due to the aggressive nature of the schedule.  We quickly learned that they were on top of their game and did in fact meet their commitments.  It was impressive to see how efficiently they operate and we look forward to working with Heartland in the future.”

Customer: Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority
Industry: Public Transportation
Scope of Work: Drive Cam
Number of Units: 1,500 Buses
Number of Sites: 8 Terminal Locations
Timeframe: 12 Weeks

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (Metro) operates and maintains a safe, reliable and effective transit system that enhances mobility, improves the quality of life, and stimulates economic development in the Washington metropolitan area. The Metro was created by an interstate compact in 1967 to plan, develop, build, finance and operate a balanced regional transportation system in the national capital area. The Authority began building its rail system in 1969, acquired four regional bus systems in 1973, and began operating the first phase of Metrorail in 1976. Metro began its paratransit service, MetroAccess, in 1994. Today, Metrorail serves 86 stations and has 106 miles of track. Metrobus serves the nation’s capital 24 hours a day, seven days a week with 1,500 buses. Metrorail and Metrobus serve a population of 3.4 million within a 1,500-square mile jurisdiction and transports about 430,000 passengers throughout the national capital region each weekday. For more information, visit www.wmata.com.

THE CHALLENGE

In order to enhance safety and efficiency of its transit fleet, Metro committed to DriveCam’s driver safety and risk management program, deploying DriveCam on all 1,500 metro area buses. As part of this program, DriveCam event recorders were installed to capture and identify risky driving behaviors. This information is used to coach drivers, resulting in fewer accidents and, ultimately, lower claims, fuel and maintenance costs. The event recorders are programmed with parameters specified by the client. Correctly setting these parameters and coordinating a rapid, effective installation would be critical not only to the ROI, but to ensuring minimum disruption to bus schedules.

THE SOLUTION

DriveCam and Metro turned to Velociti, Inc., the industry leader in technology deployment, after determining that utilizing an outside firm was the best choice for rapid deployment. Velociti provided 7 expert technicians with the security clearance necessary to work on city vehicles. The installations for all 1,500 buses were completed across 8 terminal locations in only 12 weeks. Velociti also provided a dedicated technician to perform daily maintenance, repairs and spot checks, which has been ongoing since October 2010 as part of a post-install service contract. With a rapid response time for repairs, the Metro is able to get its buses back in service quickly to avoid disrupting service.

THE BENEFITS

DriveCam dramatically reduces fuel expenses and claims costs – while saving lives – by improving the way people drive. By combining sight and sound, expert analysis and driver coaching, DriveCam has reduced vehicle damages, workers’ compensation and personal injury costs by more than 50 percent and fuel consumption by up to 10% in over 130,000 commercial and government vehicles. By using Velociti for the deployment, the Metro was able to quickly experience these benefits.

“Utilizing DriveCam has helped us provide our customers with even safer bus service,” said Jack Requa, Metro Assistant General Manager of Bus Services. “But many others benefit from this partnership with DriveCam, including operators, pedestrians and other drivers on the road.”

According to Brandon Nixon, CEO of DriveCam, “The Metro project is yet another example of why DriveCam partnered with Velociti. Since 2006, Velociti has proven itself as a business partner committed to the success of DriveCam and its clients.”

Deryk Powell, COO of Velociti, Inc. said, “DriveCam is a fantastic solution for fleet safety and efficiency. We continue to appreciate the opportunity to serve DriveCam and its customers with professional deployment services.”

Customer: CR England
Industry: Transportation and Logistics
Scope of Work: Trailer Tracking
Number of Units: 5,000 plus
Number of Sites: 35 plus
Timeframe: 12 months

CR England, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is the nation’s largest refrigerated trucking company. CR England has over 3,500 tractors and 5,600 trailers in service operating throughout North America. Their commitment to customer service has earned CR England a reputation as one of the nations leading companies specializing in temperature controlled transportation products. Their commitment to utilizing the latest technology to improve the bottom line for their customers led to their decision to utilize trailer tracking systems.

 THE CHALLENGE

CR England opted to install the SkyBitz 2-way refrigeration monitoring and control system on their trailers. In order to obtain the best ROI and realize the benefits of the new system, England was focused on installing the systems as quickly as possible. To add to the challenge, in order for the system to work properly, multiple parameters had to be modified within the reefer microprocessor. This required technicians trained and equipped with the correct software on portable computers as well as the correct programming cables.

A flexible, adaptable, and cost effective installation plan, as well as an efficient management process were all important to CR England because of the challenge in locating available trailers. As the installs were completed, fewer and fewer trailers in need of install were available, making locating the remaining trailers in need of install more of a challenge.

CR England needed a roll-out that made the most efficient use of technicians. They considered training their own technicians to install the trailer systems but realized it wasn’t an effective use of their own resources. Their own technicians are committed to performing maintenance and repair work, and installing tracking systems on the entire fleet was extra time they didn’t have.

THE SOLUTION

CR England turned to Velociti, Inc., technology deployment experts, after determining that utilizing an outside firm was the best choice. Working together, the companies found effective solutions to address trailer tracking system installation challenges. CR England identified locations across the nation where large pools of available trailers could be found. As access dropped at CR England dedicated facilities, they identified customer locations and coordinated between their customers and Velociti to provide access to CR England assets. Eventually, CR England had dispatched Velociti technicians to over 35 different locations across the United States to locate and install the systems on the entire CR England fleet, including OEM manufacturers where Velociti performed installs on new assets as they came off the assembly line.

Velociti technicians were equipped with ruggedized laptop computers to allow them to not only install the systems on the trailers, but upgrade the microprocessor software on the refrigeration units as needed to ensure full functionality. Velociti bundled the hardware installs and software upgrades together, ensuring that once a trailer was installed with the system, it could be utilized immediately rather than requiring a second touch to be fully functional.

Each day, Velociti technicians provided install data from all tasks completed that day. This install data was provided on a daily basis to allow CR England to better understand the remainder of the fleet in need of install. Daily and weekly updates to CR England staff from Velociti project managers gave full visibility into the progress and effectiveness of Velociti’s deployment of CR England’s technology solution.

THE BENEFITS

The process Velociti put in place for CR England resulted in the installation of over 5,000 systems in less than 12 months. Velociti quickly proved to CR England that it had the resources and the experience to work with them to quickly adapt to the changing trailer availability dynamic that exists in this environment. According to Dave Arko, CR England Director of Maintenance, “What impressed us most in working with Velociti was their ability to quickly react to our needs combined with their nationwide coverage. They truly understand this industry and the important role they play in making a transportation technology project successful for their customers.”

According to Deryk powell, COO of Velociti, “Technology deployment on trailers creates unique challenges. Establishing a plan that maximizes “3-levels of access” to the trailers, systems and sites is critical. CR England’s commitment to working closely with us to achieve optimal access has been a key contribution to this successful relationship.”

The partnership between Velociti and CR England did not end with the implementation of the new trailer tracking system. Since then, Velociti has been involved in multiple other projects for CR England. From in cab communications, to distracted driver prevention systems and beyond, England continues to utilize the partnership with Velociti whenever there is a need to install new systems or upgrade their existing fleet.

Customer: Walmart
Industry: Transportation and Logistics
Scope of Work: VeriWise Trailer Tracking
Number of Units: 46,000
Timeframe: 5 months

When GE needed help fulfilling its largest-ever VeriWise trailer-tracking order with Walmart for 46,000 units, it turned to the mobile installation and deployment specialists at Velociti Inc. The two companies’ team approach resulted in the first 7,200 units being installed at 14 sites in 12 states – all in a record rate of 514 per day. “Purchasers of trailer-tracking systems often neglect the fact that in order to quickly realize the productivity and security benefits of their investment, fast and proper installation is a must,” says Deryk Powell, chief operating officer of Kansas City, Mo. based Velociti. “It can be a challenge when these assets are in constant motion, and far from their home base in various parts of the country.”

Although GE mechanics install VeriWise at the 100 branches of its Trailer Fleet Services business- and Walmart had its own mechanics as well- the initial deployment had to be completed in a short period while the trailers were available. After a three-day training seminar, including one day at an actual Walmart site, 80 Velociti technicians were staged at 14 Walmart sites in 12 southeastern states. They worked with both GE and Walmart to schedule trailers for installation.

The technicians installed transceivers, antennas and power management devices – as well as interior-mounted cargo sensors and solar trickle charging systems. Handheld association units were used to scan completed trailers and post critical installation data to a secure Web-based project management system. The timely reporting enabled GE and Walmart to maintain complete visibility of the project’s progress. “Velociti is flexible in how we can either do installations single-handedly or augment installers at a customer or distributor site,” Powell says. “We share the same commitment to perform these installs in a time-sensitive, safe and appropriate manner.”

During that critical first deployment, Velociti installed 5,800 units, and GE mechanics completed the remaining I ,400 in parallel. The team effort resulted in meeting the overall commitment without negatively impacting trailer utilization for Walmart’s distribution network. For the remainder of the order, Velociti has been helping GE’s 30-member Walmart installation team complete the job before the fall surge in trailer demand for holiday shipments.

“It’s terrific to know that when we have large and geographically complex installation challenges, we can count on both our GE mechanics and Velociti team to help us meet our customer commitments,” says Thomas Konditi, president and chief executive officer of the Schaumberg, IL-based Asset Intelligence business of GE Equipment Services. “We certainly expect more deals of this type, and our experience with the Walmart installation demonstrates we have the resources available to help our customers use our technology sooner, and give them a much earlier return on investment.”

Customer: Xtra Lease
Industry: Transportation and Logistics
Scope of Work: Qualcomm T2 Systems
Number of Units: 30,000+ dry Van Trailers
Timeframe: 11 months

XtraLease, a Berkshire Hathaway company based in St. Louis, is a leading provider of over the road trailers for rent or lease in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. With more than 80 North American locations, the company offers a fleet of more than 125,000 trailers, including dry vans, flatbeds, reefers, storage trailers and specialty equipment.

When faced with the challenge of upgrading trailer tracking technology, XTRALease selected Velociti Inc. to perform Project Management and Mobile Installation of Qualcomm T2 systems in its fleet of trailers. XTRALease and Velociti developed a custom deployment strategy matching maximum productivity with project completion as quickly as possible to assist XTRALease in achieving its target ROI.

THE CHALLENGE

Trailer tracking data is a valuable component of XTRALease’s offering to its customers. Therefore, when contemplating an upgrade of technology, it was critical for XTRALease to deploy a strategy that could be completed quickly and with minimal affect on its ability to provide customers with tracking data.

Untethered trailers in a rental and leasing environment create one of the most challenging mobile technology deployment scenarios. A successful strategy must be flexible enough to handle fluctuations in trailer access, while remaining aggressive enough to allow trailers to be captured quickly and efficiently when they are available.

The added complexity of a legacy system removal and associated inventory management across more than 80 XTRALease branches and customer locations led to a unique deployment strategy.

THE SOLUTION

Velociti assigned a Project Manager to work at XTRALease headquarters in St. Louis to manage the entire deployment process. The willingness of XTRALease to provide Velociti with secure, real-time access to trailer and inventory data resulted in a strategy that could be adjusted immediately as conditions in the field changed.

Due to the custom install and demanding work environment, crew endurance and consistency was mandatory. Velociti utilized its extensive team of full-time employee mobile technicians positioned around the U.S. and Canada to ensure project success. Velociti guaranteed each technician would complete 45 installs per week, provided access to the trailers and systems was provided.

To offer XTRALease a flexible strategy that could be modified as its available trailer volume fluctuated, Velociti provided an allowance of “Tech-Weeks” from which XTRALease could draw on weekly. The number of technicians deployed weekly varied and was set to closely match the expected trailer access for that period of time, maximizing productivity and controlling price per install. Velociti deployed as many as 36 technicians in a single week during the project.

THE BENEFITS

The commitment to work closely with Velociti and adopt the recommended strategy resulted in project completion ahead of expectations. More than 20,000 trailers were installed during the first 5 months of the project and more than 30,000 by the end of month 11.

This success allowed XTRALease to purchase additional “Tech-Weeks” from Velociti and continue the project at a slower pace as the percentage of the fleet requiring install neared completion.

“Our commitment to provide XTRALease customers with best-in-class service, equipment and tracking technology is an integral part of our culture”, said Stephen Zaborowski, Senior Vice President at XTRALease. “Velociti worked closely with us to develop a plan based on our specific needs and proved through their performance that as an organization, they excel at making certain transportation technology projects are a success.”

Customer: Ferrellgas
Industry: Propane
Scope of Work: Onboard computers and printers, GPS
Number of Units: 4,500 trucks

THE CHALLANGE

Having grown since its inception in 1939 to a company with more than 650 outlets serving more than 1 million customers in all 50 states, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Ferrellgas is a true success story. Today, the Overland Park, Kansas-based company is the second largest marketer of propane in the United States with over $1.5 billion in annual sales. Its nationwide supply network includes a fleet of 4,500 delivery and service vehicles.

Driven by a company-wide effort to enhance competitiveness by addressing inefficiencies and reengineering business processes, Ferrellgas undertook a wide-ranging approach to making its operation more efficient and productive. “Previously,” relates Drew Mazeitis, Director of Mobile Technology, “much of the information about our customers, stops and deliveries was only known by our drivers. We needed to make a change, so we designed a comprehensive information system to capture and deliver the information that was critical to our business including, orders for products and services, demand forecasting, delivery planning, scheduling and routing.”

To accomplish that goal, according to Mazeitis, Ferrellgas needed to adopt a number of onboard and hand-held technologies linked to a centralized enterprise system. “The ultimate challenges for us became how to integrate all of these items and multiple vendors into one software system,” he stated, “and how to install them on more than 4,500 vehicles in a timely and cost-effective manner.”

THE SOLUTION

To address the questions about integration and installation, Ferrellgas turned to the country’s leading expert in mobility rollout project management, mobile installations and technology deployment– Velociti Inc.

“The challenge of designing hardware, kitting the equipment, delivering to our installation sites, and installing the components in our trucks is where Velociti’s role was highly beneficial for Ferrellgas,” says Mazeitis. “In a number of cases, including the design of fuse protected custom length wiring harnesses for each vehicle type in our fleet, Velociti helped us solve problems we didn’t even know we had until we started discussing our deployment.”

Onboard technology chosen by Ferrellgas included Intermec handheld computers and printers, Wireless Matrix satellite antennas, Garmin GPS units and Agentek software. Velociti was chosen by Ferrellgas to install mounts for the satellite domes, specially designed mounts for the Intermec handheld units and printers and integrated main power harnesses. The company has completed installations on 2,700 trucks and is now working to complete the final 1,800 vehicles.

Velociti’s service to Ferrellgas also included working with suppliers to specify and design specialized brackets and cradles for installation in four basic vehicle types using both satellite and cellular-based systems. The brackets and cradles, which hold the onboard technology on a single base, are designed to isolate the handheld units and printers from shock and vibration and are fully integrated with wiring harnesses.

Another special effort by Velociti was made to address a Ferrellgas concern about maintaining the image of its vehicles. In particular, the company did not want the satellite dome and its mounting bracket or wiring to be noticeable. Velociti, which was already designing a plastic base mount for the satellite units, worked with a fiberglass component manufacturer to design a customized dome cover for each roof style—one flat and one curved– in a color to match the company’s royal blue trucks.

To manage the mobility rollout for the nationwide fleet, Velociti worked closely with Ferrellgas to establish centralized locations where groups of vehicles could be brought to Ferrellgas outlets in for the installation process. Utilizing this hub and spoke model, Velociti sent three husband and wife technical teams to each location, where the work was completed on anywhere from 6 to 50 trucks. These highly trained technicians take from one to two hours per vehicle to compete the process, depending on the model.

THE BENEFITS

“Working with Velociti has been a tremendous experience,” states Mazeitis. “We had talked to other companies before choosing Velociti and no one else wanted to take on such a long and complicated mobility rollout. Velociti not only rose to the challenge, they have done everything we asked, including special requests for technology and integration solutions.”

“Velociti also helped us meet a very aggressive development and installation schedule,” Mazeitis continues, “and if we have a question, their technical support is available to us. As we continue to grow, we know that Velociti will be there to support us. This is one part of our business we do not have to worry about because Velociti continues to meet our needs.”

The Ferrellgas systems being installed by Velociti utilize satellite, cellular and 802.11b radio technology to transfer route and delivery data between the mobile units and the main enterprise solution used at company locations. Units not equipped with Wireless Matrix domes utilize a separate device to capture GPS data. Agentek applications on the Intermec units include stop information, delivery information, and driving directions.

Using the onboard components installed by Velociti, Ferrellgas is able to greatly enhance its productivity and efficiency. As many as 5,000 different activities can be scheduled and recorded so drivers know exact delivery locations and details. In addition, onboard printers allow Ferrellgas drivers to print invoices and proof of delivery receipts.

CONCLUSION

The mobility rollout service for 4,500 Ferrellgas trucks nationwide, according to Drew Mazeitis, demonstrates clearly that Velociti is much more than just an installation provider. For Ferrellgas, he notes, Velociti developed specialized components, worked with schedules to streamline the installation process and greatly helped integrate and test chosen components from multiple vendors.

“When it comes to project management, Velociti is not like any other company,” Mazeitis concludes. “They took on the many challenges of developing and implementing a customized integrated solution involving multiple software and hardware suppliers. Only Velociti was willing and able to do that for Ferrellgas.”