Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/993011
44 commercial carrier journal | june 2018 tomer. Meares says these insights have led Crestwood to cross-train drivers to haul multiple commodities in certain lanes to increase profitability. First responders In the upstream of fleet management technology, Crestwood, like many com- panies, uses mobile devices and applica- tions to send and receive operational data to servers in the cloud. e company has focused on solutions that give drivers a better work experience while improving safety and efficiency. A new mobile application the com- pany is rolling out is designed specifi- cally for crude and tanker workflows to create more efficiencies for drivers and the back office. e application also captures critical load information important to customers. e technol- ogy also improves systems and processes that require an intervention from drivers or managers only when exceptions occur. When the mobile systems detect critical engine fault codes, email alerts are sent directly to maintenance shop managers with all the information they need to assess the situation. Shop managers can respond directly to drivers if immediate action must be taken or work with fleet management to schedule maintenance in one of Crestwood's six maintenance shops located throughout the United States. For detention events, drivers complete a macro message that automatically communicates their current location, detention status and other information to fleet management and the customer. e system, referred to as "First Alert," is more than a detention tracking tool; it is designed to notify fleet management and customers of a potential demurrage or delivery delay before detention occurs. Fleet management and customers are able to work together to reroute trucks to alternate locations to pick up or deliver product, which saves the carrier and customers time and money. If the customer decides to accept the detention event and pay the charge, the system calculates detention time based on geofencing data from the mobile units. e technology provides supporting documents and details in the invoice. e documents are collected and saved in an imaging system during the First Alert process. rough in-cab scanning technology integrated into Crestwood's imaging system, the carrier is able to bill customers within hours of completing a delivery, Meares says. Protecting drivers Crestwood also developed a Site Safety macro to instantly identify exceptions that need a manual intervention. If a driver pulls up to a customer site and notices something that is unsafe, such as a valve leaking, the driver com- pletes a macro that triggers an email to Crestwood's Environmental Safety and Regulatory department. ESR contacts the driver, customer and other appropriate party based on severity. "e Site Safety macro enables ESR to provide assistance to drivers and customers within minutes of reporting a problem," Meares says. For ongoing safety training needs, Crestwood uses event recorders in its trucks that capture video and data when triggered by risky behaviors detected from internal and third-party sensors. e triggers include critical safety events such as speeding, harsh braking or activation of a vehicle's anti-rollover system. ESR and management use the event records to provide drivers coaching and training to improve safe driving behav- iors and awareness, Meares says. Embedding technology One of management's strategies in imple- menting the new technology was to have its IT group embedded in operations. "Our IT team is in the trenches of the business helping as we continue to work to identify opportunities to cre- ate synergies and enhance the experi- ence of our customers and drivers," says Meares, who sits in the middle of the operations floor. Anyone in the company can request new soware enhancements, configura- tions and reports through a browser- based virtual suggestion box. e IT group meets regularly with management to rationalize and prioritize requests. By making investments in all areas of fleet management technology, Crest- wood Tranportation has made it possible for drivers and managers to make instant data-driven decisions. As energy prices ebb and flow, the company now is able to refine data into information instantly and empower users to change the outcome for the better. CC J I N N O VATO R S profiles carriers and fleets that have found innovative ways to overcome trucking's challenges. If you know a carrier that has displayed innovation, contact Jeff Crissey at jcrissey@ccjmagazine.com or 800-633-5953. Crestwood Transportation has focused on solutions that give drivers a better work experience while improving safety and efficiency.