National Carriers, based in Liberal, Kansas, is a diversified motor carrier providing refrigerated, livestock and logistics services throughout the 48 lower states. The company currently fields more than 600 tractors and over 1,200 refrigerated trailers.
'In 2010, we began to search for a truck and reefer trailer management solution that would significantly improve our existing capabilities,' said Jim Franck, vice president of National Carriers. 'Blue Tree beat out the competition because of the R:COM system's performance monitoring capability, specifically as it deals with fuel. Realistically, we can raise our MPG by 2/10ths per mile with Blue Tree, and we feel that is conservative. Overall, Blue Tree's analytics and drill down capabilities, and the company's communications business model that allows us to select and negotiate directly with a wireless carrier were our main deciding factors. We also like having tractor and untethered reefer monitoring systems from the same company versus two separate vendors.'
National's research was extensive. For six months, the long time user of mobile communications systems compared five Blue Tree R:COM tractor systems to three different Qualcomm models and a group of Blue Tree trailer units to StarTrak systems.
'On the tractors, Blue Tree's analytics, drill down data, and graphic presentation of driving habits were real winners,' Franck stated. 'With this system a driver manager who's never driven a truck and a 20-year veteran can look at the data together and understand what happened, and where it took place. By contrast, the Qualcomm systems just showed what happened in a 24-hour period, not an individual event. Performance management is the goal and the Blue Tree system is way ahead in that area.
'On refrigerated trailers Blue Tree's business model won out again because of its extensive drill down capabilities,' Franck continued. 'And like the tractor product, we can work directly with the wireless carriers so should cellular prices go down like they usually do,we will be the one to get that benefit, not the vendor.'
On its trucks, the company is using R:COM for vehicle tracking, driver messaging, navigation, electronic Hours-of-Service logs and 'performance monitoring. On trailers, National Carriers uses R:COM for live trailer tracking, temperature monitoring and alarm reporting, and reefer maintenance and data downloads. This helps safeguard sensitive cargo and provides proof of temperature during transit if customers require it.
National Carriers hosts the R:COM solution on an in-house server. The tractor and reefer applications are fully integrated with the carrier's Innovative Computing Corporation Add On Systems enterprise management software. A seamless integration by Blue Tree allowed for a smooth transition from the previous systems on National's vehicles, Franck noted, and the comprehensive R:COM solution has greatly simplified processes for the company's IT personnel.
'The Blue Tree R:COM Fleet Management Solution is proving to be a very successful choice for a growing number of U.S. motor carriers, who have installed it on over 10,000 vehicles,' said Charlie Cahill, CEO of Blue Tree. 'National Carriers has now adopted our highly effective solution for its ability to help maximize fleet efficiency, reduce costs and improve customer service. We look forward to serving them.'
