How General Express Uses Fleet Data Analytics for Operational Efficiency
General Express is a full-service transportation and logistics provider, offering drayage, brokerage, maintenance and depot solutions for businesses with load delivery and asset management needs. As General Express has grown, more customers were seeking maintenance services. However, their traditional approach to tracking maintenance, fleet data and performance metrics in Microsoft Excel was no longer up to the task. They needed a way to better serve customers the fleet data analytics and insights they wanted and they found it in Trimble’s TMT Fleet Maintenance solution.
“Our customers wanted data that would allow them to understand usage and lifecycle management,” said Steve Yelk, Director of Strategy and Project Management for General Express. “We knew that no one else in the industry was able to provide an inclusive dashboard for all maintenance costs and trends that were updated in real time.”
The challenge: Overcoming manual maintenance reporting and management
Prior to implementing the Trimble TMT solution, the General Express team faced a crtical challenge; providing their customers with accurate, real-time fleet data analytics. Their reliance on a manual system was limiting their ability to scale and dleiver the insights customers neeter in order to understand their costs and asset performance. This outdated approach negatively impacted their operational efficiency and was a barrier to securing long-term contracts.
The solution: Fleet maintenance software and actionable fleet data analytics
By combining the power of the TMT Fleet Maintenance solution and team with Trimble’s integration with Microsoft Power BI, General Express developed a fleet data and analytics platform that displays unique information for each client. The new platform allows the General Express team to build out functions, calculations and maintenance reports in accordance with a client’s unique business strategy. This task would have previously required a team member to dig through fleet data analytics and spend time organizing. This steamlined approach, using fleet maintenance dashboards, was a game-changer.
“Business recaps are a piece of cake and let us dig to the root of an issue quicker than ever before,” said Yelk. “We’re no longer the transactional supplier, we’re now an integral part of how our customers do business daily and plan long term. This was monumental to some of our smaller customers who never thought they would have this type of access and analytics without spending significant capital. It's part of how we show we are more than a trucking company.”
The result: Fleet operational efficiency and customer loyalty
Enhanced fleet maintenance management processes resulted in increased customer loyalty and satisfaction, and reporting on operational performance to inform strategic decision making has never been easier. With the help of Trimble’s solutions, General Express was able to work with a client that equates to 75% of their business, and lock in all of their roadside service and chassis maintenance/management for a three-year term.
“Many said this would be difficult and wondered if it was really worth the squeeze. I can tell you with 100% certainty that it was,” said Yelk. “In an age where data is king, we found a way to help our customers be more successful without having to staff a data engineer. That itself is a feat that I want this team to be recognized for.”
Using fleet data for operational efficiency
To learn more about General Express and their experience with Trimble, check out the video below. Or, contact our team to discuss your business’s needs and schedule a no-obligation demo of TMT Fleet Maintenance.
