Process Engineering | Logistics Industry

Logistics Company Partners with RSA Corp to Eliminate Dispatching Issues and Improve Efficiencies

For more than ten years, this logistics company has provided intermodal transportation services from its terminals in Houston and San Antonio to customer locations across the United States. With a fleet of 45 trucks and owner-operator drivers, it provides intermodal, flatbed and van transportation services.

Challenge

This company began refining its dispatching process to reduce inefficiencies and minimize the load on busy dispatchers. The first step reduced dependency on two-way radios and replaced them with BlackBerry® Smartphones equipped with GPS technology. These phones reduced dispatching call volume and improved fleet management and labor tracking. However, drivers had the burden of returning to dispatch between each run to retrieve work orders and security clearances. This inefficiency meant loss of time and money. To streamline dispatch functions, the company turned to its trusted advisor to solve the problems and identify the technology.

Solution

As this company’s technology partner, RSA Corp engineered a solution to minimize travel time and save money. Using existing applications, we designed a process solution in combination with the capabilities of the BlackBerry Smartphone. We incorporated BlackBerry and Bluetooth technology with a mobile printer to remove the need for the driver to visit the dispatch office to retrieve the necessary paperwork. A printer in the cab of each truck allows drivers to print the necessary paperwork without returning to dispatch. From the cab, drivers open work orders as e-mail attachments from the phone, print them from the mobile printer, and use the hard copy to authorize release of the shipment to them.

Result

Improved Process Efficiency: Mobile printers and work orders as attachments eliminate the need for drivers to return to dispatch between runs, thus saving fuel cost and increasing number of runs.