Reduced Downtime with Mobile App and Web Portal
For professional drivers and fleet managers, minutes count when waiting for service. FleetNet America uses technology to quickly connect fleets with service providers, improving communication and reducing downtime.
“Ultimately, it is about providing the robust experience the customer is after, improving accuracy, and using the data generated through the system to get smarter about serving,” said Don Doty, Director of Fleet Operations for FleetNet America.
Real-Time Information
Fleets expect timely event information to determine when service providers will arrive. Fleet managers need this information to make informed decisions about freight. “In our business, it is about having information at your fingertips so you can make informed decisions,” said Paul Gildenhorn, Sr. Director, National Sales FleetNet America.
Drivers also want to be kept informed and avoid delays due to roadside repairs. “Driver experience has been a big deal for several years, and even more so now because of the driver crunch. As a result, fleets are trying to provide the best driver experience possible,” Doty said.
Efficient Event Submission
Customers can submit events via a web portal or mobile app. “With the online portal, fleet personnel can quickly submit the event online, and within two minutes, it’s in the queue for dispatch. With the mobile app, drivers or shop personnel can submit the event using a mobile phone. We can pick up a GPS location if the location is turned on,” Gildenhorn said.
Automatically pinpointing the location ensures timely vendor arrival. “Sometimes drivers might not know exactly where they are. There is also a safety element in getting to the driver faster,” Gildenhorn added. The online portal and app provide a live view of every event. “With the mobile app, drivers can track the service event from their cab without having to call us or their dispatch.”
Electronic Connectivity
For the system to be most effective, both fleets and vendors must be connected electronically. “Customers want answers, and to get those answers, we had to have the service providers onboard electronically,” Gildenhorn said. “If you’re communicating with the customer digitally, but then you have to call the vendor, that isn’t very efficient.”
FleetNet America has spent years laying the foundation to connect both sides, providing a range of connectivity options to customers and service providers, which can have varying levels of digitization. Last year, out of the 70,000 service providers FleetNet America has access to, they did business with almost 20,000, ranging from single-location providers to Fortune 100 companies. “They all use different systems if they use a system at all,” Doty said. “Some smaller locations still write things down on paper.”
FleetNet America worked with providers to interface with existing systems and created free and low-cost software as a service offering. For service providers not using an electronic system, going digital offers increased efficiency and less opportunity for error. “Moving information from one system to another, to even possibly a third without human touch, dramatically increases accuracy and time,” said Kelly Thompson, Process Improvement Analyst for FleetNet America.
Proactive Data Mining
FleetNet America, fleets, and service providers can proactively mine data fields. “It may be that you offered me fifteen jobs, and I only took two because I didn’t have the right parts available. The service provider could look at stocking differently, which benefits the provider and our customers,” Doty said.
Technician Efficiency
Real-time data benefits technicians, helping them get to jobs faster and increase efficiency. “If I’m a technician out making a repair, I hit a button that says, ‘I’m on the scene, and I’m ready to begin my work.’ That happens in near real-time,” Doty said. “Getting to the next job faster is important when you have fewer technicians due to the tech shortage.”
