Accellos, a provider of supply chain execution software solutions, has issued a case study of its customer Continental Transport. The joint study, conducted by Accellos and its technology partner Teletrac, discusses how the Ohio-based transportation company has used Accellos' Prophesy Dispatch transportation management system integrated with the Teletrac GPS vehicle tracking system to manage its 32-truck fleet.
Objectives
The Monroe, OH company that grew to become Continental Transport got its start in 1984 with just a few trucks hauling dry and frozen grocery goods. At this time, the company serviced all areas of the United States east of the Rockies. For the next 20 years, they would handle the details and tracking of their small fleet manually -- with pen, paper, whiteboards and spreadsheets. The company grew steadily, due in no small part to a consistently high level of customer service and attention to detail.
By 2005, the operation had grown to a fleet of 16 trucks. The team knew it was time to put infrastructure in place that would allow them to manage their current fleet and grow further, yet retain the same level of customer service and attention to detail they were known for.
Investment and Implementation
Operations Manager Dan Siefring would lead the search for a Transportation Management Software (TMS) solution that would meet their needs. As a private carrier with common carrier authority, Siefring knew that the software they chose would need to be robust enough to handle the intricacies of both modes. After a lengthy review process, the Continental Team selected Prophesy Dispatch software as the best fit for their company.
"We checked out many other solutions," said Siefring, "but we quickly determined that Prophesy Dispatch had all we needed and plenty of room to grow. We especially appreciated the totality of the system, and how it handles accounting, billing, HR, expiration dates, tracking, hazmat info and lots more in one total package."
Eight years later, Continental is still going strong with their Prophesy Dispatch software. The company has grown to a fleet of 32 trucks and 72 trailers during that time, and Siefring has nothing but positive things to say about his experience with Prophesy.
Teletrac Integration
In May of 2011, the Continental Team set out to find a powerful yet affordable tool to track their growing fleet. Today, Continental tracks their entire fleet using Teletrac with seamless integration to their Prophesy Dispatch software. Siefring estimates that the combined solution saves his dispatch team a minimum of two hours of phone calls each day, resulting in more time that can be spent booking new business.
"We reviewed many providers;" said Siefring, "all of the big boys and several smaller ones as well. We chose Teletrac because it had the right mix of the features we needed, and affordability. The funny thing was, we didn't know at the time that it integrated with our Prophesy Software. That was a huge bonus when we learned that the two tied together and shared data."
Results
Continental identified several benefits of the Prophesy Dispatch and Teletrac integration:
- Streamlines accounting and simplifies freight billing
- Facilitates compliance by tracking expiration dates & hazmat info
- Provides complete control in one total software solution
- Combined with Teletrac's solutions, dispatch teams can save a minimum of two hours each day
"The dispatch team loves the automation, but the drivers also appreciate the totality of the system," said Siefring. "With Prophesy, load information is at hand any time they need it. They do not have to wait on a dispatcher to provide it to them verbally. With built-in route guidance and tracking, the need to write mileages down upon entering the states they drive in has been eliminated. These enhancements provide a simpler environment for the Continental drivers and allow them to focus on driving rather than a checklist of to-do's."
"Accellos and Teletrac's transportation technology products are a great complement to each other and have proven to deliver a truly powerful integrated solution to our customers," said Bill Ashburn, Accellos Vice President and General Manager, ProphesySeries. "Combining Prophesy Dispatch's fleet management with Teletrac's GPS vehicle tracking, we are able to deliver a total solution that greatly reduces the legwork associated with tracking and managing a commercial vehicle fleet."
The full case study is available at http://www.accellos.com/casestudies/continental-transport/.
