Company: New World Van Lines, Chicago, IL
Operation: Family-owned moving company operating 250 tractor-trailers and straight trucks
Problem:
Justin Walsh, vice president of technology for New World Van Lines, will tell you the summer months are both a blessing and a curse in the moving and storage industry.
It’s a blessing because summer is the traditional boom time for movers, and Walsh explains that 50% to 60% of New World’s business occurs during the months when schools are not in session.
Yet, because of that short window of increased business, moving companies seeking to implement technological changes can’t afford to tie up vital assets such as trucks, trailers and workers with multi-hour upgrades to install onboard navigation systems and tracking devices.
Walsh, who has worked at New World since the age of 14, knew from his own experience that time-consuming technology installations can be extremely frustrating to drivers trying to stay on top of relocation demand.
Now, over a decade later, Walsh was faced with the need to upgrade New World’s technology. He wanted to ensure that the van line chose a technology that was quick and easy to install, while at the same time give the carrier flexibility to add new functionality to the system in the future.
Solution:
For New World, the Rand McNally HD 100 proved to be the right technological solution. “The HD 100 offered what the others did not: flexibility,” Walsh points out. “The pricing was right where we needed it to be, [and] our drivers can quickly download an app to integrate their smartphone with the HD 100 for a seamless implementation.”
The biggest benefit, Walsh says, is that the HD 100 is a simple plug and play device that easily integrates into its nearly 250 tractor-trailers and straight trucks from a business and driver perspective. In fact, he says it takes just 15 minutes to plug the device into a truck and get rolling.
Walsh also notes that the HD 100 plugs into the diagnostics port on New World Van Lines trucks and pairs with an Android or iOS tablet or phone. It also provides hours of service, vehicle diagnostics, and driver performance information—all available for the company’s fleet managers online via the Rand McNally Connect web portal.
Yet the biggest benefit from a “geek perspective,” he says, is the device’s application programming interface, or API. “This gives us a back door to all the information it collects—vehicle data, location data, and driver data. That allows us to use the information on our own to create geofences and specific geolocation parameters.”
But perhaps the biggest difference maker in choosing the HD 100 is its mobile application, which is easily downloadable on most brands of smartphones. “No longer do we need to equip every truck with a mini computer,” he says. “We just plug in a box, which at most takes 15 minutes; sync the app on a driver’s phone to it; and start collecting data.”
Now in place on 99% of its trucks, Walsh notes that New World plans to broaden the scope of use for its HD 100 to include electronic logs, increased delivery efficiency, and stronger management.
In fact, Walsh believes the device will help simplify complicated reporting, reduce paperwork, and help lower administration costs. “It’s going to make us better at what we already do,” Walsh stresses.
Also, the company is implementing the device to help meet a future regulatory need, i.e., the fleet will be in compliance when the anticipated logging mandate arrives.
