Sibley Transportation leverages the latest technology
Technology can be intimidating. We all have plenty of data, but what do we do with it? The answer is to use it to tackle your biggest challenges, but sometimes it can help to hear how others are putting technology and data to work.
“Maintenance has been a big challenge that telematics has solved for us,” said Marcus Sibley, president and fourth-generation owner of the family-owned Sibley Transportation Inc., a Maine-based third-party logistics provider with roots stretching back to 1910 when Merle Howard Sibley hauled wood and food products with a horse and wagon. Today, the fleet operates 30 Volvo and Mack tractors and fields 100 Great Dane dry van trailers. “On our tractor side, [telematics] has taken virtually all the guesswork out of scheduled preventative maintenance to side-of-the-road diagnostics.”
For its next technology feat, the fleet will put trailer telematics to work, offering increased visibility into its equipment usage.
“Visibility is going to make the difference in strengthening the relationships we have with our customer base,” Sibley explained. “Those who choose to embrace telematics will reap the rewards of growth through transparency along the supply chain.”
Sibley has tapped Great Dane’s FleetPulse telematics solution as its platform of choice. The company is currently installing FleetPulseGO, Great Dane’s 4G LTE device for existing trailers, and plans to leverage FleetPulsePRO, a factory-installed system on new Great Dane trailers, when new haulers roll onto its yard.
So what does that trailer visibility look like? FleetPulseGO enables live GPS monitoring when in motion, and every 12 hours when stationary. It also features dwell time and breadcrumb tracking for a historical perspective of a trailer’s location. FleetPulsePRO offers access to a full suite of smart sensors available today. These include the ability to monitor and decipher ABS fault code alerts, tire inflation systems, door open status, light out detection, mileage from tire rotations, cargo status, rear axle weight, and more.
It was that wide feature set that started Sibley’s wheels turning:
“Our original goal was to, at the minimum, know where our equipment was at all times,” Sibley said. “After some research, the FleetPulse line of products was introduced to us by our Great Dane salesman, Tim Prouty of Atlantic Great Dane, and we instantly got excited about the abilities of this technology. It had a great ROI while providing immediate support to all functions of our business. We could instantly provide visibility to our equipment while also streamlining our maintenance department.”
To make technology work, it takes more than buying into a platform—you have to put it to work throughout your operation. For Sibley’s part, his excitement for the new technology seems to be contagious.
“Our employees have embraced telematics with open arms, as it has given them the ability to work from anywhere with information being instantly at their disposal,” he said. “For example, our drivers no longer constantly update our dispatch department, which has made them safer drivers and gives them the ability to focus on the road.
“We are strong believers in automating as many repetitive practices as possible to keep our people focused on the important things, which are our customers’ needs.”
Sibley expects to see communication with both internal and external partners increase thanks to the visibility and stream of information trailer telematics provides.
A Product of the People
Technology has a habit of overshadowing the efforts of people. Marcus Sibley, president of Sibley Transportation Inc., was quick to note the people who are using the latest and greatest equipment and technology solutions are just as important, if not more so than the solutions themselves.
“It takes a strong team to continue moving forward,” he said. “I believe our drivers, dispatchers, and mechanics are the backbone of what we do. Without them, we would not move freight, and they stand tall with any challenge they face.”
Discover more about FleetPulse’s smart trailer system by visiting: www.fleet-pulse.com
