Solution Series: Smartphones Improve Profits, Driver Efficiency

By Field Technologies magazine

Edina Couriers serves Minneapolis, MN and surrounding states with a 68,000 square foot warehouse and a fleet of trucks equipped with BlackBerry smartphones. Previously, the company had tried various ways of tracking drivers' locations. They had used a GPS system that was hardwired into the vehicles, but the system was unreliable. Also, it was not versatile enough for the many vehicles used to courier shipments. In addition, the drivers had to assume the cost of the GPS system, including the installation and monthly fees. When that was added to their gas bills and expenses, many drivers complained about the overhead they paid. "The fee for the tracking system was prohibitive to the drivers," says Frank Zastrow, operations manager. "We wanted to make it easy on them and, most importantly, cut back their out-of-pocket expenses." Drivers were also carrying and paying for cell phones, which were used to receive dispatch information.