READ THE FULL STORY
How can your organization duplicate these incredible results?
Get details on how UScellular Business:
- accomplished its goals
- invested money wisely
- reinvested in mobile technology
Fast and Easy Installation: Done in minutes per vehicle.
UScellular® Business became its own customer when it launched a test program on its extensive fleet of vehicles. It placed Geotab GPS tracking devices in each vehicle to provide diagnostic data that helps ensure the overall health of fleet vehicles, maximizes vehicle performance and provides a better experience for associates who use them. As a bonus, account managers get first-hand insight into how Geotab can benefit their own customers.
Managing Fleet Challenges
Like many other businesses with a large fleet, UScellular lacked accurate data regarding the location, usage and health of its vehicles. They experienced:
- Little visibility into vehicle locations, causing concern when someone was stranded on the road
- Inconsistent pooled vehicle assignments, knowledge of who was driving them and when
- Ineffective tools, data and reporting to better understand and budget for expenses
- No insights into vehicle health and maintenance that would expand vehicle life
Before Geotab was implemented, staff might have to reach out to several others to track down vehicles. Sometimes, an associate might be stranded on the road and the office didn’t know their location, so someone would have to drive around to search for them.
“In one instance, an associate fell and hurt themselves after having to drive to two remote vehicles, both with dead batteries,” said Megan Heacox, UScellular project lead.
The Geotab Solution, Powered by UScellular
Geotab is a valued partner and UScellular already knew what it could do for its customers. So, when it was time to help themselves, the UScellular Business team knew where to turn.
Geotab has a strong reputation and is a key player in the telematics industry, recognized consistently as the number one commercial telematics vendor worldwide by ABI Research. It provides agile customer support with a plug and play solution, and flexible and easy-to-use reporting and dashboards. This white-glove support is available to all UScellular customers—especially those powering their fleet tracking by our nationwide network.
Using Geotab Devices In Each Vehicle, UScellular Can Now:
“We can say yes, now we know where our vehicles are, and view accurate odometer readings to know how far and often a vehicle is driven, and if it’s reaching end of life before there’s a breakdown,” Heacox said. “We are also easily able to determine low batteries and notify associates before service is required. This way, we can be proactive with service based on automatic alerts we receive for possible mechanical.”
Significant Results
The benefits don’t stop there. With Geotab implemented, UScellular can also:
- Enhance emergency response for lone associates with the ability to easily view all vehicle locations in real time.
- Reduce maintenance costs and increase service life with proactive maintenance alerts and utilization tracking.
- Streamline processes and reduce workload with the capability to easily create and manage automated reports.
- Lower CO2 emissions and reduce fuel costs with idle reporting that contribute to environmental sustainability.
“We’re seeing quite a bit of time savings because now we can look at dots on a map and locate a vehicle, act on low or dead battery and engine alerts before they become an emergency, and reduce engine idling,” Heacox said, adding that since April 2023, idling fleet-wide has decreased by 8.4 percent and improving each month. Over the course of a year, that adds up to thousands of dollars of fuel savings.
“Geotab makes us smarter and more efficient because we no longer have vehicles just sitting and needing maintenance…drivers are getting them serviced in advance and extending the life of the vehicle,” Heacox said.
UScellular has also enjoyed increased efficiencies with improved response times and lower operational expenses by using Geotab. Plus, it improved vehicle utilization and mileage accuracy, and prolonged vehicle life (which led to UScellular canceling an order for several additional vehicles, saving thousands of dollars).
Fleet Management, at your fingertips. Access real-time insights from anywhere, on any device.
Seeing Results with Geotab That Improve Efficiency, Safety and Productivity
- Eliminated $120K in new vehicle orders
- Reduced workload by 40+ hours across 6 admins and 100 associates
- Better forecasted and budgeted vehicles needed to reduce unnecessary spending
- Real-time visibility into our fleet and vehicle utilization, plus enhanced emergency response
- Knowledge of who is using pooled vehicles, when and where, to improve efficiency
- Ensures regular vehicle maintenance and prolongs life of our investments
- Enhances safety and security of our associates by providing visibility into vehicle location and health
- Streamlined check-in/check-out pooled vehicle process
- Established guidelines and parameters for business fleet program
Why UScellular and Geotab
UScellular Fleet Management is more than just vehicle location tracking. Our modern vehicle tracking solutions tackle idling engine issues, optimize fuel efficiency and enhance customer service.
UScellular has embraced Geotab’s full capabilities by upgrading to the Pro Plus plan, which adds to the basic plan the greatest functionality, including:
- Geotab Data Connector, which allows users to seamlessly integrate fleet performance data into popular business intelligence (BI) visualization tools, view and uncover fleet trends, create reports and integrate data with other sources
- Limited Lifetime Device Warranty on all hardware, with replacements free of charge
- Active Tracking to provide real-time, high-precision location information and live vehicle movements on a map
- Engine Data to record total fuel used, idle fuel used, RPM, engine faults and driver’s seat belt (in addition to basics offered on the regular plan such as odometer, engine hours and road speed)
In addition, GPS vehicle tracking combined with E-Logs, video telematics and asset tracking can ensure the safety of your drivers, your assets and your company’s reputation.