Lance Transport
Lance Transport Optimizes Trailer Fleet with SkyBitz Technology
Lance Transport Inc., headquartered in Hickory, N.C., is a less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier specializing in transporting new furniture from manufacturers to dealers. The company operates in eight Southeastern states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana. Lance Transport prides itself on having one of the of the lowest damage ratios in the industry, thanks to superior equipment and freight handling.
Situation
Lance Transport frequently drops trailers at its clients’ facilities. Unfortunately, the carrier didn’t always know where all of its trailers were at any given moment – making it difficult to reposition equipment to handle spikes in business.
“We couldn’t keep up with our trailers and also didn’t have any way of knowing if our equipment was being used in a timely manner,” explained Greg Skoog, president of Lance Transport. “Our Dispatch team would just say ‘we don’t have any trailers.’”
Solution
Recognizing the need to have total visibility to every trailer in the fleet and optimize utilization, Lance Transport began investigating asset tracking solutions in 2006. The carrier ultimately chose to install the SkyBitz GLS technology on its more than 315 trailers.
“We felt that the SkyBitz software was superior to the competition,” said Skoog. “The online reports can easily be downloaded into Excel so that we can review the data and make more informed decisions.”
The outstanding battery life of the SkyBitz Mobile Terminal was also a selling point. “Two years later, all of our units are still in the green,” added Skoog. “We haven’t had to replace any batteries.”
Since all of Lance Transport’s trailers have translucent roofs, the SkyBitz mobile terminals can be installed inside – making them even more tamper proof to would-be thieves and also heightening shipment security.
Results
With SkyBitz, Lance Transport now knows where every trailer is and how long each one has been at its current “landmark” through a daily report.
“If a trailer has been sitting idle for more than seven days, we can reposition that equipment to increase utilization,” Skoog said. “When we’re running tight on trailers, we know where to find the ones that aren’t being used.”
Having instant access to this information has enabled Lance Transport to cut its trailer-to-tractor ratio from 3.5 to 3.0 in less than two years. What’s more, the company can now afford to have fewer trailers – investing instead in 15 new tractors. By optimizing capacity and not having to add more trailers, Lance Transport estimates that the company has saved $1 million – while growing the business at the same time.
“Innovation and technology are good ways to separate your company from the competition,” concluded Skoog. “SkyBitz enables us to keep up with the assets we have and do more with less.”