Mesilla Valley Transportation
Mesilla Valley Increases Security with SkyBitz
Situation
In 1999, Mesilla Valley Transportation, one of the largest trucking companies in the Southwest, embarked on an ambitious five-year plan to triple revenue and operational capacity. Today, Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) is on the verge of exceeding those expectations by posting a five-fold increase in revenue and boosting its operation with 2,400 trailers from just 150 at the beginning of its expansion program. MVT’s success is attributed in part by its investment in SkyBitz’s Global Locating System (GLS) technology, which has reduced cost and improved productivity.
As part of its growth strategy, MVT executives recognized the need for a reliable, real-time trailer tracking and information management system. They were in search of a solution that would provide the location of all their trailers, including those that were stolen and/or lost, at any given time. In addition, they were looking for a solution that was Web-based for maximum efficiency, as well as provide additional services to their customers. Company executives quickly found that there was only one solution on the market that encompassed everything they were looking for – SkyBitz’s GLS technology.
Solution
SkyBitz’s technology is a tracking solution that requires less power to locate assets than Global Positioning System (GPS) based technology. SkyBitz GLS calculates an asset’s position centrally in the Network Operations Center (NOC), so the communicator can go back to sleep after just 10 seconds requiring less power consumption. In comparison, GPS technology calculates an asset’s position locally within the chipset requiring the device to be awake for longer periods of time, thus using more power. MVT needed a no-nonsense system that was “easy as lick and stick.” SkyBitz provided that solution.
After a successful trial run, MVT installed 2,400 SkyBitz mobile terminal units across its entire fleet, which provided instant visibility to all the trailers. Since deploying this technology, MVT’s fleet managers now have access to the exact location and status of every trailer within the fleet at any time. In addition, they can perform basic scheduled reports, page trailers when necessary, perform yard checks from their desks, and when they suspect theft, put a trailer into “panic mode” to be monitored every three minutes.
Results
In just a few months after MVT installed its new trailer tracking system, the SkyBitz technology demonstrated its power and effectiveness when several trailers and their loads were recovered following an attempted theft. The savings to both MVT and its customers have been tremendous considering the cost of replacing the cargo, trailers and increased insurance premiums.
For example, one of MVT’s current customers – a Fortune 500 shipper of consumer electronics, computers, televisions and other high ticket items – is prone to product theft. The leading enterprise company sought a trucking company equipped to handle theft and facilitate recovery. When the shipper learned of MVT’s SkyBitz trailer tracking capabilities, they were sold. Given SkyBitz’s ability to offer constant visibility of a company’s assets, this Fortune 500 shipper is now more confident than ever that its shipments are monitored and tracked at all times, and ultimately arrive at their given destination.
In addition to MVT’s ability to recover lost or stolen trailers, incorporating SkyBitz technology into its arsenal of tools has significantly helped with the company’s truck-to-trailer ratio. Before the installation of the new technology, the truck-to-trailer ratio was 3.4:1. Today, the ratio stands at 2.6:1. The company can also bill for detention which it did not previously do. With detention billing averaging $30,000 to $45,000 per month, the tracking system virtually pays for itself and has led to record growth for MVT. MVT continues to investigate other ways that SkyBitz’s technology can be leveraged to improve internal operations and its customers’ experience. Recently, the company established an intermodal division to help its customers move goods more efficiently and allow them the ability to ‘see’ trailers on the tracks at all times. MVT also became one of 25 companies to join the Trailer on Flat Car (TOFC) program. This service provides trucking companies the ability to ship their trailers full of product on the rail. Sponsored by the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF), TOFC is an expedited service that allows trucking companies to ship product across the country at single transit speeds. Compared to other participating companies in the program, MVT has a distinct advantage – trailer tracking capabilities that utilize SkyBitz technology. Whether a trailer is on the road or on the rail, MVT can track its customers’ trailers at all times.
From its humble beginnings as a small, independent fleet specializing in hauling refrigerated and perishable goods, MVT has become an industry leader in innovation and ingenuity. In fact, embracing technology such as SkyBitz as part of its core business operations has contributed to the company’s growth rate of 30 percent each year.
As the trucking industry continues to evolve, MVT is committed to staying on the cusp of new technology to fuel growth, improve the customer experience, and make MVT the first-choice transportation provider and most respected organization in the trucking industry.