PeopleNet Lowers J. Polep's Distribution Cost Drivers to Generate ROI
.5 rise in MPG, cost reductions in driver logs and fuel tax reporting, and real-time delivery information boost productivity and customer service
MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 18, 2010-It took PeopleNet® (www.peoplenetonline.com) only four months to generate ROI from the time J. Polep (www.jpolep.com), one of the nation's top 15 convenience-store distributors, contracted to replace its cellular phone-based, handheld system with PeopleNet's Internet-based, integrated onboard computing and mobile communications systems. The Chicopee, Mass., distribution firm has garnered savings that more than paid for PeopleNet. According to Mike O'Hearn, director of transportation for J. Polep. "The results are amazing. With PeopleNet in all 75 of our trucks, we've been monitoring long idle and posting daily results for all drivers. This initiative has resulted in a half-gallon improvement in MPG-a $92,000 annual savings. Plus, PeopleNet's eDriver Logs® and Automated Fuel Tax Reporting are saving thousands of hours annually and have eliminated paper."
O'Hearn calls the custom program that PeopleNet wrote to integrate eDriver Logs® with their payroll system "slick". It eliminates DOT violations and provides details in the payroll summary. PeopleNet's electronic onboard recorders (EOBRs), PerformX® engine monitoring, speed monitoring, and dashboard reports provide J. Polep's management with a system for tracking daily vehicle and driver performance and comparing the data to plan. The information alerts management to safety and performance areas that may need attention.
The company has also integrated PeopleNet's PACOS® geo-fencing and automated messaging with its routing program, providing a way for management to compare actual delivery performance against plan. Customers can also log into the system with their customer number to check on when to expect their delivery. Real-time access to arrival and departure data has virtually eliminated calls to the company's district sales managers.
Summarizing how easy PeopleNet is to use, O'Hearn says, "I love it. All I have to do is download the data to an Excel spreadsheet. That's huge for me. I'd call this the best EOBR system around."
About PeopleNet
PeopleNet is exclusively focused on providing innovative Internet-based and integrated onboard computing and mobile communications systems to improve North America's trucking industry's fleet management. Its products are used by nearly 1,500 truckload, LTL, private, and service fleets in the United States and Canada, including several Fortune 500 companies. Reputed for its customer-driven technological innovation, unparalleled flexibility, and proactive customer care, PeopleNet was the first major technology provider to offer Internet-based communications to the transportation industry 15 years ago. Since then, the company annually reinvests 100 percent of its profits into the business for aggressively developing new products that continue to improve fleet management. Industry recognition of the company's leadership includes: Inbound Logistics Top 100 Award; Food Logistics' 100 Top Technology Solutions and Service Providers; Frost & Sullivan Market Engineering Award; M2M Value Chain Award; and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. For more information about PeopleNet and its products, call (888) 346-3486, or visit www.peoplenetonline.com.
About J. Polep
For five generations and more than 100 years, J. Polep has been in the distribution business since its founding in 1898. The company continues to enhance service to convenience-store retailers through the expansion of product lines and the addition of new programs and value-added services. Ranked as one of the top 15 Convenience Store Distributors in the country by Convenience Store News, J. Polep services more than 4,000 chain and independent retailers in six New England states and New York. Its cash-and-carry distribution centers are located in Chicopee and Woburn, Mass., Providence, RI, and Orange, Conn. For more information, call 1-800-447-6537 or visit www.jpolep.com.
PeopleNet, PerformX, PACOS, and eDriver Logs are registered trademarks of PeopleNet Communications. All other trademarks belong to their respective companies.
