Maximize Asset Utilization

By Brian Albright, Field Technologies

Real-time trailer tracking helped Pan American Express increase trailer utilization by 17 percent.

Moving freight across the border requires close coordination and communication among shipper, buyer, carrier, and multiple customs agencies. For the carrier entrusted to deliver the freight in a timely fashion, control over trailer movement is critical. If a trailer is dropped in the wrong location, or the driver can’t find the trailer, there are needless and costly delays.

Visibility is key, and the kind of visibility needed to efficiently manage a large trailer fleet is nearly impossible to achieve using manual, paper-based processes. Pan American Express in Laredo, TX, has greatly improved visibility of its large trailer fleet using a GPS-based fleet management solution. Rolling out the fleet management solution helped Pan American Express improve customer service and boost trailer utilization by roughly 17 percentage points.