PeopleNet said Verst Group Logistics, one of the nation’s premier providers of integrated transportation, has selected the PeopleNet onboard computing and mobile communications system to help boost driver productivity and efficiency.

Based in Walton, Ky., Verst Group Logistics relies on a fleet of 62 power units and 225 semi-trailers to provide integrated logistics services within a 250-mile radius for consistent on-time delivery. The company also offers national coverage by utilizing a group of core carriers to provide the same reliable service to and from longer haul points throughout the nation.
After a six-month evaluation that began on five units in September 2004, Verst became convinced that PeopleNet offered the tools to increase the productivity of drivers who are paid by the hour. The PeopleNet system allowed Verst to get its drivers in its cabs and on the road much faster than the traditional paperwork system that required drivers to start their trip in the office to pick up paperwork and punch the time clock.
“By eliminating the driver walking into the office before, during and after their shift, we should be able so save roughly 30 minutes per day per driver,” says Jason Gindele, director of information technology. “Now drivers get in the cab, log on and the clock starts running. We are also converting all fuel mileage reports and all driver logs from paper to electronic versions, saving time and accuracy. Saving that 30 minutes a day will allow us to pay for the PeopleNet system in six months.”
Verst also has implemented PeopleNet’s PACOS Automated Messaging and Exception Management, which is integrated with its Creative Systems Corp. (CSC) dispatch software. This tool allows the fleet to boost delivery performance and automate pick-up and delivery times even further. When the Verst units arrive at a shipper destination, the information automatically appears on a screen, sending out an automatic message to the driver asking whether they have picked up the load. All the driver has to do is respond yes. Prior to PeopleNet, the driver had to call in and report the change in status. Now using PACOS, the status updates will make it easier for drivers to keep their status current.
The system automatically records when the load was picked up at the shipper, and again once the driver arrives at the consignee an alert is sent asking for confirmation. “PeopleNet gives us the ability to send a lot of information in one data call,” explains Gindele.