Wireless tech helps trucking company cut call center traffic 45%, driver turnover 30%

July 11, 2005 -- (MobileVillage) -- CSX Intermodal (CSXI), a Jacksonville, Florida based trucking company, has reaped major benefits from wirelessly enabling its back-end truck dispatching application a year ago.

Prior to going wireless, CSXI's drivers used their cell phones to receive their pickup and delivery assignments. In order to keep the operations running smoothly, CSXI’s drivers and dispatchers had to be in constant phone contact. Regular communication was also needed to help CSXI determine drivers' availability for additional pickups/deliveries.

However, the call volume was overloading CSXI's dispatch center, and by 2003, the call center had reached a breaking point. Driver wait times were averaging 45 minutes, and their freight planners and dispatchers were unable to keep up with the volume of calls, causing driver turnover to reach 80%.

In an effort to address the problems, CSXI deployed a new truck dispatching application called Pegasus. Pegasus was designed to help freight planners and dispatchers schedule freight pickups and deliveries and track orders from pickup to completion. However, according to CSXI, the application required constant updating in order to be of value.

CSXI's drivers were averaging three deliveries per day, and with the new Pegasus system, they calculated that their drivers would have to call into the dispatch center up to 12 times per delivery in order to provide dispatch with the information they needed. CSXI's call center was already maxed out, and expanding it wasn't an option since it was cost prohibitive. Plus, further extending their operation wouldn't address such problems as: spotty cell coverage.

CSXI began looking for an alternate way to schedule their drivers. They determined that a wireless data solution, which would work over all carrier networks and enable two-way, real-time data communication from any phone capable pda, would be a possible solution. They also needed an application which would give their drivers access to data, even while they were out of network coverage.

After reviewing several wireless solutions, CSXI chose to implement Air2Web's 2CRM application on a variety of RIM BlackBerry handheld devices. The mobile solution enables CSXI's drivers to wirelessly send, as well as receive data to and from their Pegasus system. The drivers are using the application to notify dispatch of the status of a shipment, including when a shipment was picked up and when it was dropped off. In turn, dispatch is able to alert the drivers of upcoming shipments and the drivers can wirelessly respond with their availability.

In May of 2004, CSXI launched the application to its 450 subcontracted truck drivers (owner-operators), who transport freight throughout their Northeast, Southeast, Midwest and West coast facilities.

Since going wireless, CSXI’s Call Center Traffic has gone from 20,000 calls a week to less than 11,000 calls a week, a 45% decrease. Driver turnover has dropped from 80% to 50%, and CSXI has recouped more than 400 hours per day of owner-operator productivity.

For more information on Air2Web, see air2web.com or see the company's summary page on MobileVillage.

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