Fleet management: Benefits beyond the gas tank.

With T-Mobile for Business Fleet Management solutions from Geotab installed, World Class Facility Services is able to save time, money, and even put a couple of thieves in jail.

When it comes to Las Vegas, the tagline "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" usually holds up. But there's a catch: You have to actually leave first. When you live and work there, things are a little different. Tourists and gamblers may get a free pass from time to time, but working in Vegas means you are just as accountable as anyone else, anywhere else, for what you do.

That's why World Class Facility Services (WCFS), a multi-million-dollar cleaning and maintenance company serving some of Vegas' biggest casinos and hotels, opted to install T-Mobile for Business Fleet Management Solutions in its fleet of 31 trucks. Accountability can be a problem when most of your staff works the night shift.

"We found that one employee slept in the truck all night long," said WCFS's long-time Operations Manager, John Haskett. "As soon as we put the GPS in there, that just stopped the ‘no accountability’ mentality. If you're being held accountable for your actions, you're probably going to do a better job than if nobody's looking."

This goes for customers as well.

"I would definitely say, for our employees, they now have backup," said Haskett. "If there is a problem—because we do have problems where customers say we didn't show up or we came in late—we can track that."

From complex and costly to easier insights.

For years, WCFS used a competitor's product to track their vehicles and monitor things like whether their truck-mounted carpet cleaning equipment was running. But it was a complex system that ultimately didn't help them manage their fleet—or their people—better. So, they turned to T-Mobile for help.

"The tracking system we had before was more involved to install and much more expensive," said Haskett. "We went ahead with T-Mobile for Business Fleet Management Solutions because we already had phones with them, so it just made sense to use their solution."

With the T-Mobile for Business Fleet Management Solutions vehicle tracking devices installed, WCFS can access data about the location of their trucks, how fast they are going, and whether or not the engine is running. What they found wasn't a surprise: most of their employees were acting responsibly but a few just couldn't bring themselves to change their habits.

"Within the first weeks after we put the T-Mobile devices in there, we fired four people," said Haskett. "We gave them a warning and, next night, same thing: There'd be excessive speeding. They'd be doing 75 in a 45. Once the rest of the crew saw how serious we were about it, they said, ‘Okay, we're going to drive exactly the speed limit.’"

“We went ahead with T-Mobile for Business Fleet Management Solutions because we already had phones with them, so it just made sense to use their solution.”

John Haskett, WCFS Operations Manager

Fostering accountability when reputation is everything.

Even though Vegas may hold onto its secrets, one thing it can't hide is a bad reputation. WCFS doesn't advertise or even have a website. All of their business comes in via word of mouth. So, if one of their trucks, emblazoned with "World Class Facilities Services" logo on its side, goes speeding by, their customers take notice. This is not good for business.

"T-Mobile for Business Fleet Management Solutions solves that problem because our trucks are big and heavy, and we don't need anything destroyed," said Haskett. "Each one of these trucks cost me $80,000 to build out. I have 31 of them. There's $2.5 million dollars of standing stock in my warehouse of just trucks."

T-Mobile for Business Fleet Management Solutions also offers driver-specific reporting scorecards. Offering a view into each driver’s performance every time they get behind the wheel, fleet managers like Haskett can have more informed, constructive conversations with employees to address issues or more positive things like promotions and raises.

Not to mention, Haskett estimates the slower speeds save him on average about $200 per truck, per week in fuel costs alone. This adds up to about $12,000 per year that they can use for other things like employee Christmas bonuses. And, although he doesn’t track the numbers, having to do fewer brake jobs also adds to the bottom line.

Thwarting thieves without wearing a cape.

In one instance, T-Mobile for Business Fleet Management Solutions even helped them recover a stolen truck in under an hour. Left outside for few minutes with the keys in it, two men walking by decided to take the truck for a joy ride. Using both the T-Mobile for Business Fleet Management Solutions desktop and mobile apps, Haskett was able to track the truck while dialing 911. Haskett stayed on the phone with the dispatcher to give real-time location updates while Las Vegas PD redirected a chopper and ground units to arrest the suspects. WCFS got its truck back and the joyriders got three-to-five.

"I got onto the T-Mobile fleet management mobile app, found out where it was," said Haskett. "It was driving down Flamingo road and it had stopped at a grocery store. I told 911 the exact location, even what stall it was parked in. And then they allowed me to come up there because I could still continue to track it with my phone in my hand. I didn't have to stay at my desk. Knowing I have that level of connectivity and insight into my fleet, wherever I need to be, gives me real peace of mind."

Besides thwarting thieves, knowing where their trucks are at all times also provides the company with an easy way to track employee time so they don’t have to fill out timesheets. Because WCFS’s employees work the night shift, there usually isn't anyone in the office when they return to the warehouse in the early morning. Instead of having tired employees keep track of their hours, Haskett uses the timestamp feature that comes with T-Mobile for Business Fleet Management Solutions. This way employees can just drop their vehicles and go.

The benefits go for miles.

Even though WCFS is making use of just the baseline functionality that T-Mobile for Business Fleet Management Solutions offers, they are seeing significant benefits. Speeding is down. Fleet maintenance costs and fuel consumption are down. All while their reputation and employee behavior are on the rise.

But this is just the beginning. With the rollout of T-Mobile's nationwide 5G network now a reality, the promise of this technology is only now beginning to be felt. 5G could allow operators like WCFS to leverage T-Mobile for Business Fleet Management Solutions from Geotab to expand its services and improve its operations. If savings are realized, they can be reinvested in new equipment and services that meet their customers’ needs today and well into tomorrow.

Not a bad result for tracking just four metrics with no software to run, buy, or manage.

*5G capable device required; coverage not available in some areas. Downlink only. Some uses may require certain plan or feature; see T-Mobile.com.

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