A.S. Bryden & Sons Trinidad Ltd. now has a presence where it needs it most

Telematics is not only about obtaining relevant data from fleets and vehicles. Especially for companies with extensive operations and coordinating dozens of units in large regions, it is crucial that information is available in real time and that there is two-way communication between operators and the control center. This solution optimizes incident response and enables effective monitoring of best management practices to improve overall company productivity. In other words, it is not enough to only have eyes on the fleet: the telematics solutions must empower companies to have the right presence at the right time.
 

This has proven to be much clearer for the marketin which A.S. Bryden & Sons Trinidad Ltd. operates. Due to the complex geographical environment, the business cannot just watch. The ability to monitor and communicate with your operators, as well as to act quickly anytime, anywhere is a crucial ability to deliver on your business proposition and protect your team. Geotab’s systems gave them the opportunity to strengthen their presence right where they needed it most.

With the implementation of Geotab’s telematics system, A.S. Bryden & Sons Trinidad Ltd. was able to monitor all its service area, enabling it to achieve key milestones in its distribution business:

• Easily and continuously monitor units to reduce fuel usage, detect unusual or undesirable driver behavior, and improve response time to potential accidents.
• Make fleet management more dynamic and simple, facilitating the work of monitoring and response teams.
• Improve systems for evaluating and collecting information on accidents, to determine more accurately whether the responsibility lies with the drivers or with other external parties.

The Challenge: Lack of visibility and rapid response in Trinidad and Tobago

The geographical characteristics of the islands of Trinidad and Tobago make it a complex territory for logistics operations. Not only is Tobago separated from Trinidad by 30 kilometers of sea. Both islands are characterized by mountainous territory, as well as a large number of rivers and forested areas. These conditions mean that A.S. Bryden & Sons Ltd. must rise to various communication and coordination challenges.

Initially, although they provide distribution services to both islands, their operations center and the bulk of their fleet is located in Trinidad. In Tobago there are collaborators, available 24/7, with whom they must coordinate remotely. But even in Trinidad, although the road network is extensive and in theory should allow them to service the entire island, the signal from the telecommunications systems is not always ideal.

“One of the things we needed was to be able to communicate [with operators] when there is an incident. In the past it has happened to us that a call could come in reporting an accident [with one of our units], but we couldn’t call the operator back.” 

Anisha Joseph-Horne, Operations Coordinator at A.S. Bryden & Sons Trinidad Ltd.

The shortcomings in the communication systems had a negative impact on the company when trying to respond to accidents. Simple unit monitoring and initiatives to improve fleet performance also proved to be challenging tasks. “[We needed] direct information so we could identify where we were using too much fuel, when a vehicle is moving too fast, if they’re getting tickets, and so on. So it’s not just a matter of knowing where the trucks are. We want holistic management,” Joseph-Horne noted.

But A.S. Bryden & Sons Trinidad, in addition to constant visibility of operations and the ability to communicate immediately and reliably with its operators, also required a system simple enough to operate so that anyone within the organization could interact directly with it, and thus not have a single person trying to respond to requests from all departments at the same time. Here, Geotab positioned itself as the most suitable partner.

The solution: An efficient and accurate monitoring, communication and response system.

The installation of the Geotab system in the operations of A.S. Bryden & Sons Ltd. has allowed the company to continue operating smoothly. According to Anisha Joseph-Horne, the configuration of the equipment in the units has been done division by division, which has allowed them to have an orderly transition, and the placement of the devices is so simple that the entire process of coordination, installation, maintenance and testing has been able to be completed in periods of 24 to 48 hours. Being able to accurately monitor the more than 50 units of the business, a goal the company has had for more than two years, is finally being met.

“[We already use Geotab solutions] for fuel, fines, downtime, we are already using the historical trip reports. We have damage reports so that, if there is an accident, we can use them as well. On a daily basis, I have to check the Geotab system to see if a unit has any problems. If we detect an anomaly, we send an email immediately and the technical team can now coordinate with them in just a couple of hours.”
Anisha Joseph-Horne, Operations Coordinator at A.S. Bryden & Sons Trinidad Ltd.

The implementation of Geotab’s telematic systems has also allowed them to take a more proactive approach to managing the business. Instead of waiting for automatic activity reports, A.S. Bryden & Sons Trinidad Ltd. can now use real-time monitoring to do constant spot checks just to verify that units are where they should be and are sticking to the operating plan.

In addition, the platform’s ease of use even allows them to easily add, delete and change users. This means that they can make periodic reviews of who has access to the systems and the information they collect and change permissions as needed for business strategy, an advantage that allows them to be more agile as a business. This agility is even being directly reflected in the service customers receive personally.

“We have used Geotab’s system to more accurately plot and divide our customers. This way we no longer have operators and teams crossing paths. In this way, our customers start to get used to dealing with certain partners, and they in turn get used to our customers. We build a personal relationship that allows us to strategically divide our collaborators.”
Anisha Joseph-Horne, Operations Coordinator at A.S. Bryden & Sons Trinidad Ltd.

The results: Seeking new ways to improve visibility and control over their business

With the Geotab system, A.S. Bryden & Sons Trinidad Ltd. has much greater monitoring capability than before. “A branch from a tree fell on one of our units. The system not only told us that there was an impact, but that the branch was stuck,” says Anisha Joseph-Horne. “With the trip report, we were able to realize that the vehicle went through forested areas, so we ruled out any liability for the driver. We are using the Geotab system to build our cases and show that we can do things differently,” she says.

Telematics information has also enabled them to have stronger accountability in reporting fuel usage, as well as to create safer routes during journeys in case of potential criminal incidents. The ability to monitor driver behavior in real time has also helped the company reduce behaviors that could put operators and the cargo they transport at risk.

Because the implementation of the telematics systems has been so successful, Anisha Joseph-Horne and her team are exploring how to further leverage Geotab’s technology and the solutions in its Marketplace. In addition to an internal camera monitoring system, they are also aiming for the platform to become a crucial tool for all areas of the company, not just the monitoring and incident response team.

“We want everyone to be at the point where I am, and do more with the system than just check where their truck is. We’re looking for everyone to be independent enough that they can work on these applications on their own. We think it’s crucial that not only our junior staff, but also our more senior members, get to know Geotab’s features and see how they can benefit from them on a daily basis.”
Anisha Joseph-Horne, Operations Coordinator at A.S. Bryden & Sons Trinidad Ltd.

From the Fleet Manager

“We try to take advantage of the Geotab system as much as possible. But there is always so much more that can be done with it. My team and I are reviewing it in depth to see what other data or applications we can add to our operations and what might be the best way to leverage it for the growth and benefit of our company moving forward.”
Anisha Joseph-Horne, Operations Coordinator at A.S. Bryden & Sons Trinidad Ltd.