Allied, one of North America’s largest vehicle transporters, will fully implement the platform this year and will be the first automotive carrier to use the XRS system, a completely mobile system for compliance and fleet optimization.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Allied Automotive Group,” said Jay Coughlan, chairman and chief executive officer of XRS Corporation. “We are proud to be associated with a forward-thinking company that realizes the immense business potential for new, mobile-ready road science tools like the XRS platform.”
Allied is implementing XRS on seven-inch Samsung Galaxy 2 tablets connected to a 4G LTE wireless network. The devices are part of the Samsung SAFE group, which represents the family of Samsung Enterprise devices that include the necessary security and feature enhancements suitable for business use and keep company data secure.
Drivers are able to access satellite imagery of destinations, message other drivers with status updates, communicate with dispatchers, capture photos and other capabilities that Allied can tap into to provide valuable new services to customers. Allied says the technology will allow its central dispatch system to move to the next level.
Allied owns the largest and most diverse vehicle transport fleet in the industry, with an extensive network that spans the North American continent. As the finished vehicle marketplace builds new momentum and industry projections indicate a significant shortage of carrier capacity on the horizon, Allied says its infrastructure, fleet diversity and commitment to technology place the company in an advantageous market position.
“Efficiency, integration and rapid implementation were key priorities as we considered our first EOBR solution, and XRS offered the greatest potential for success in every facet of our business,” said Robert Ferrell, executive vice president, fleet and maintenance for Allied Automotive Group. “Not only are we staying ahead of the curve when it comes to MAP-21 compliance, but we also require a mobile solution that can integrate seamlessly with our existing dispatch, signature capture and form management systems. XRS gives us the full support we need for leveraging mobile-based and tablet-based technology to conduct business.”
The new XRS mobile platform runs on more than 50 types of mobile devices and automatically transmits vehicle and operator data directly to a management dashboard, providing compliance with the new MAP-21 compliance mandate for recording hours-of-service. Nearly 90 percent of drivers already have mobile devices in use, meaning there are no additional hardware costs associated with the XRS platform, and XRS Corporation has partnership agreements with the top brands in mobile communications in both the U.S. and Canada.
With XRS, there are no up-front hardware costs and no capital requirements. The subscription-based monthly service features varying pricing levels, dependent on package and functionality. Every XRS package includes an XRS Relay in-cab device that communicates via Bluetooth with the driver’s existing smartphone or tablet.
“Allied has been providing invaluable feedback on the new XRS system during the launch, and we are truly excited to see how XRS can help Allied continue to transform its business, starting with more efficient reporting and compliance practices,” said James DeSocio, executive vice president of field operations for XRS.
XRS is currently in limited release, with general availability expected in spring 2013. Pricing and package levels will be announced prior to general release.
