Mueller, Inc., a private fleet operator based in Ballinger, Texas, has selected PeopleNet to provide intelligent onboard communications and fleet management solutions.
Mueller manufactures steel buildings and metal roofing for business and residential customers in the Central and Southwest U.S. The company employs 600 people at 28 distribution centers and three manufacturing locations. The fleet of 92 company owned trucks consists primarily of flatbeds.
According to Phillip Arp, corporate finance manager for Mueller, PeopleNet is the company’s first onboard communications system. Until now, Mueller relied on phone communication and “black box” data collection. “We have a two-pronged effort here,” he said.
“Our first goal is to reduce liability. We want to make sure our drivers are using automated logs to meet the compliance requirements of the DOT,” Arp said. “The second goal is operational efficiency. That’s where we’re going to utilize other PeopleNet elements.”
The Mueller fleet will implement PeopleNet’s eDriver Logs and PerformX applications. eDriver Logs will accurately maintain Mueller driver logs, meeting DOT requirements as well as providing accurate log status information for fleet managers.
PerformX will gather and report relevant truck and driver performance data to track such elements as idling time, speeding and hard braking. PeformX can warn of mechanical problems before a breakdown, enhance the overall maintenance process and provide critical, detailed data in the event of an accident.
Beyond those initial goals, Mueller intends to integrate PeopleNet data into their ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system for data mining and further efficiencies, including fuel savings.
Mueller considered several suppliers before deciding on PeopleNet.
“For the technology that PeopleNet offers they were the most competitively priced,” Arp said. “There are cheaper people out there but they did not have the technology PeopleNet has. We believe they are the best overall value.”
