JP Services: Keeps business flowing with Geotab

The challenge: Capture accurate information on location, safety, and vehicle health

For JP Services, an oilfield pipeline service company based in Texas, delivering service excellence to customers is a top priority. However, keeping projects on schedule and on budget means staying up-to-date on the status of drivers and vehicles — which is not an easy feat when job sites are off the main highways or even out of state.

The company looked to telematics for real-time information on location, performance, and the condition of their trucks, to help keep business operations running smoothly.

Brittany Peter, Fleet and Asset Manager at JP Services explains, “We wanted to manage our entire fleet as a whole better, cut back on repairs, and provide our customers with even better service.”

Before telematics, JP Services had several top challenges they were looking to address:

• Asset Location: Find a way to verify the time of arrival at a job site and time of leaving.
• Driver Safety: Encourage safe driving habits in the field and reducing speeding.
• Vehicle Maintenance: Get information on repairs before they turned into bigger issues.

The solution: Detailed reports provide visibility into fleet performance

The reporting capabilities of MyGeotab are a major positive for JP Services. MyGeotab is a robust web-based fleet management platform that allows you to see all your vehicle and driver information in one place. Geotab’s standard reports are flexible, so that customers can tailor them to their exact fleet needs.

One of the reports that JP Services consults most frequently is the Advanced Detailed Exception report, which summarizes which fleet rules have been broken, such as speeding. Geotab’s Rules engine makes it easy to choose and set specific fleet standards for safety, productivity, idling, and other areas. When rules are broken, notifications can be sent in real-time to alert the driver so the behavior is corrected right away.

Example MyGeotab rules include:

• Harsh Braking
• Harsh Cornering
• Speeding
• Seat Belt Use
• Engine Light On
• Battery Drain

Fleet reports serve the entire team

JP Services also relies on the Risk Management report to see how many rules were broken and also the total miles driven for a particular time frame. This report is useful for comparing driver performance based on one common metric, for example the number of rules broken per 100 miles driven. JP Services customized the report to show the maximum speed, idle time, total distance, and the number of stops.

Reporting and analyzing the information has become an important part of day-to-day activities. Peter says, “Most of my reports are daily, so I can see what’s going on and then go from there.”

Peter can share critical fleet information with the team thanks to flexible permission settings in MyGeotab. Administrators can set the access level to the software based on the team member’s function in the organization. Project managers can see vehicle location, whereas a supervisor can be granted more complete access for management activities.

The results: JP Services cuts idling time and maintenance costs

JP Services has cut down on idling and maintenance costs. Tracking idle time and idle to cost percentage has helped raise awareness of excessive idling. Drivers are more conscious of their behavior and look for ways to be more fuel efficient. Leaving multiple trucks idling at the same job site is a thing of the past.

Previously, they had problems with exhaust filters clogging up, since most of the trucks are diesels. Now that idling is under control, the filter issues have been eliminated. This is good news for JP Services. Less time spent at the dealership for cleaning and repair, means more time on the job site, getting business done.

Engine fault code data in MyGeotab allows JP Services to detect possible issues in advance. When diagnostic faults are detected, Peter alerts the mechanic right away so they can be attended to quickly. This proactive management helps cut down on potentially costly repairs or vehicle down-time. Peter says, “We can solve the minor issue at the time, before it becomes a major problem.”

Fast access to information

Before Geotab, getting the mileage on each of the vehicles was a time-consuming task. Peter would text message drivers, or check the truck herself if she was in the area. Now, she can get accurate mileage at the click of a button. The ability to confirm distance driven and pinpoint unnecessary, extra mileage has also been helpful. MyGeotab provides real-time GPS location of vehicles. With this information, JP Services has cut down on miles driven. If there’s a last minute job or pick-up, they can use MyGeotab to find and re-route the nearest driver.

JP Services reinforces core value of safety with in-vehicle alerts

Safety is a core value of JP Services, so they use telematics to help manage risky driving behavior. They can identify the safe drivers in the fleet and who needs improvement. Telematics has become an extension of their safety program, supporting company policies and training when drivers are in the field. Speeding is controlled with in-vehicle driver feedback via beeper. As a result, JP Services has seen a reduction in maximum speeds.

Top Geotab benefits for JP Services:

• High quality data recording for accurate information
• Engine fault data and notifications
• Confirmation of job site arrival and departure times
• Easy-to-use software platform and map
• Reporting on idling, speeding, and seat belt use
• In-vehicle driver feedback

JP Services is on the road to fleet success. Peter explains, “We are able to run our fleet more efficiently. We can see when vehicles are having issues and resolve them faster.” The Geotab solution also has added value for the oil and gas company. “We use it for more than its purposes, to do asset management,” says Peter. In the future, JP Services would like to further enhance the maintenance program by setting up maintenance reminders and also reduce the amount of unnecessary miles driven. Overall, the Geotab solution helps JP Services focus on doing the best for their customers, at the same time ensuring that each employee gets home safely each day.

Download case study

From the fleet manager

“This program allows you to ‘be in the know’ of your fleet and what is really going on. We have been able to reduce costs and correct driving behavior more efficiently.” - Brittany Peter, Fleet and Asset Manager