Mistik Management: Streamlining complex operations

The challenge: Creating transparency of complex operations

Forest management company Mistik Management Ltd. needed a more efficient system when it came to monitoring its logging trucks during deliveries. Under the Roads and Transportation Partnership (RTA), RTA holders in Saskatchewan are required to monitor logging trucks for speed and payload while hauling logs to their mill facilities. “Older technology made it difficult and time-consuming to do so,” said Niska Hodgson, Log Haul and Forest Renewal Coordinator for Mistik. The forest management company is owned by two local mills in Saskatchewan, Canada. Mistik also shares the Geotab database with another forest company. This set-up creates efficiencies for both companies and the log haul contractors because many of the trucks haul to all three mills.

The solution: Unifying company tracking

In an effort to make operations more efficient, Mistik decided to work with the third mill to equip all trucks with a telematics system. Every vehicle hauling under the RTA across each company’s fleet was equipped with a Geotab device. Previously, the process of gathering fleet information was complicated. Now, with the Geotab solution in place, Mistik has visibility into critical metrics on fleet activities and performance. The fleet companies share one database and each has been able to create custom reports summarizing real-time travel information about location, speed, and driving habits of its trucks and drivers.

The results: Supporting compliance and safety with improved fleet management accuracy

“Results have been fantastic,” Hodgson said. Mistik uses telematics to support its overall commitment to practicing responsible trucking in a cost-effective manner. The Geotab fleet management solution has enabled Mistik to fulfill its obligations to the Ministry of Highways, while giving them more accurate information about its log haul operation. With reported data on haul distance and travel time from the telematics system, Mistik can also determine more accurate haul rates.
For Mistik, the telematics benefit extends from operations, to compliance, and beyond. “The system has also allowed us to conduct more accurate accident investigation and utilize available information to respond to public complaints,” Hodgson said. The company started using Geotab’s fleet management solution in 2014 and is pleased with the outcome. With Geotab, Mistik can monitor fleet vehicles even in remote locations which helps enhance driver safety. The real-time information gathered through satellite has given them coverage in areas where cell phone signals are sparse. The sorting feature available in Geotab’s system has been a huge improvement over the previous system used. With telematics, Mistik is now able to quickly and efficiently gather exact information like speeding, missed load-check stops, location of operations, fuel consumption, and driver habits. Achieving greater control over fleet management means that Mistik can spend more time focusing on managing operations and the sustainability of the forest.

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From the fleet manager

“The Geotab system has the ability to be easily customized for your particular operation. The amount of information that is available easily translates to cost savings and improved safety for your fleet. It is very intuitive and user-friendly. We would definitely recommend it.”