Key Facts
- Fleet of 50+ vehicles
- Five ISO certifications
- Partnered with MTData since 2016
- Telematics is key to their success
Solutions Implemented
- Hawk-eye, MTData's web-based software
- In-vehicle driver tablet solution
- Tracking unit
- Live and proactive fatigue management solution
Brothers, Allan and Denis Price started Busselton Freight Services (BFS) with the purchase of a small truck 35 years ago. Adding their first prime mover in 1992, they also built the first depot enabling transport across much of Western Australia. The company is accredited to five ISO standards and has three depots, each with more than 5,000 square metres of space.
BFS are a progressive company, always seeking to improve.
Allan Price, General Manager, identifies telematics technology as a key component in ensuring they remain competitive saying “We’ve always embraced change in our transport journey…We look at it like an investment and we’re clear what we expect to get out of it over a timeframe.”
BFS says of their previous telematics provider “it was basic and limited to what the provider wanted to deliver. Over time we looked around for a more flexible option. MTData provided a live demonstration and answered countless questions on the performance capabilities of the product.”
“What we were planning to do with the product via the open API is akin to landing a 747 on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific – we certainly stress-tested the MTData product.”
– General Manager, Allan Price
The flexibility to use MTData solutions alongside existing logistics software has allowed BFS to streamline operations which contributes greatly to their success in this highly competitive industry. Price says “It was a bit like getting a brand new phone versus having a ten year old phone in terms of usability and functionality.”
Their fleet of 50+ vehicles are fitted with MTData tracking units and Talon, the integrated tablet for drivers. Drivers can record temperatures on their in-vehicle tablet allowing BFS to simultaneously monitor four or five different temperatures of their cargo.
They also benefit from historical GPS and event tracking, improving the process of investigating any incidents. BFS utilise computer generated least-cost routing and have gained efficiency by utilising MTData solutions as well. Initially there was some resistance by the drivers. Over the years their fears were allayed. Now they accept the tablets and have been proven to be quite robust.
“The account management has been good. He knows the system well and as we’ve worked to develop the system for our needs, he’s been very willing to speak to the engineers to find out if MTData can do what we’re asking for.”
– General Manager, Allan Price
Their tech savvy drivers rely on this technology to maintain high levels of efficiency and compliance. Price says “They all know items like speed and harsh braking are monitored live. Not only are the drivers made aware of any breaches – their bosses are automatically updated by email.”
BFS saves roughly 500 hours of administration time per year by electronically managing fatigue rather than a manual checking process each day. They also leverage the technology to allow for seamless job cost reconciliations by importing driver hours.
Having worked with MTData to get the best functionality for their specific needs, Price comments MTData can be used for an “out of the box solution if you’re looking for a system that you can put into a truck and be ready to go. Or if you want to do all the high-end stuff that we’ve done, it’s a really good system for that.”
