Celestial guidance: global positioning systems practically put the dispatcher in the driver's seat

Concrete Producer, The, March, 2003 by Rick Yelton

Every so often, fans of late-night television get to watch a rerun of the 1945 action classic "God Is My Co-Pilot." The movie describes the true story of Robert Scott, ace fighter pilot and World War II hero who fought in the Pacific Theater. The film's title refers to the pilot's belief that his fortunes in warfare were to due in large part to the divine help provided by the spirit of the unoccupied seat next to him.

While most ready-mixed concrete drivers may not feel the need to call on a higher power to make a quick, accurate, and safe delivery, today's technology can help keep the delivery process free from the shocks of war. In fact, for the past several weeks, the drivers at All Star Transit Mix have been able to gain the guidance of a sort of celestial being.

That's because many of the fleet's 60 trucks have been outfitted with a new global positioning system (GPS). Now through technology, a dispatcher can almost sense the actions of the drivers as they happen. The system that Wade Lloyd chose not only provides a continuous real-time location of the truck, it automatically signals the truck s status. Dispatchers at the producers plant are able to step in when there appears to be a problem or unexpected activity. To many, it might seem that the dispatcher has become the driver's guardian angel.

With the help of the angels in the dispatch office, the Las Vegas producer is poised to stake a claim for flair market share in his area. Just as important, the truck upgrades have been an operational advantage to a producer who's starting to set some new standards in the city of lights.

Sensing trouble before it happens

Las Vegas touts itself as a paradise where days and nights blend into one continuous stream of action. For visitors the illusion might be a desired retreat from the humdrum of daily life. But for ready-mixed concrete production managers like Lloyd trying to run an efficient operation in an open environment can be a challenge.

Along with the attributes of a city that never sleeps, producers have to contend with the challenge of finding and training good employees, a high-paced construction environment where streets are added on a weekly basis, and a market where controlling costs is paramount with economic success. Lloyd's challenge is even tougher-he's one of the new kids on the block.

While the name All Star Transit has been around Las Vegas for several years, Lloyd's operations received a welcomed revitalization when 2 local investors purchased the existing operation. With their support, Lloyd has been able to increase the size of his fleet and expand his geographic delivery area. It's become so fast and dynamic that about a year ago, Lloyd began to search for a way to tighten his control of the operation without increasing the hassles for drivers or customers.

When Lloyd--an 18-year veteran of the ready-mixed concrete industry--analyzed his problem; he focused on improving the communication between driver and dispatcher. "My first management position in the concrete industry was as a dispatcher in Delaware, so I understand just how important it is to have quick, efficient, and accurate information," says Lloyd.

Lloyd choose to upgrade his fleet with GPS technology that features both a vehicle location system and an automatic truck status signaling option. The combination of these 2 emerging technologies has allowed Lloyd and his dispatching staff to remotely experience each delivery.

"One of my favorite places to spend the morning is sitting with dispatchers watching the computer monitor and just experiencing what's happening," says Lloyd. Lloyd also says that he is surprised just how much the new system has cut down on radio chatter. "Now when a driver needs to contact the office about a problem with a subgrade or a wrong shipping address, it easy to get through and resolve the issue," says Lloyd.

After receiving instruction from the GPS manufacture's representative, Lloyd's mechanics have been installing the GPS receivers on each truck. The system operates on its own radio frequency. "We opted for this because they just can't seem to build enough cell phone towers here," says Lloyd.

On its own band, the GPS transmits data, and the truck is tracked as it moves. On the map display located at the dispatch office, the dispatcher can monitor where an individual unit is or has been.

The snail trail

This type of GPS technology also gathers the accumulation of historic travel data. There is a permanent point-by-point record of each trip. The travel record can be acquired and viewed later by the truck, date, or particular trip. This can be handy to review truck travel for route planning or insurance purposes.

Dispatching expert Jim Wagner, who conducts the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association's dispatcher training course, says this tracking technique is called a "snail trail."

"That's because everyone can visualize the trail a snail leaves when it moves," says Wagner. In the case of a ready-mixed concrete truck, a recorded path could be created from the time the truck loaded and left the plant to its return to the plant. This is handy if there is a question regarding the whereabouts of a truck at a certain time of day or to determine if the truck varied from the designated route.