Technology revs up motorcycle business

A passion for motorcycles plus technical savvy has helped self-confessed serial entrepreneur Colin Davies build a thriving business from the Waikato town of Putaruru.

Colin Davies has always had a love for motorcycles, so when he saw a small motorcycle transport business for sale he jumped at the chance to buy it.

"I thought it would be perfect for me, especially when I saw the opportunity to grow the business. When I bought the company it was just two vans and a big diary to log their jobs," he recalls.

In two years Davies has developed Motorcycle Transporter Services into a specialist nationwide motorcycle transport company with seven customised trucks and an interactive website. And he uses the latest mobile technology to keep track of the trucks and their cargo.

"We use Telecom Locate+ to track all our trucks, including making sure drivers are taking the breaks when they should be," he says.

Locate+ combines GPS vehicle tracking and Navman Fleet Manager software with Telecom's national mobile data network. From the base in Putararu the dispatcher can see where each vehicle is and keep a record of its progress as well as the distance and time traveled.

The technology means Davies and his staff have the flexibility to choose where they work.

"I chose Putaruru as a base simply because it's within a day's drive of anywhere in the North Island and it had the space I needed for a warehouse and office, at an affordable price.

"My drivers are mobile, and my sales manager works from her home at the beach about 90 kilometres away using broadband, a couple of computer screens and a business line," he says.

The most recent technology he has introduced to the business are Palm Treo smartphones and portable Bluetooth HP Printers for each driver, which according to Davies returned their investment in three months.

"Now our dispatcher emails the documentation for each bike to the driver's Treo over Telecom's Mobile Broadband network and they simply print it out in their truck when they need it."

The information includes addresses, a description of each motorcycle, receipts for the sender or receiver to sign and invoices.

"All the documentation is organised and neat, and drivers are not starting off with dozens of bits of paper which can be easily mislaid. Previously we faxed documents to drivers' homes, which was problematic because the phone might be in use or the information did not reproduce clearly.

"Now because everything is clearly laid out they're also more inclined to see that everything is filled properly. There's less time wasted and drivers are not missing collections," says Davies.

Motorcycle Transporter's customers range from motorcycle distributors and dealers to individuals who have bought a motorcycle in another part of the country and are faced with the dilemma of how to get it home.

"Brand new motorcycles arrive in crates so they are generally transported by the main freight companies, but motorcycles that are assembled in New Zealand or are second-hand are not crated so they're easy to damage in transit," says Davies.

"Our trucks are customised with special stands and straps to secure each bike so there's no leaning or touching. The drivers are also motorcycle enthusiasts so they know how to look after their cargo."

Copyright Adrenalin Publishing Ltd. Mar 2008
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