PRODUCT PROFILE: Tracking Time

VMC Landscape Services is one of the largest locally-owned commercial landscape management companies in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area. Founded in 1973, the employee-owned company fields more than 25 uniformed crews to service hundreds of customers.

As their operations and service area grew, the need for more efficient fleet utilization and better communications with the crews became apparent. The decision was made to add an Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) system with messaging capability. After a review of available systems, VMC opted for the FleetDirector® system from Teletrac. Approximately 40 vehicles were equipped with FleetDirector. There are a wide variety of cost options available when purchasing these types of systems, depending on fleet size and system configurations, but the rough cost estimate to incorporate this system into a business is $3 per day.

Using active GPS tracking, real-time location information is available for VMC’s dispatchers. The current location, jobsite arrival/departure times and vehicle speed information are also captured. The result is possible improved route scheduling, which can reduce wasted mileage and fuel costs.

VMC also utilizes the system’s Message Data Terminal (MDT) instead of radios or cell phones to communicate with drivers. According to Bruce Verdick, VMC’s managing director of maintenance operations, “Rather than making 40 different phone calls, messages get to guys very promptly. Since the dispatcher has a constant map picture on his computer screen with each unit’s location, he can quickly respond to a customer request by sending a text message to the unit closest to the customer.”

VMC can also send all units urgent messages. For example, if it becomes too windy, crews can be alerted not to spray. Or, if a dangerous storm develops, drivers are alerted to wrap up work for the day and bring their crews in. In addition to free-form text messaging, the company uses 20 pre-set message codes which further reduce the time required for communications between dispatch and drivers.

One of the biggest benefits of the system has been better control of labor and job cost information. Before adding FleetDirector, VMC’s landscapers would use paper timesheets to record the start and ending times at each job. This process was prone to errors and directly affected profitability.

With FleetDirector, VMC crews report job start and stop times by entering a pre-set code. This information is captured along with the vehicle location data, which can then be compared to the paper timesheets that are turned in. This can eliminate any payroll discrepancies and can cut overtime costs. It also allows VMC to compare its actual job costs against the fee being charged for the job. If a job consistently takes more time to complete than was estimated, fee adjustments can be made using factual data.

According to Verdick, VMC now references actual job histories when bidding comparable new work. As a result, profitability per job has the potential to improve.  – Tim VanCleve, chief operating officer, Teletrac, Garden Grove, Calif.