Construction service and specialty contractor gets the job done efficiently and safely with help from Fleetio.
Company Objectives:
- Automate manual data entry
- Streamline the entire maintenance process
- Consolidate data sources into a single system
J. Pettiecord, Inc. has been a prominent figure in Des Moines, Iowa, and the surrounding areas for several decades. What began with a single dump truck and backhoe in 1981, has evolved 30 years later into a multi-faceted construction, demolition and heavy haul trucking operation.
Avoiding Costly Breakdowns
J. Pettiecord, Inc. prides itself on making a positive impact on the community, as many of the projects they take on have environmental and public infrastructure implications. To facilitate the growth and development of its contracting services and uphold its reputation, the company needed a robust fleet management platform to properly maintain its fleet.
Whether it is emergency services like clearing debris from a storm or the removal and safe disposal of contaminated soil, the vehicles and equipment used to complete projects must be well-maintained and ready to operate — sometimes at a moment's notice.
“We need to be able to respond quickly to emergency incidents. If we have equipment down, we can’t service those customers.”
— Adam Bliss, IT and Safety Manager, J Pettiecord, Inc.
To enhance maintenance efficiency, the company relies on Fleetio’s digital work orders, which technicians can access on a tablet from anywhere. To keep everyone informed, technicians can communicate maintenance status updates, enter in notes and provide photographs of any completed work, while eliminating the need for playing phone tag or entering data manually.
Leaving the Competition in the Dust and Debris
Before Fleetio, J. Pettiecord, Inc. used Fleet Maintenance Pro to help manage its fleet. However, the company realized rather quickly that the limitations of the technology were detrimental to their operation.
There were manual processes that hindered productivity, and Fleet Maintenance Pro lacked features like configurable electronic vehicle and equipment inspection forms tailored to the specific mobile asset. The continual use of paper forms among its 65 employees didn’t align with J. Pettiecord, Inc. and Bliss’s expectations and standards for the fleet. That’s when the company turned to Fleetio.
With Fleetio, the company can digitize its operation to maintain its fleet, creating a truly collaborative process. Drivers can submit inspections from the jobsite, mechanics can update work orders from their tablets and shop managers can review and approve the request in real time. This transformed the workflows, creating more efficiency and accuracy.
“Shop managers can focus on their job, which is managing the shop and not entering paperwork or chasing down the guys when they wrote something that we can’t read.”
— Adam Bliss, IT and Safety Manager, J Pettiecord, Inc.
Managing Maintenance From Every Angle
Even though J. Pettiecord, Inc. operates an in-house maintenance shop, they have to rely on third-party service vendors when things get busy internally or the project jobsite is hours away. To combat this, the company utilizes Fleetio’s Maintenance Shop Integration (MSI) so drivers can identify and evaluate nearby shops using their smartphone and the Fleetio Go mobile app.
MSI provides a solution for fleets like J Pettiecord, Inc. to manage third-party service vendors, authorize service tasks and even payment processing, without having to input the data. The company also uses MSI to identify which vendor is offering discounts to get the best price for services.
“Having a fleet solution (Fleetio) that lets us identify problems quickly, getting that information to our mechanics and our shop manager is absolutely essential.”
— Adam Bliss, IT and Safety Manager, J Pettiecord, Inc.
Centralizing Data Sources With APIs
Another favorite feature of J. Pettiecord, Inc. is Fleetio’s open application programming interface (API). Fleetio’s API allows users to push and pull data from third-party systems without the need for manual data entry.
The advantage of an open API allows the company to build its own APIs to gather data and centralize it in Fleetio. Automating data entry through the use of APIs frees up Bliss and the team to work on more pressing matters.
The company also uses the Samsara telematics device integration to generate vehicle odometer updates automatically in the Fleetio system. This helps Bliss determine a timeline for when a vehicle is due for service, even if a driver forgets to input odometer readings during their daily vehicle inspections.
Getting the Crew Onboard
Having a team of drivers, operators and technicians from a range of backgrounds can make it difficult to get buy-in on new technologies. For J. Pettiecord, Inc., it needed a fleet management system that offered features and mobile technology that everyone could use.
“Some are better with technology than others. When you have guys used to doing things for a long time, you have to teach them a little bit how to use these new tools. Fortunately for us, Fleetio makes it pretty obvious what they need to do,” says Bliss.
Fleetio Go’s intuitive mobile layout and easy-to-navigate design makes it easy for even the least tech-savvy person to use the app. According to Bliss, once a team member uses Fleetio Go for a day or so, they’re already teaching others how to use it by the second or third day. Managing a fleet is a team effort and having a solution to collaborate on tasks has streamlined efficiency across the company fleet.
