Cargotrans Standardizes on Trimble’s Telematics Solution

Transport and logistics companies today rely on telematics solutions. But how can a company with a fleet comprised of vehicles from different manufacturers be best optimized? Cargotrans GmbH from Dortmund relies on the CarCube on-board computer from Trimble. With the help of the on-board computer and the associated FleetCockpit back-office application, the company can now manage its entire fleet through a single solution.

The medium-sized company specializes in full and part loads and is primarily active in the beverage and paper industry as well as transport for Do-it-Yourself (DIY) stores and sporting goods manufacturers. The fleet includes more than 80 trucks of different brands. In addition, telematics solutions from a variety of manufacturers were in use so Cargotrans had to use different solutions and applications depending on the vehicle. “That was far too complicated and inefficient,” said Pieper. In early 2017, he became aware of Trimble’s transport & logistics solutions through colleagues from other forwarding agencies.

Initially, Cargotrans installed two Trimble CarCube on-board computers for test purposes, which consisted of a truck unit and a touch-sensitive screen as user interface for the driver. The computers transmitted a wealth of information about the vehicles and driving behavior to the FleetCockpit back-office application.

The decisive advantage for the dispatchers was the reduction of the workload. All relevant information such as the current position of the vehicles, fuel consumption or the driving and rest times are immediately available in one solution. Also for the drivers, using the same solution has many benefits. The truck registration no longer has to be done separately. For example, it is done automatically via the driver card. In addition, long phone calls are a thing of the past, because jobs and text messages can be sent directly to the on-board computer.

The entire conversion was completed at Cargotrans within two months while the fleet was operational. In May of 2018, the last truck was equipped with a Trimble on-board computer.

For the haulage manager, it is clear that in the face of fierce competition in the transport and logistics industry, it is no longer a question of whether the use of a telematics solution makes sense or not, but which system a fleet is best to use. For Cargotrans, that system was Trimble’s CarCube solution.