How Smart Video Fuels Smart Business
Learn how video solutions with intelligent analysis capabilities can help benefit your drivers and enhance safety programs.
Read moreSteve Hilker, owner of Steve Hilker Trucking, needed a tracking system that would help simplify his job of delivering livestock, a very time-sensitive commodity. Before working with Verizon Connect, he had signed up for a different GPS fleet tracking solution, but was only a client for 90 days. “There were so many coverage areas it wouldn’t update or work in and customer service was more of a try to fix blame rather than fix the problem. It was a disaster.”
Giving Tracking Another Try
After doing a demo with Verizon Connect, he decided to give GPS fleet tracking another try. Five years later, he is very glad he did. Not only has the solution worked, but it even has worked in many remote areas to which the company delivers livestock. “The demo was a very accurate portrayal of how the system has worked, which isn’t always the case. When I have had an issue, customer service has been right on it. It’s the polar opposite of my first experience.”
Hilker runs two other companies in addition to Steve Hilker Trucking, which keeps him quite busy. So GPS fleet tracking has proven to be invaluable for making sure all his drivers are on track. There have been times when a driver has misunderstood and begun traveling in the wrong direction, but with a quick glance to a smartphone or iPad, Hilker can correct such mistakes, saving on empty miles and providing timely deliveries.
No Learning Curve
Hilker has also found that Verizon Connect is very easy to use. There is no learning curve, and the reporting features are very good. “With Verizon Connect, I have a lot more peace of mind. When I am doing family things, I don’t have to worry. When I get a call on the weekend, I can pull up the tracker quickly and give a solid answer.”
Hilker has mostly used the tracking feature of the solution, along with the reporting for fuel reports. “I did go through an IFTA audit. That was the first time the auditor had seen or let us use the reports, and we sailed right through the audit. It was also more accurate than the old way, using ledgers and fuel receipts. That right there was a HUGE bonus.”
Since becoming a Verizon Connect customer in 2010, Steve Hilker Trucking has been able to simplify operations and provide excellent customer service to their clients. “Verizon Connect is not as essential as cell phones, but I’ve gotten spoiled. I sure wouldn’t want to go back to doing business without it,” says Hilker.