Akita Equipment simplifies operations with Geotab and Flex trailer trackers

Recognizing the need to optimize their fleet

Akita Equipment and Auto Carriers is a family-owned transportation business based out of St. John’s, N.L. They’ve been in operation for over 15 years with a fleet of 35 trucks servicing Canada and the U.S.A. When Akita was looking for ways to optimize their fleet, they turned to Northern BI for help.

Northern BI’s fleet management solutions came highly recommended to Akita by a friend in the transportation industry. He was so impressed with the service his business receives from Northern BI and wanted Akita to experience the same. At first, Akita wanted to use the Geotab fleet management solution to help dispatch and manage driver availability. But they soon discovered more features and benefits since they became Northern BI clients in 2014.

Using the data to reduce idling and increase efficiency

The data collected from Geotab GO devices has been a huge asset to Akita’s business. Every day, Akita’s Office Manager, Amy Howlett, can easily check the location of the trucks, e-log violations, driver behavior, safety scorecard, idling reports, and more. Fuel costs are at an all-time high across the country and there’s no end in sight. With the help of the Geotab fleet management solutions, Akita has been able to monitor and reduce its fleet’s idling costs. “It’s made a huge difference,” says Howlett. “We get a ton of information so quickly – all conveniently set up in our dashboard. In just a few clicks we can pull IFTA reports, the cost of idling by the driver, and fuel consumption by vehicle.”

Geotab’s mapping feature is also frequently used at Akita. “The ability to monitor the fleet and see where they are in the country has helped us manage them better as a whole. We can see our trucks anywhere across the country. We can keep tabs on the drivers and make sure they get home safely,” says Howlett.

Using “Flex” solar-powered trailer trackers

Akita is one of Northern BI’s top clients using the solar-powered Flex asset trackers. With over 60 in use, Akita relies on the asset trackers to manage the locations of their trailers across North America. “The ability to monitor all our trailers and equipment across the country is amazing,” says Howlett. “There is no losing track of them which is great for managing our fleet as a whole.”

Transforming IFTA reporting to just a few clicks

Being able to access IFTA reports in a matter of minutes is another way Akita has been able to make better business decisions. IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement) reports are required for transportation companies within Canada and the U.S.A that operate in more than one jurisdiction. IFTA reports have regulations that need to be followed and often have lots of things that need to be pieced together. Anyone who’s done IFTA reporting knows it can be a time-consuming and frustrating process.

“Being able to access IFTA reports in a few minutes is a huge time-saving feature,” comments Howlett. “The map features, trip history, and summary reports are amazing. So much information is available at our fingertips.” Before using Geotab, Akita processed IFTA reports by hand. “We would spend hours researching or putting out all this info. Now, it’s together, just a few clicks away. The time and resources saved are just amazing.”

The difference a supportive telematics partner makes

Akita credits the support from Northern BI staff as a big part of why they’ve had such success. The team is dedicated to helping their clients with a one-on-one approach. Akita works closely with Northern BI Customer Success Manager (CSM), Stephanie, to keep up to date with information regarding ELD news. “We know that we’re following all of the ELD rules and are compliant,” says Howlett. “Stephanie has taught us so much and opened our eyes to the potential of the system.”

Northern BI prides itself on offering one-on-one training and customer support for clients with their Geotab GO devices. “We appreciate knowing our drivers can call in for help,” says Howlett. “We also appreciate the ongoing training, regular updates, and account follow-ups we receive from Stephanie. The drivers can call the support team and are treated so kindly, even if it’s a question they might think is silly. Northern BI has the best all-around support team and is a pleasure to work with.”