Geotab makes daily operations easier for Nith Valley Construction

A simple solution to track vehicles

As a client of Northern BI since 2017, Nith Valley Construction was initially looking for a way to track their vehicles. Consisting of light-duty trucks, including Ford F-150s and Chevy Silverados, as well as roll-off/top-kick truck, it was important for Nith Valley Construction to have a versatile telematics product. The Geotab fleet management database lets Office Manager, Greta Riedel and company President, easily identify where all the vehicles are located at any given time. “I can keep track of where they are, and if I need to know where someone is, I can find out where they are in a heartbeat,” says Greta.

The drivers at Nith Valley Construction are also pleased with the Geotab system. Previously, they had to use paper logbooks to keep track of trips and hours of service. With Geotab, everything is online, and Greta can access records instantly – meaning drivers don’t need to worry about making sure they didn’t forget to record something. The Geotab live map also lets Greta dispatch drivers based on their location and whether they’ve reached the job site.

A Nith Valley Construction top-kick truck. (Photo provided by Nith Valley Construction)

Maintenance reminders mean you can set it and forget it

When you’re managing a fleet of vehicles, location tracking isn’t the only thing you need to watch. Vehicle maintenance is also a necessary cost of doing business. When it comes to scheduling vehicle maintenance, Nith Valley Construction uses several built-in features of Geotab. For Greta, the maintenance report has been a huge asset when keeping track of mileage and upcoming oil changes. “It gives me warnings, which have come in handy. You can’t ignore it,” says Greta.

In MyGeotab, users can either customize or use the default maintenance reminder types. Administrators can set up reminders, assign the maintenance type to specific vehicles and run reports about maintenance history. Whether it’s an oil change, tire rotation, or permit renewal, Geotab can track your fleet’s maintenance schedule.

Image/screenshot of maintenance reminders in MyGeotab

Keeping tabs on engine abuse and driver safety

Geotab also allows Nith Valley Construction to monitor engine abuse and driver safety. The Geotab GO device can monitor a vehicle’s G-force, which can contribute to collision reconstruction or engine abuse. Nith Valley Construction experienced the benefits of this feature firsthand when one of its drivers swerved to avoid rear-ending another car and hit a fence. With the Geotab data and G-force rule, they were able to determine their driver wasn’t at fault. The G-force sensor notified Greta about the incident letting her act right away. “I knew something was wrong before the driver even knew what happened,” says Greta. “I was able to contact the driver immediately and if they were okay. Technology has come a long way and it’s a nice thing to have.”

Geotab’s zoning feature helps show the location of drivers

While Nith Valley Construction’s vehicles stay within Ontario, they’ve been able to track their locations through the zoning feature in Geotab. Being able to make sure their drivers are safely reaching their destinations is very important to Greta – sometimes their drivers are sent to areas with weak cell reception and can be hard to reach. “We’re able to create geofences within the software,” says Greta. “We have a lot of projects going on at once, and the customized geofences alert us when a driver reaches the job site.” Previously, they used logs to keep track of their drivers which could be difficult to get access to. With Geotab, everything is online and easy to find!

Idling costs have been reduced during sky-high gas prices

During cold winter days, it can be easy to lose track of time when you’re trying to keep warm inside your vehicle. After seeing how much gas and money was being wasted due to idling, Greta was able to use Geotab’s idling reports and speak with drivers to reduce idling times. “With the software, I was able to run an idling report and saw some drivers were idling for more than 15 minutes. It gave me confirmation to coach our drivers and reduce our fuel costs.”

The possibility of using dash cameras to see the bigger picture

With the usage of dash cameras on the rise, Nith Valley Construction is interested in adding technology to their trucks. Dash cameras have many benefits and have helped companies exonerate drivers and/or provide proof to insurance companies. Northern BI supports the ROSCO DV6 camera, equipped with AI technology to detect distractions inside the vehicle – including phone usage, distracted drivers, and more. Using dash cameras can also lead to money saved, especially in the event of an accident. There are even insurance discounts available to people equipped with dash cameras in their vehicles.

With Northern BI, there’s always someone available to help

Nith Valley Construction likes the simplicity of the Geotab fleet management system. “We’ve used another system in the past and this one is far superior. It’s very user-friendly – especially for people who aren’t so techy. There’s always someone at Northern BI available to help us out with it as well,” says Greta.

Nith Valley Construction appreciates the support they’ve received from Northern BI over the years. Their dedicated Customer Success Manager, Stephanie, always takes care of her clients and checks up on them to make sure their needs are being met. “Stephanie always follows through and it’s very rare I find a company that will do that. She wants to see the best for her clients.” Northern BI’s Client Solutions Specialist team has also been a huge asset for Nith Valley Construction. “It’s nice having someone on my side. They’ve been instrumental in making sure we’re looked after.”