DC Velocity - December 2018

50 DC VELOCITY DECEMBER 2018 www.dcvelocity.com a p p l ic at i on s

across Australia. The company’s previous, decentralized approach to managing transportation meant that each branch had its own process for utilizing the company’s fleet and its external partner network. Trucks were utilized to varying degrees of efficiency, and employees handled route planning and scheduling with varying degrees of skill and effectiveness. Costs fluctuated. Managers knew there was room for operational improvement and cost savings.

With the help of Descartes reseller Bestrane, Coates Hire implemented the tion network. Company leaders say the change has transformed Coates Hire’s transportation planning and delivery operations, enabling it to better utilize existing resources, streamline and improve customer service across multiple branches, reduce external transportation spending, and cut back on the number of transportation planners required nationwide.

“We are better equipped with optimized mapping of
routes, timing and kilometer measures, and up-to-the-
minute tracking of our deliveries to ensure that every
movement is efficient and [an] effective use of our resourc-
es,” says Adam Welch, Coates Hire’s group manager of
transport logistics. “Combined with more effective use of
external transport partners, the system is also making trans-
port more cost effective for Coates Hire.”

ROLLING IT OUT

Coates Hire deployed the Descartes combined transportation management/ route planning solution at its Brisbane, Queensland, branch in late 2017 and began to roll out the system nationally this year. Upgrades and enhancements are ongoing—and as for improvements, company leaders say the sky’s the limit.

“A seamless customer service experience, where Coates Hire drivers are delivering Coates Hire equipment, means

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