Networkfleet Fleet Management Case Study

To support its broadband wireless and wireline services, Verizon Communications operates a fleet of nearly 45,000 vehicles throughout the U.S. To help improve customer service and control operational costs, fleet managers installed Verizon Networkfleet GPS tracking on 30,000 of those vehicles. Nine months after implementing Networkfleet, the Verizon fleet experienced a number of positive changes, including improved routing and dispatching, and a major reduction in excess idle times and fuel usage. Networkfleet also helped Verizon streamline maintenance and use its vehicles more efficiently.

For large fleets, locating vehicles to bring in for maintenance is a time-consuming process—especially in congested cities. In Northern New Jersey, where Verizon operates more than 4,000 service vehicles, managers use Networkfleet to pinpoint the exact location of vehicles before sending mechanics out to get them.

“A 10-mile round trip in our area can easily take more than an hour,” says Neil Savare, fleet manager for the northern New Jersey department. “Knowing a vehicle’s location before sending out the mechanic eliminates multiple trips, saving time and money.

“Networkfleet streamlines our maintenance processes and allows us to make more cost-effective decisions regarding asset procurement and deployment.”

Mike Hopkins, Fleet Manager,
Downstate New York

At Verizon’s downstate New York division, which operates more than 6,000 vehicles out of 47 locations, Networkfleet helps fleet managers use their assets more efficiently.

“With Networkfleet, I can determine the true need for equipment at each location,” explains Fleet Operations Manager Mike Hopkins. “One location had 150 vehicles on site, but Networkfleet showed an average of only 80 in use each day. This allowed me to reassign 70 trucks and vans to other locations.

“I can also tell how our assets get used in the field. For example, when a bucket truck goes out to a job, Networkfleet tells me whether that bucket actually goes up in the air while on site. With that kind of data, we can make more cost-effective decisions regarding asset procurement and deployment.”

Networkfleet does more than just instantly locate vehicles. When a brand-new service van suffered a complete engine failure, Networkfleet’s engine diagnostic data showed that the problem was a mechanical failure rather than driver error. The engine was replaced by the manufacturer under full warranty, at no cost to Verizon.
In crowded Manhattan, Verizon uses buses called Mobile Garages to ferry technicians throughout the city. Should a driver miss a stop or park in a different location, Hopkins uses Networkfleet’s geofence feature to determine where the bus had been at what time, enabling managers to quickly resolve route coordination.

Networkfleet’s GPS tracking is helping to improve maintenance processes and reduce expenses in both the New Jersey and New York locations. With Networkfleet, Hopkins’ mechanics can focus on repairing vehicles rather than finding them, which helps lower labor costs and get vehicles back on the road quicker.
“Using engine diagnostics and other vehicle performance data in Networkfleet will enable us to become more proactive and efficient when performing maintenance,” says Hopkins.
By monitoring engine diagnostic trouble codes, Savare’s team often knows something is wrong with a vehicle before the driver does. This helps improve safety and gets vehicles in for servicing before small problems can turn into big ones.
“The ability to remotely diagnose the problem helps shorten repair times and increase vehicle availability, which enables us to serve our customers better,” adds Savare. “Networkfleet is a great product that has become indispensable to our maintenance processes.”

“With Networkfleet, we spend less time maintaining and repairing vehicles because we know what’s happening before they even get in the shop.”

Neil Savare, Fleet Manager,
Northern New Jersey

Using Networkfleet to update maintenance procedures has helped Verizon to:

• Eliminate multiple trips to bring vehicles in for servicing.
• Reduce maintenance and related labor costs.
• Deploy vehicles and equipment more efficiently.
• Increase vehicle availability.

Contact us Email: [email protected] Call: 866.869.1353 Web: Networkfleet.com

To find out how Networkfleet can help you streamline maintenance practices for your fleet, contact your account manager or visit Networkfleet.com.