Success Story:
EDGE Systems
GPS Insight brings dependability and efficiency to the Bay Area for more than a decade.
Company:
EDGE Systems
Industry:
Mudlogging, Geosteering and Geoscience Provider to the Oil and Gas Industry
Location:
Houston, TX
Website:
edgelog.com
“The move to GPS Insight was 99% their support. It’s a lot better, it’s local, easy to talk to, understands our business better. We had one tracker that went down, a couple of emails later and they just replaced it. Done.”
“It’s cheaper, it’s fairly easy to use, and GPS Tracking it’s made life a lot easier.”
“Once our contract is over, we’re fully switching over.”
Charles Becker
V.P. of Employee Services, EDGE Systems
- According to Becker, overall operating costs dropped at least 10% after the switch to GPS Insight.
- Becker noted that after one year, GPS Insight tracker battery life had decreased by only 25%.
- Thanks to the GPS Insight Driveri dash cams, Becker was even able to defend his driver after an incident of hard braking – in which another driver was on a cell phone and nearly caused an accident.
Company
Founded in 1964, Edge Systems was originally known as Midwest Well Logging, nestled in rural Texas. By 2015, the newly named EDGE Finance LLC, also known as EDGE Systems, started developing gas analysis and rig data management solutions for use by its own mud logging division. Their solutions provide secure and web-based information to energy companies on a real-time basis.
Challenge
For Charles Becker, V.P. of Employee Services at EDGE Systems, life just needed to be easier.
With over 60 trailers and at least 10 trucks driving across the U.S., there was a need to track all their assets to create a safer and more efficient fleet. Becker needed to know where his trucks were and needed to keep an eye on his drivers.
However, EDGE Systems actually contracted with a different provider for about three years: Verizon Connect. Unfortunately, Becker did not find an adequate solution to his challenges with Verizon.
“We originally used Verizon, Becker said. “Verizon trackers were working really great. We actually saved a trailer from theft at one point, but they started dropping like flies fairly quickly. The batteries are supposed to last five to ten years, and within one year, I think about 25% of them were dead.”
According to Becker, Verizon Connect trackers were easily unplugged or disconnected by drivers, so they could easily disable them and work without any monitoring. He was also often alerted to bad driver behavior, either by dash cam alert or by phone calls from other drivers.
Not only did the batteries on the trackers run out quickly, but he also had issues with their customer service communications – all for what he considered to be too high of a price.
“Their support was absolutely, abysmally terrible,” Becker said. “They’d call all the time, and we kept telling them, ‘No, we’re in Houston, they’re working on jobs that are in New Mexico. I cannot just walk over there and turn off and reset this tracker. That’s not an option.’ They just couldn’t understand that, and they got to the point where it was so frustrating, we just said, ‘We’re done, we’re out.’”
EDGE Systems needed new GPS tracking and dash cam equipment that was better than what Verizon Connect offered and solved all of their still-prevalent fleet challenges, plus they wanted the customer service they deserved.
Solution
Becker also praised the GPS Insight customer service team for quickly and proficiently replacing a faulty tracker.
“The move to GPS Insight was 99% their support,” he said. “It’s a lot better, it’s local, easy to talk to, understands our business better. We had one tracker that went down, a couple of emails later and they just replaced it. Done.”
After an incident in which a Verizon Connect dash cam fell off the dash of the vehicle while enroute, Becker was relieved to trust in the GPS Insight installation process, ensuring that the dash cam can’t be accidentally or purposefully disconnected, knocked off, or otherwise tampered with.
According to Becker, monthly fees dropped at least 10% after the switch to GPS Insight, with lower equipment costs and less wear and tear to the vehicles thanks to improved driver behavior.
“Truck repairs went from $10, $15, $20,000 a month…That’s how bad it was,” he said. “To now it’s maybe, $3 or $4,000 a month, which is normal maintenance mostly, and wear and tear.”
Thanks to the GPS Insight Driveri dash cams, Becker was even able to defend his driver after an incident of hard braking – in which another driver was on a cell phone and nearly caused an accident.
“It’s cheaper, it’s fairly easy to use, and it’s made life a lot easier,” Becker said.
While EDGE Systems is still contractually obligated to use some remaining Verizon Connect equipment, Becker is anxious to finish up the switch.
“Once our contract is over, we’re fully switching over,” Becker said.