GSA International, Ltd. Selects Rand McNally's TND™ 760 to Revamp Mobile Communications Plan

SKOKIE, Ill., Feb. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Rand McNally announced that GSA International, Ltd. (GSA) has fully deployed the company's TND™ 760 mobile fleet management solution across its fleet of 40 trucks. GSA, a Michigan-based, full-service logistics provider, reports significant operational time and cost savings since migrating to Rand McNally's device.

GSA's fleet has operated with a mobile fleet management system in place since the company's inception in 2007. As GSA's fleet grew, and operations became more complex, the company became more reliant upon technology to assist in supporting growth and achieving the best results. However, persistent service failures, the inability to integrate with its dispatch system, and a hard-to-use driver interface led the company to seek a new partner.

"After installing the TND™ 760 devices, we've realized significant improvements in operating efficiency, to the point where we foresee freeing up an entire headcount in our dispatch area, allowing for the growth of capacity without adding additional overhead," said Mark J. Simpson, Vice President, GSA. "Where before, a dispatcher had to take information from one system, and literally type the information into another to send and receive information from the driver, the activity is now seamless between our Rand McNally devices and our Prophesy Dispatch system, with information flowing from dispatch to cab, from cab to dispatch, from cab to customer, and from dispatch to billing without human intervention."

As GSA uses the Prophesy Dispatch and Accounting system; choosing a mobile fleet management product that offered a solid integration with Prophesy was a critical factor in choosing Rand McNally's TND™ 760.

Simpson shared that the integration has further automated GSA's dispatch process, allowing for step-by-step processing of a load. When a driver arrives at a shipper, an arrival message is sent to GSA's Prophesy Dispatch system as well as the customer. Once the truck is loaded and on its way, another alert is passed through the system, notifying the customer. When the consignee has received the delivery, the system automatically communicates the time of delivery, the name of the person who signed for the delivery, and other details required by the customer. The delivery is then closed, the customer is billed and the truck and driver can be re-assigned quickly. 

All of this activity takes place without the driver and dispatchers communicating via text or phone call, allowing the dispatcher to monitor instead of manipulate data. Ultimately, the automation results in reduced reporting errors and more time to work through issues. Finally, it allows drivers to do what they do best – drive!

"We say to our drivers, 'You are the professional driver, you drive, and let us take care of everything else.' Rand McNally's TND™ 760 helps us to deliver on that promise. The unit streamlines communication with dispatch, provides excellent navigation specific to commercial vehicles, and records data automatically that had in the past been done manually by the driver. It keeps our customers apprised of their load status, and the driver focused on the road ahead," continued Simpson.

Integration with Prophesy Dispatch had been announced previously by Rand McNally. The partnership has benefitted joint customers by making mobile communications available to fleets of all sizes. Prophesy customers on average are running fleets of between twenty and fifty trucks. Rand McNally's affordable, easy-to-install TND™ 760 units with a variety of service plans has made the adoption of mobile fleet management a realistic option for their customers.

"We've been very pleased with the results that Rand McNally's seamless integration has provided to our clients," said Bill Ashburn, Accellos Senior Vice President, Prophesy Transportation Solutions. "Harnessing the power of mobile communications with Rand McNally's TND™ 760 has helped our joint clients such as GSA save money, work more efficiently, and improve their bottom line."

For more information on Rand McNally's mobile fleet management services, call 1-800-789-6277 or visit randmcnally.com/tnd760.

For more information on Accellos Prophesy Transportation Solutions, call 1-800-776-6706 or visit www.mile.com.

For more information about GSA and its services, visit www.gsainternational.com.

About Rand McNally – Rand McNally is the country's most trusted source for maps, navigation, and travel content. For more than 75 years, Rand McNally has been an innovator in the Commercial Transportation market – from providing mileage and routing software, to truck navigation and E-Logs to mobile fleet management solutions. Learn more at randmcnally.com.

Rand McNally is a registered trademark, and TND is a trademark of RM Acquisition, LLC d/b/a Rand McNally.

Prophesy TMS is a trademark of Accellos, Inc.

SOURCE Rand McNally