Driving Success: Moore Transport’s Journey with Drivewyze Weigh Station Bypass Service

Dallas-based auto hauler Moore Transport operates a 165-truck fleet. They run out of several terminals along the Eastern Seaboard, in Chicagoland and Texas. Gary Moore started Moore Transport in 2005 to support the three automobile dealerships he owned and operated in the Dallas area. Moore eventually sold all but one of his dealerships and during the recession concentrated the auto hauling business on transporting auctioned vehicles and completing inventory transfers among dealers as new auto sales plummeted.

The economic recovery revitalized the auto industry and in 2015 auto sales reached their highest level in 15 years. Since that time, Moore Transport’s fleet has tripled in size despite an acute driver shortage.

Challenge

Moore has been able to grow by attracting drivers through their commitment to get them home on weekends, so they can enjoy more personal and family time

“Since being hired about two years ago, our company fleet has grown from almost 50 trucks to more than 160,” said Treasure Phillippi, Safety Supervisor at Moore Transport.

After the recession ended, it became increasingly difficult for drivers to get home on Fridays for their off-duty time. Increasing traffic at the ports, more congestion and longer delays for trucks entering and exiting nearby weigh stations all contributed to putting Moore Transport drivers further and further behind schedule.

In 2015, exit surveys conducted by human resources at Moore revealed that 1 out of every 5 drivers left because the company couldn’t live up to its goal of preserving their weekend off-duty time. It was then Phillippi realized that solving this problem was crucial for driver retention. Drivers suggested weigh station bypass as one possible solution.

Phillippi had looked into weigh station bypass in the past but found that transponder-based bypass did not work for her company’s operation. The signal from the transponder is often blocked when cars and are stacked over it on the company’s Delavan and Cottrell trailers

Solution

Phillippi conducted a cost/benefit analysis of the bypass services available through PrePass and Drivewyze. She also compared the benefits each service offered and determined that Drivewyze provided more benefits for their fleet.

The biggest benefit – Drivewyze worked using cellular transmissions, which wouldn’t be blocked by the cars that the haulers transported.

Result

Drivewyze quickly proved its worth to the company’s managers and owner when the fuel and operational savings Drivewyze generated in the first three months of 2016 more than paid for the cost of the service for the rest of the year.

The weigh station bypass service, which was activated on 123 of the company’s fleet of 165 trucks has resulted in a number of benefits for Moore Transport:

• Received 6,281 bypasses from January to May 2016
• Avoided 379 hours of weigh station delays in over four months
• Reduced the fleet’s fuel consumption by 2,512 gallons by keeping the trucks at highway speed
• Bypasses saved the company more than $58,000 in operating costs and increased productivity
• Since the end of 2015, Moore Transport has seen a 3,600% return on their Drivewyze investment
• Virtually eliminated the need for drivers to work on Friday evenings or Saturday mornings

“Besides the number of bypasses our drivers get each month, the most surprising thing about Drivewyze service is just how easy it is for our drivers to use,” Phillippi said. “And that’s a good thing because while our drivers are good at driving trucks, they can be technologically challenged, especially our older generation drivers.”

Drivers who are utilizing Drivewyze have noted the ability to be able to load cars for delivery for the following day before their hours of service expire. It has also eliminated the need for drivers to work into the evenings on Fridays or on Saturday mornings as nearly as often.