Since 2006, family-owned Queen Transportation & Logistics has focused on providing shippers with trucking and logistics services they can always trust, notes Daniel Queen, fleet vice president. “Our customers value our spirit and expertise in meeting their transportation needs,” says Queen. “However, what really sets us apart from the competition is the quality of our well-trained drivers and the reliability of our state-of-the-art equipment.”
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Queen Transportation, based in Hickory, NC, provides long, medium, and short haul, local, state, and interstate services. “Shippers want us to have a single, reliable source of freight,” says Queen. “As an asset-based carrier, we are better able to manage capacity and equipment requirements with instant access to trucks, trailers and drivers, and to meet their changing needs.”
Queen Transportation currently has 60 in-house Freightliner Cascadia sleeper and day taxi tractors and 175 53-foot tractors. Drying trolleys including new Great Dane Champion composite panel models. In addition to the flexibility to handle a range of goods, Queen says safety plays an important role in specifying trucks for the fleet.
“We continuously invest in the latest security systems,” reports Queen. “Our latest units have the Detroit Assurance Suite with standard functions such as active brake assist, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and automatic windscreen wipers and headlights, as well as options for active lane assist and lane departure protection.”
Queen Transportation’s focus on drivers is also reflected in the tractor equipment it specifies, ongoing training and job vacancies. For example, drivers who opt for shorter distances and regular local routes can choose their own home time.
“In addition to competitive wages and benefits,” says Queen, “one of the big things we started is a quarterly and annual safety bonus program. Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we made sure our drivers had masks and hand sanitizer Overall, we are constantly doing everything we can to be one step ahead of the needs of drivers and to protect them. “
Focused on technology
Driver satisfaction was also a big part of Queen Transportation’s decision in 2019 to equip the entire fleet with Orbcomm In-Cab systems and use the company’s management software. Today, the fleet uses several driver-oriented telematics solutions.
With Orbcomm’s FleetManager web platform, Queen Transportation automates hours of service calculations. The in-cab solution uses GPS tracking for HOS and ELD compliance, which Queen says is more efficient for drivers.
“In a previous tablet-based solution, our drivers had persistent connectivity issues that often forced them to use paper logs,” says Queen. “The time-consuming process has impacted productivity and raised concerns about customer loyalty. But with the Orbcomm ELD, which is more intuitive and easier to use, we eliminated a huge frustration for them.
“We also use Orbcomm’s integration into the Drivewyze PreClear Weigh Station Bypass solution so that our drivers don’t have to stop at the scales,” continues Queen. “We didn’t fully understand until we implemented it how much easier it would be to improve our drivers’ lives. Orbcomm’s solution also helps us improve safety by providing a live assessment of driver performance on board, which helps correct unsafe driving behavior and reduce accidents and violations. “
With the previous Queen Transportation system, reliability and delays in data updates also created customer service issues and inefficiencies in the back end. The lack of accurate, timely data and integrated information also limited the effective use of the fleet’s corporate management system.
“Now we can use the Orbcomm solution to increase efficiency through improved visibility and auditing,” says Queen. “In particular, we benefit from an integration that connects Orbcomm’s FleetManager with our transport management system and our workflow application from McLeod Software.
“It also improves communication, which improves customer service,” continues Queen. “With vastly improved GPS tracking data on precise vehicle locations, we can work with customers to optimize facility operations and determine where detention periods are too long. This improves their operation and the operational productivity of our fleet. “
The ability to collect data from vehicle engines, brakes and other systems also gives Queen Transportation access to valuable analysis and timely reports. Including data from the airline’s Blue Tree trailer tracking systems, the information speeds up the service skills of the fleet’s technicians, which Queen says will lower the airline’s maintenance costs.
Measurable savings
Overall, Queen Transportation achieves measurable savings and improvements with Orbcomm solutions. “The technologies we’ve adopted have already resulted in an estimated $ 25,000 compliance in operating hours and administration time savings. Within two years, we expect a full return on investment in their technology to improve efficiency and performance improve, “reports Queen.
For Queen, the company’s expertise, equipment, technology and drivers provide shippers with a level of reliability and the ability to rise to any challenge. “We strive to get the job 100% right because we’re committed to quality and constant improvement,” he concludes. “By staying one step ahead of the challenges, we are ready to tackle any demands and headaches associated with modern commercial transportation.”
