PeopleNet said regional less-than-truckload carrier Dohrn Transfer Co. will begin installing its onboard technology system in January.
PeopleNet CEO Ron Konezny called the deal an illustration of the growing interest in technology from the LTL sector.
Some LTLs “are becoming more customer-focused and eyeing a bigger share of wallet from their shippers,” Konezny said. “That may mean they have to go further to service that customer. It’s pushing LTLs to consider technology.”
Dohrn runs about 400 trucks through the upper Midwest, according to PeopleNet’s statement.
The installation includes Pacos, PeopleNet’s geofencing software, which has an explicit application to customer service: It enables automated departure and arrival notices, Konezny said.
Besides appealing to shippers, the Dohrn deal also was driven by regulatory concerns.
“The system we now have — software running on cell phones — is prone to error due to its limited nature, and it’s incompatible with the growing ban on texting,” Joe Dohrn, the carrier’s vice president, said in a statement.
Dohrn also ordered automated PeopleNet’s electronic onboard recorders, reflecting a growing industry perception that the technology may soon be mandatory for many fleets (12-14, p. 1; click here for previous story).
Whether technology adoption in the LTL sector was driven more by customer service or regulatory concerns, Konezny told Transport Topics that “it’s about 50-50.”
By Dan Leone
Staff Reporter
