Result
Even though Land Air’s business has continued to grow over the years, it hasn’t had to match that growth with a commensurate increase in manpower due to the efficiency and productivity afforded by FACTS. “Because the system has automated and streamlined so many aspects of our business, we’ve been able to generate more productivity from our existing resources. And with real-time access to detailed information on every aspect of our business, we can make decisions quicker, faster and better.”
For example, with FACTS, Land Air can view its entire operational footprint, gaining a real-time comprehensive view into where every single driver is and their status. “With this information we have a complete view of the current state of our physical operations. And we know when we can allocate drivers to take on new business. It helps us continually move our business forward and maintain a high level of customer service.”
When Bush joined Land Air in 2005, he quickly identified one area for improvement that could deliver dramatic returns to their business. The LTL business is all about weight and space consumption on the trailer. The more something weighs, the more space it takes up, the more it costs. But when Bush first joined Land Air there was no formal process in place for weighing or measuring their customer’s freight. Rather, customers supplied the weight and dimensions of their items and Land Air charged accordingly. But the unfortunate truth is many customers don’t have a formal process to ensure accuracy either, and in many cases, are forced to guess at weight and dimension. Even small discrepancies, over time, can add up to big losses.
With the help of Carrier Logistics, Bush was able to implement an aggressive weight and research program. In 2006 this feature did not yet exist within FACTS. But working closely with Carrier Logistics, they were able to modify the system to accommodate the program. “We have added over $3,000,000 in net revenues just by deploying that new feature; it has become a big part of our daily operation. We aren’t charging our customers any new fees, rather, we are simply charging for what we are due, much like the post office when you hand them a package. By closing that gap we have added millions to the bottom line.”
Bush says FACTS was the best solution Land Air found in 2001, and it has continued to be the best at various checkpoints along the way. “Every couple of years we take a look at what’s on the market, but time and again FACTS is the best fit for our business.”
The FACTS system has and continues to enable Land Air to stay more nimble than its competition, says Bush. “In comparison to our competitors using an in-house system, I really believe that FACTS gives us the opportunity to be more relevant and stay more current. Carrier Logistics is focused 100% on this system, so they tend to stay on top of the new trends in the market while modifying the system to help us stay one step ahead of our customers’ needs. In this business it is all about being faster and better while keeping costs low. And I believe FACTS helps us do just that.”