Class8 Software Optimizes Fleet Performance

Case study

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Optimized Truck Use:

In three months, truck utilization rose 16.7% as Class8 software minimized idle time with real-time load updates.

Boosted Market Insights:

Dispatchers used spot market data to track rates and select high-profit loads.

Reduced Empty Miles:

Route optimization cut empty miles by 21.5%, improving fuel efficiency, reducing costs, and raising revenue per load by 12%.

Background

Spot On Logistics, a trucking company with 15 short haul truckload trucks, sought to streamline operations and boost revenue in a challenging spot market. Through an OEM partnership, Class8 connected directly with their fleet data, providing seamless integration for real-time insights and advanced planning. This transition allowed them to optimize truck utilization, uncover profitable lanes, and reduce operational complexities.

Industry

Logistics and trucking

Employees

Hidden

Location

USA

Use Cases

Software Fleet Optimization

Key Challenges Faced

1. Market Pressures
   Contracting market conditions required the company to rethink strategies to stay competitive, switching to a short haul model to keep the price per mile up, which exponentially increased the amount of loads needed per truck, and the extreme niche they needed to fit.

2. Underutilized Fleet
   Trucks returning empty vs making the second half of the days revenue due to low load availability impacted profitability as that empty trip replaced half the day's revenue.

3. Limited Spot Market Visibility
   Their current TMS didn’t offer any insights into spot market opportunities.

4. Manual Planning
   Dispatchers spent considerable time searching for, negotiating and planning loads, leading to inefficiencies.

Solution: Class8 Optimization Software

Class8 provided a centralized load and dispatch optimization platform, aggregating freight market data and offering real-time insights into the spot market. The integration streamlined truck assignments, automated load suggestions, and identified profitable routes. Minimal TMS configuration allowed quick deployment, saving time and enhancing operational flow.

Implementation Process

1. Seamless Data Integration
   Class8 integrated with existing systems, enabling dispatchers to view historical and real-time data in one place. Email integration unlocked additional spot market options previously hidden in cluttered inboxes.

2. Training and Onboarding
   The dispatch team received training on using Class8’s intuitive layout and new functionalities, such as demand forecasting and rate tracking, facilitating a smooth transition.

3. Workflow Adaptation
   By shifting to automated load suggestions, dispatchers prioritized high-revenue loads and reduced empty miles, freeing time for strategic planning and expanding contract commitments.

Results and Impact

1. Enhanced Truck Utilization
   Within three months, truck utilization rates increased by 16.7%. Class8 optimization software provided real-time updates on load availability, allowing dispatchers to minimize truck idle times by quickly securing loads.

2. Enhanced Spot Market Insights
   With direct access to spot market data, dispatchers tracked rates and emerging lanes, allowing them to select high-profit loads.

3. Reduced Empty Miles
   The software’s route optimization reduced empty miles by 21.5%, improving fuel efficiency and cutting maintenance costs. This led to a 12% increase in revenue per load and boosted profitability.

4. Discovery of Profitable Lanes
   Market data analysis helped identify new, less competitive lanes, providing additional revenue and reduced empty miles on return trips.

5. Streamlined Dispatch Operations
   Automated load assignments reduced manual planning by dispatchers, enabling focus on strategic growth and customer satisfaction.

Operational Benefits

1. Real-Time Market Data Access
   Up-to-date spot rates and load data supported by timely and profitable decision-making.

2. Faster Planning
   Data-backed profitability scores helped dispatchers accept high-revenue loads, maximizing fleet utilization.

Conclusion

Class8 transformed Spot On’s operations by improving truck utilization, expanding reach in the spot market, and enabling data-driven decisions. Within six months, Spot On saw marked improvements in profitability, route efficiency, and planning agility, demonstrating that even smaller fleets can benefit significantly from adopting advanced technology in a competitive market.