Transports Frédéric 's Heeren’s story is first and foremost about performance. Recognized for its quality of service, the family-owned Belgian transportation company relies on Trimble’s telematics solutions such as CarCube on-board computers, but also management applications for social data Tachotime Manager and FleetHours, as well as document scanning.
Right Tools for Global Fleet Management
Frédéric ‘s Heeren is one of six brothers born to entrepreneurial parents working in trading and transport. He founded his own company in 2005, starting with a single truck and expanding to a fleet of 101 tractors and 30 carriers. The company specializes in transport for the agricultural industry throughout the Benelux, France and Germany. The company’s growth strategy includes the use of state-of-the-art technology and each vehicle has been equipped with Trimble on-board computers since 2010.
"Driving a truck without an on-board computer is like driving without an engine!” said ‘s Heeren. “We would not be able to work efficiently without CarCube. The on-board computers are connected to our transport management system (TMS). We also use the FleetHours application for wage calculation and Tachotime Manager for archiving tachodata. In addition, our subcontractors leverage the Trimble FleetXPS App on their smartphones. The benefit of using these tools is a complete view and global management of our entire fleet."
Informing Customers in Real-time
Frédéric 's Heeren highlighted the flexibility of its planning system, which is based on real-time information. "Trimble telematics is the primary means of communication between our operators and drivers,” he said. “This is how we send the tasks and how we get information about the weight loads and receive proof of deliveries. This information is also sent directly to our customers. CarCube also allows us to transmit fuel runs. It is connected to a document scanner, which scans transport documents that are sent immediately to the office. As a result, Trimble’s telematics solution is a single platform for centralizing information in real-time between the road and the office."
Léon Mouzon, who is responsible for salary benefits and administrative relations, noted the improvement in social data or regulatory management. "Each CarCube is connected to the tachograph of the truck, which allows the driver to justify their work time such as driving, loading, unloading as well as other information. This information is automatically transmitted to our transportation management system, to determine the availability of the drivers for potential assignments."
"The information is also sent to FleetHours, which enables us to calculate salaries. In addition, Tachotime Manager is used to archive the data in a reliable and secure way as well as to present it for regulatory controls."
Optimized Exploitation
"Achieving an optimum price-quality ratio in business is the primary advantage of using Trimble’s fleet management solution," said Mouzon. "Our planner has all the information they need to determine the profitability of a particular trip. They can also define a relevant tariff and adequate transport means on the basis of the data provided by CarCube."
In terms of return on investment, s’ Heeren said that the time savings are significant. "Thanks to Trimble’s information technology, we were able to save three full-time staff equivalents and still double our transportation volume with the same human resources. Another competitive advantage is providing our customers with billing information as soon as the delivery is made."
"We have succeeded in improving the organization, planning and management of our customers’ orders," added s’ Heeren. "We become true partners in the economic chain. Finally, let's not forget the significant reduction in fuel consumption generated by on-board computers and Trimble’s Performance Portal eco-driving management application. We can monitor poor driving habits and excessive fuel consumption, and then engage in a long-term plan for improvement."
About Transports Frédéric 's Heeren
Transports Frédéric 's Heeren is based in Hannut, Belgium. Employing 141 people, and managing 131 trucks (April 2019), the company transports livestock feed, cereals and animal waste. In June 2008, it created a subsidiary in Luxembourg: T.S.F., and in July 2013, it established ‘s Heeren Truck Service, specializing in mechanics and heavy truck washing.
For more information, visit: www.transports-sheeren.eu
