Success Story:
Pacific Office Automation
Company:
Pacific Office Automation
Industry:
Printer, phone, & office solutions
Location:
Seattle, WA
Website:
www.pacificoffice.com
“We went from having one or two accidents a month to almost none in a year. Also, the equipment is showing up in one piece now.”
“If it weren’t for the GPS Insight cameras, we wouldn’t have been able to prove we weren’t at fault.”
Jeff Vogele
Technical Manager, Pacific Office Automation
Got video proof to protect drivers from being falsely accused
Significantly reduced the number of accidents
Used gamification to motivate drivers and create camaraderie
Company
Pacific Office Automation is a recognized leader in office management solutions, offering state-of-the-art technology and award-winning customer service. They have 35 offices throughout Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, & Texas.
Benefits
Pacific Office Automation – Seattle Branch, led by Technical Manager Jeff Vogele, successfully implemented GPS Insight tracking and dash cameras to improve safety, accountability, and efficiency in their delivery fleet. With GPS Insight, the team has significantly reduced accidents, improved driver behavior, and fostered a culture of healthy competition among drivers.
Pacific Office Automation (POA) is a leading provider of office technology solutions, offering a wide range of products and services to businesses across the Pacific Northwest. The company operates a fleet of approximately 90 delivery trucks to serve its customers efficiently and on time.
Before GPS Insight, the team faced challenges related to fleet management and driver accountability. Incidents of accidents and equipment damage were not uncommon, and ensuring driver safety was a top concern. Plus, tracking driver behavior and coaching drivers effectively posed difficulties.
Jeff Vogele and his team decided to use GPS Insight as their fleet management solution for several reasons, including its availability, ease of deployment, and user-friendly software. The system was initially used for GPS tracking and dispatch purposes, but they later integrated Driveri cameras to help with driver accountability and training.
“We went with GPS Insight due to the availability and the ease of deployment and use of software,” Vogele said. “From day one to now they have always worked for my team.”
Real-life proof
Almost immediately, the team experienced an accident where the cameras helped show what really happened during the incident.
“Our delivery truck was rear ended by a semi doing about 60 mph when our truck was at a complete stop,” he said. “The cameras did shut off after impact, but they recorded everything up to that point. The cameras still showed that our driver was attentive and able to stop his truck swiftly and safely a car length away from the car in front.”
Having the video proof made a big difference to the driver and company.
“This saved our legal team a whole lot of time,” he said. “The semi truck driver tried to say our truck rear ended the car first, and that’s what caused him to rear end our truck, but we had the video.”
Driver Safety
The introduction of GPS Insight’s Driveri cameras significantly improved driver safety and accountability.
“When we add a video to coaching it will alert the driver to come and see us and also give them a clip of the video or videos we would like to see addressed,” Voegle said. “Not only does this help with the talk track, but it also lets the drivers know what we need to talk about.”
The company switched to GPS Driveri for several reasons.
“One, we were already using the GPS-only feature to track and dispatch our fleet,” Vogele said. “Two, the AI is extremely helpful in training and letting the drivers know they have accountability as well in their role – and that’s been a huge safety help as well.”
Using the GPS Insight solutions helped immediately identify possible dangerous incidents.
“One time we had a driver fall asleep behind the wheel, and we were instantly alerted – as well as the driver,” he said. “Now I know I don’t need to explain how bad that could have gone.”
Having this information helped the team coach him to improve.
“That started a talk track with the employee that helped me discover a few things, and we were able to work together to improve his job,” he said. “He is now one of our best drivers.”
Using GPS Insight made a significant difference on the number of accidents.
“We went from having one or two accidents a month to almost none in a year,” he said. “Also, the equipment is showing up in one piece now.”
Video Proof
In a very specific incident, Pacific Office Automation was able to use GPS Insight video footage to prove their driver was not at fault in an accident.
“One of our delivery trucks was in downtown Seattle,” Vogele said. “Our delivery truck was passing a bus that was pulled over to pick up passengers, but as soon as he turned on his turn signal, he just came over without checking the lane. The mirror of our truck took out the mirror of the bus.”
Though the bus driver didn’t check before moving into the lane, he accused the truck driver of being in the wrong.
“The bus driver said that our driver was at fault because he didn’t yield, but the cameras showed otherwise,” he said. “The bus driver didn’t want to share his video. If it weren’t for the GPS Insight cameras, we wouldn’t have been able to prove we weren’t at fault.”
Voegle also appreciates the variety of camera placements, since GPS Insight cameras show more than just one angle.
“A camera that’s only facing forward wouldn’t have caught it, but these cameras also show a side view,” he said. “You could actually see the bus driver in the mirror fail to look as he moved into traffic. Once we showed it to our insurance agent, there was no problem getting the bus company to pay for our repairs.”
Gamification
When Pacific Office Automation originally introduced the idea of having dash cams, some of the techs were skeptical. The team wanted to show the drivers that the cameras were designed to help them, not be an invasion of privacy. As a result, Voegle created a program that rewarded them in a creative way.
“Our techs were initially concerned about ‘Big Brother’, so we made a game out of it,” he said. “Each truck has a team of a passenger and driver, and every month each team starts with 1000 points. You can earn or lose points based on driving behaviors. At the end of the month, the team with the highest points gets a $100 gift card. Now, the drivers love it.”
Not only does the game reward them for safe driving behaviors, but it also gives them points based on humor.
“Just for fun, I give them extra points is they see something interesting or funny,” he said. “We’ve caught some interesting footage.”
The game turns the entire camera experience into a positive experience.
“At the end of every month, we all get together and watch the video footage,” he said. “It’s a good time, since we’re cracking up, the guys are razzing other teams, and it creates a lot of camaraderie there.”
They’ve watched people fall while running from the police, a tire come off of a car and roll down the highway, and other unusual sights.
“After all this, the drivers understand they’re here for their safety, especially after we have incidents that are captured,” he said. “But you have to have that buy in to make it work for your team.”
GPS tracking benefits
Not only does Pacific Office Automation use GPS Insight for cameras, but they also use the GPS tracking solution to improve the way they do business.
“We have two huge monitors in our dispatch office, and it’s easy to tell drivers speeding – hey, you need to slow down,” he said. “It also lets them know where the techs are, so if there’s an emergency situation, we can immediately look at the monitor and assign the closest tech.”
Not only does GPS tracking work for day-to-day operations, but also when there are more serious events.
“We had one incident where the car was stolen, and we used GPS Insight to locate the car as soon as we knew it was gone,” he said. “The cops were able to quickly locate it with our GPS tracking data.”
Increasing safety
Adopting GPS Insight had a remarkable impact on Pacific Office Automation – Seattle Branch. The number of accidents reduced drastically, with only a few incidents occurring over the course of a year. Equipment damage also significantly decreased, leading to cost savings on repairs and replacements. Driver behavior improved noticeably, fostering a safety-oriented culture among the team.
The decision to implement GPS Insight at Pacific Office Automation’s Seattle Branch has proven to be a helpful step in enhancing fleet safety, driver accountability, and overall efficiency. By using GPS tracking and Driveri cameras, the branch has experienced reduced accidents, minimized equipment damage, and created a competitive environment that motivates drivers to excel in safe driving practices.
