It Takes a Big Dog to Stay on Top of a Tough Market

Transcription

1 Fleetmatics (formerly SageQuest ) An Article for People Interested in Using GPS Fleet Tracking to Help Build Business Success. From the Pages of Fleet Intelligence It Takes a Big Dog to Stay on Top of a Tough Market See how intelligent fleet management software helps one fierce competitor stay on top of the oil and gas drilling business in the wide open spaces of West Texas.

2 QUICK INTEL FI Intelligent fleet tracking system monitors work crews in West Texas. FI System helps keep expensive drilling processes moving smoothly without delays. FI People got to work on time and payroll was aligned with work actually being done. FI The intelligent system assists in maintaining safety on far-flung work sites.

3 Big Dog Drilling, an Endeavor Energy company, works in West Texas, where there are few roads and no traffic jams. Intelligent fleet management software has helped them minimize expensive standby costs, demonstrate regulatory compliance and overcome problems due to the remoteness of their locations. It has also helped them improve safety and security for a large, and expensive, fleet. The image of roughnecks drilling for oil on parched West Texas land has become so popular that one cable TV channel has made a series out of it. Black Gold takes a dramatic look at roughnecks working for Viking, Longhorn and Big Dog Drilling crews as they scramble against time under the West Texas sun. Only Big Dog survived to seasons two and three. As millions of viewers can tell you, drilling for oil and gas in West Texas is a dog-eat-dog world, and Big Dog Drilling knows how to play the game better than most. In the real world, away from the glare of TV lights, Big Dog is one of over twenty companies owned by the Endeavor Energy company. The company embodies the ferociously aggressive, freewheeling spirit and business acumen associated with wildcat drillers. In a dog-eat-dog business, Big Dog and Endeavor look for every business edge they can get. This includes making sure their crews are always doing what they are supposed to do. Operating on the vast plains of West Texas, they also have to be right on time when delivering needed resources to remote drilling and fracking locations. Under the direction of Bob Slusser, a former investigator with the Texas State Police, Endeavor Energy installed GPS fleet tracking systems in the 550 vehicles owned by Endeavor companies, including Big Dog, where Slusser hangs his hat most mornings. We caught up with him the day after he d shot a big rattlesnake who was sneaking around the Big Dog equipment lot. When I first started this job, I knew I needed immediate access to credit cards and a GPS system so that I d know where our people are at and what they are doing. As Slusser looked into the available GPSrelated systems, he decided to install an intelligent system that could do more than just track and trace vehicles. This search led him to Fleetmatics Solutions, now installed in all Endeavor Energy trucks. The system helps him see what his crews are doing, and improves safety for crews operating in the wide open spaces of West Texas. I want to make sure everyone is doing what they are supposed to do, but with drilling rigs 90 to 100 miles away, we also need to know the closest crew when something is trucked into a drilling site, Slusser told us. With unsupervised crews scattered across the West Texas prairie, it takes some effort to keep everyone honest. For obvious reasons, Endeavor doesn t allow crews to use company vehicles on off days, and doesn t expect them to hang out at a truck stop all day when there is work STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE S MOUTH Hear how real-life users have improved their VEHICLE TRACKING AND SECURITY.

4 to be done. Right from the beginning, we told our guys that the tracking systems weren t going in to watch them, but we would be watching. Some weren t paying attention, and they re gone. Slusser went on to explain the importance of maintaining these rules. These are expensive pieces of equipment, and the company needs them to make a profit and keep people employed. We have over 100 pumpers in the fleet, as well as water haulers, pickup trucks, and assorted construction vehicles and heavy haulers. Our crews work ten days on and four days off. If we see the trucks moving on off days, there has to be a reason why, and if they aren t working on our wells, drivers better have a good explanation. Slusser also noted that managers at different Endeavor companies use the system to suit their particular needs. In my area, the speed limit is 85 mph, so I m not too interested in tracking how fast guys are driving. But other managers need the ability to set parameters to save fuel and money. The Fleetmatics system gives them the tools they need. We also talked to Patrick Martinez, from Endeavor s water-hauling division. He told us how they use the Fleetmatics system to make sure water trucks arrive on time. There is a lot of money sitting out there on every job in the field. The resources it takes to get work done aren t cheap a pulling unit can cost up to $1,200 an hour. Because we have [Fleetmatics] really keeps jobs from being interrupted which saves us potentially millions of dollars in damage and delays. Fleetmatics, we can tell our field manager where our trucks are at and how long until they are where they need to be. Fracking is one of many things in which we are involved. When we are on the site of a frack, there is $700,000 to a million dollars at stake. In order for all of it to go right, our trucks HAVE to be there with the water, on time, and make sure there is enough water to complete the stage on time. [Fleetmatics] really keeps jobs from being interrupted which saves us potentially millions of dollars in damage and delays. Martinez also told us how the Fleetmatics system helps in-field truck pushers help out with a wide range of common problems. These workers make sure trucks are running smoothly and that everyone gets where they re going and wears the proper safety gear. The Fleetmatics system provides better visibility of field operations, making it easier to know what s happening and where everyone is located. According to Martinez, Before, it took five truck pushers to see where all the crews are at, and what they are doing now I can do it with three. Safety is also a big issue in the oil-andgas drilling industry. Many of the jobs are physical and involve potentially dangerous equipment. Working on remote job sites in West Texas adds another dangerous dimension for a safety-minded company like Endeavor. According to Martinez, These guys get down in areas that phones won t reach. Because of (the Fleetmatics system), we can see where they are, and the fastest way to get to them if there s an emergency. It gives me peace of mind to know we re doing everything we can to keep our teams as safe as possible. To Bob Slusser, using the Fleetmatics system is a time-and-money issue. Say we have a guy jacking around at a truck stop for two to three hours. They turn in time sheets and we can match them up with Fleetmatics data on the exact hours a truck started and shut off. Had to fire one guy for lying on his time sheet. I wasn t guessing when I did it and we replaced him with a guy who did the work. Slusser noted that the Fleetmatics system also helped get guys to the job sites on time, since supervisors now know who s on the job when they are supposed to be, and who decided to grab some extra sleep. This helps Endeavor control labor costs, by aligning payroll with the hours actually worked. According to Slusser, We told everyone at the beginning that there s not much room for BS in this business, and if they were doing what they were supposed to be doing, they have nothing to worry about. But this is expensive equipment, and if we find them messing with it, they have to pay the price. The prairies of West Texas are different from more urban parts of the country, but companies working there still need to protect their investments and get a fair day s work for a fair day s pay. Fleetmatics intelligent fleet management software gives them the intelligence needed to do the job right. Molly Plank: Staff Writer mplank@fleetintelligencemag.com

5 You Don t Have to be a Rocket Scientist to Cut Fuel Costs With Fleetmatics intelligent fleet management software, you ll find lots of small, proven ways to cut fuel costs. (1) Cut idling time. (2) Cut driving time. (3) Put the brakes on speeding. You can save up to 40% doing little things like this, and that s no small potatoes. It s not rocket science, either. It s Fleetmatics. FREE DEMO