ATLANTA — Looking to improve the routing and dispatch procedures used in its nationwide network of 71 distribution centers, TireHub L.L.C. has turned to fleet management solutions provider Omnitracs L.L.C. for help.
In selecting Omnitracs, TireHub — the Bridgestone Americas/Goodyear distribution joint venture — is seeking to solve "optimization challenges" facing its ability to offer a four-times-a-day delivery option at all locations, according to Dallas-based Omnitracs.
"Prior to launching Omnitracs Roadnet, our routing was highly individualized," Sylvia Wilks, vice president of operations at TireHub, said. "Now we are beginning to standardize across logistics centers, leveraging technology to solve for the most optimized route to best serve customers."
Omnitracs said its routing and dispatch solutions enable a more data-driven and algorithmic approach to deliveries.
"For us, it's not just about the right tire in the right place, at the right time — our differentiator is our commitment to the customer experience," Ms. Wilks said, noting that features such as Omnitracs Active Alert, which provides delivery tracking and active notification, will allow TireHub let customers know via text or email when a delivery is under way.
"We know that this will benefit our call centers as well, as our agents will be able to provide specific details about the exact location of deliveries," she added. "Omnitracs has and will continue to help us maximize our ability to communicate with our customers."
TireHub is planning to expand beyond the 71 logistics centers in operation, Omnitracs said, creating a need to support growth through both scale and a standardized delivery process. TireHub opened three D/Cs in 2019, including the most recent, in Columbia, S.C., last November.
In the TireHub locations that have deployed Omnitracs solutions, operations staff has been able to maximize resources and increase productivity, Dallas-based Omnitracs said, based on information the software generates such as knowledge of optimized routes and the time each employee will need on the road.
At each logistics center, Omnitracs said TireHub employs a model where employees are responsible for warehouse duties when they are not delivering tires.
"TireHub has a reputation in the automotive distribution market for putting the customer first. It's exciting to partner with a company so passionate about the customer experience, while helping to deliver services that enable them to scale at an accelerated rate," Owen Smith, vice president of new business at Omnitracs, said.
"Omnitracs solutions have assisted in providing TireHub with a more holistic view of their operations, allowing for increased efficiency and growth, and we look forward to supporting their continued success through this partnership."
Omnitracs considers itself a "global pioneer" in software-as-a-service-based logistics solutions, starting 30 years ago with commercial vehicle telematics technologies.