Samsara fleet management solution saves Sterling Crane millions

Sterling Crane gets unionized labour’s buy-in for driving data capture 

Since implementing Samsara on its fleet, Sterling Crane has introduced a number of initiatives to take advantage of the system’s range of capabilities, with the goal of improving efficiency across the board.

One deployment that has paid dividends thus far focuses on capture and analysis of driving data from Sterling’s fleet of on-road vehicles. Dual-view cameras and sensors on vehicles detect specific incidents, such as hard braking, and capture video both in the cab and in front of the vehicle, which can then be reviewed.

Sterling’s unions at first had some concerns surrounding privacy and constant monitoring of members when the cameras were first discussed, and negotiations were required prior to launch.

“It has taken a lot of education on our part. We’ve communicated and have had multiple meetings with our unions in every province to discuss,” Goodridge describes. “We were a little hesitant at first to roll it out, but it’s been a game changer for us.”

Goodridge shared a look at the back end of the program with me to demonstrate the capabilities of the dual-view camera capturing inside and outside images. Video is captured when the system is triggered by a specific occurrence such as a hard braking. In some examples, the drivers are simply caught unaware. In others, they are either speeding or braking too abruptly.

For Sterling, it was all a reminder that the company needed to know more about its drivers and their habits — and a way to improve their results. A rewards system has created good-natured competition to determine the safest driver, with small gifts handed out each month to those in top spot. Buy-in has risen among drivers, Goodridge says, bringing safety and efficiency along as well.

Digitization significantly boosts proactive maintenance

Another new initiative is digitizing Sterling Crane’s maintenance processing. Previously, technicians would have paper forms to fill out during inspections, indicating necessary maintenance to be performed. Those forms, Goodridge says, would then be scanned and emailed, sent through the regular mail — or not submitted at all.

“I could go to the branch for a visit and they’d have a pile of these [forms] sitting on a bench or in the office,” Goodridge describes.

Now, technicians and operators are receiving tablets and digital maintenance forms that they can fill out and transmit directly through Samsara. When a technician looks over a machine in Ontario and finds an issue, they can take photos, make notes, then send the form immediately to Goodridge in Edmonton, and maintenance can be scheduled and completed much faster.

“Our goal for Marmon Crane Services is to have 80 percent planned maintenance and 20 percent unplanned,” he says. “We don’t want to react to something on the side of the road. We are now fortunate to be able to keep our eyes on the equipment and get accurate hours in.”

Samsara saves Sterling Crane millions in maintenance costs

Overall, the results of adopting Samsara on the Sterling Crane fleet have been eye-opening for Goodridge and the company as a whole. A few hours a week per driver, technician, and operator add up quickly to thousands of yearly hours that can be used for more important work.

Financially, in the roughly one year since Sterling Crane integrated Samsara into its systems, the company has saved an estimated $2.5 million in major maintenance costs. Improved driver productivity and compliance adds up to $1.2 million, while more than 10,000 hours of technician time saved adds up to around $500,000.

Those results are central to why Samsara has named Sterling Crane one of its 2024 Connected Operations Award winners, who use data-driven insights to work safer, more efficiently, and more sustainably.

“It’s incredible to see the tangible impact our technology has had on Sterling Crane, which has been serving Canadian customers for 70 years. At Samsara, we’re always looking for new ways to help our customers take data from every aspect of their operations — whether it’s driver safety, equipment monitoring, or employee workflows — and leverage it to solve complex problems,” describes Charlie Cubeta, head of growth, Canada with Samsara. “Sterling Crane is a perfect example of this in action, having achieved such significant gains in efficiency and compliance less than a year into deployment.”