Navajo DOT gains insight across 4 states (27,425 square miles) and 85,000 miles a month

Teletrac Navman helps improve efficiency, maintenance, accountability and recover three stolen vehicles

The Navajo Division of Transportation (NDOT) develops and maintains roads and airports in the Navajo Nation across four states. Its Roads Maintenance division is the only one with a GPS fleet tracking solution, and Dempsey Chapito, fleet coordinator, loves the visibility Teletrac Navman provides into nearly 150 vehicles covering around 85,000 miles each month.

"My boss and I can be in office and see who's where and whether they are getting to their destination on time. It makes my job a whole lot easier." - Dempsey Chapito, fleet coordinator

View of the entire fleet in a single platform

A key reason NDOT chose Teletrac Navman was because they could see the entire fleet in one solution, something it did not find in other systems. Its mix of half-ton and quarter-ton trucks, over-the-road trucks equipped with ELDs and Motor Graders with heavy-duty GPS devices are used for a combination of road projects, employees getting to and from sites and response to maintenance and road emergencies. With the mixed fleet covering so much territory, the ability to manage all vehicles in a single platform is key.

Better dispatching, maintenance and project management

Up-to-the-minute location data ensures NDOT can dispatch the nearest person for road assessments when the public call in road maintenance issues. With road repair and maintenance projects spread across state lines, GPS tracking also lets NDOT quickly locate where assets, such as motorgraders, are, which has been beneficial for project management and asset utilization. GPS logs are also used to record vehicle usage for office administration, especially useful if a driver’s paperwork is missing information.

Mileage and distance data also allows Dempsey to track wear and tear and keep up with maintenance to extend the life of NDOT’s assets. If a vehicle isn’t running well, he uses engine diagnostics to view fault codes straight from the engine and send it in for repairs.

Monitoring fuel usage and driver behavior

Teletrac Navman also lets NDOT monitor for appropriate equipment and fuel use, are used
according to department policies. Automated fuel reports let them calculate actual monthly fuel consumption and compare against receipts to keep fuel shrinkage down. It also helps ensure fuel is being purchased from gas stations NDOT is contracted with.

Dempsey has seen a direct improvement in driver behavior and accountability since implementing Teletrac Navman. If the public call in to report vehicles speeding, he can check which drivers were in the area and address behaviors such as speeding, texting or offensive driving.

Recovering $135,000 worth of stolen vehicles

NDOT has recovered three stolen vehicles, worth $45,000 each, using GPS data and automated text message alerts from Teletrac Navman. In all instances, Dempsey received text notifications of vehicle ignition after midnight, confirmed theft with the driver and worked with police to quickly recover the vehicles – even when one had tinted the windows and stripped off all identification badges.