We highly value our relationship with Mike Albert. They've helped us get over this huge mountain we couldn't have gotten over by ourselves. No more unwanted surprises, fees that can’t be explained, or invoices that are impossible to read. Now our fleet is a well-managed, well-oiled machine. We have the right number of vehicles, at the right mileage, with the right equipment.

Bancsource, a growing, national ATM equipment supplier and installation provider, employs more than 230 technicians to service equipment at financial institutions and retailers across the US. The technicians need their vehicles to be in good, safe working condition at all times so they can provide a punctual, positive experience to every customer. Bancsource’s success depends on it. But it’s also crucial their fleet expenses remain as low as possible. Keeping their vehicles up and running and costs down at the same time is a hefty task that Dean, Manager of Services and Operations, struggled with at first when handed the responsibility.

Mike Albert’s rapid response slams the brakes on excessive toll expenses

Before they began working with Mike Albert, Bancsource parted ways with a fleet management company that didn’t deliver the customer service and attention they needed. The company abruptly ceased providing any of its services to Bancsource, leaving them in a vulnerable spot, especially in the area of toll management. Without a reliable toll payment system in place, Bancsource incurred costly fees and fines. Dean, who knew very little about fleet management at the time, called a leading toll management provider about transitioning to a new toll system ASAP. He also asked if they knew a reputable fleet management company that could help him set up and manage the system. "Mike Albert," was their immediate response. Dean called Mike Albert and they got Bancsource’s new toll management program up and operating smoothly in two days, saving them a significant amount of money in toll fees and fines.

Out with the chaos. In with a centralized, rightsized fleet and streamlined financing

As part of its growth plan, Bancsource acquired and merged with a number of businesses over the years. The fleets from all these businesses together created a chaotic mix of 250 vehicles managed and financed differently by various companies. A hodgepodge of leased, owned and rented vehicles made it impossible to account for every vehicle’s driver, location, mileage and operational condition. Dean hired a dedicated fleet manager, Billy Dean White, to help sort things out and get their fleet operations under control. After further assessment, Dean and Billy realized they needed the help of an outside fleet management company.

They interviewed a few companies, but Mike Albert was the clear choice. According to Dean,“Mike Albert took great care of us when implementing the toll system, answering calls day and night and showing real attention to detail. Mike Albert, just like us, values the customer experience and maintaining those relationships and making sure the customer gets what they need to be successful. The fit with Mike Albert was perfect. And we still feel that way today.”

Working closely with Mike Albert, Dean and Billy were able to track down and organize the necessary information on all their vehicles. After evaluating the data, they found they had 25 to 30 “floater” vehicles they didn’t need, which Mike Albert helped remarket to cut Bancsource’s fleet costs. Mike Albert also enabled them to lease back their purchased vehicles, replace their rentals with leased vehicles, and streamline all their leases. They made sure each vehicle was matched with the right type of lease and mileage limit based on the vehicle’s value and usage, eliminating the underwater financing Bancsource was saddled with on some of their vehicles.

Building the right vehicles to get the job done right

Next, Dean and Billy partnered with Mike Albert’s upfit team to design each vehicle with the proper features and equipment that would improve safety, job efficiency and customer service. This included backup cameras for safety, power inverters for quickly and conveniently charging tools on the job, easy-access racking systems for tool and part storage and straps for securing large ATM parts.

With telematics, safety goes up and fuel costs go down

Minimizing accidents and improving driver behavior was another challenge Dean and Billy needed to attack. So Mike Albert implemented Geotab telematics for their fleet, providing valuable insights into where, when and how their vehicles are being used from day to day. At first, Bancsource’s fleet received a Geotab safety score of 80 out of 100 with points deducted for factors such as seat belt violations, speeding and reckless driving. But now with the visibility Geotab provides, Dean and Billy can hold every one of their technicians accountable for their driving habits. As a result, their fleet safety score has elevated to about 94.

Geotab also alerted Dean and Billy to the fact that some of their technicians were excessively idling their vehicles. In between service appointments, when they’re noton the road, the technicians often use their vehicles as virtual offices. So, when the weather got too hot, a lot of technicians were idling their vehicles for long periods oftime to run the air conditioning, burning up fuel in the process. With this data from Geotab, Dean and Billy knew to set limits on idling time to reduce their monthly fuel costs.

Mike Albert’s preventive maintenance program is the best cure for repair headaches

Reducing maintenance and repair costs was the next hurdle to be cleared. Dean recalls, “We didn’t have business deals negotiated with any auto shops for regular maintenance or repairs. So we were pretty much at the mercy of the shops our technicians ended up at, especially after a vehicle breakdown.” Dean and Billy had to spend a lot of time fielding calls from technicians asking for authorization for repairs. “We had to deliberate whether or not the recommended repair was necessary, if it was the right fix, if the price was fair and if the vehicle was worth the cost of the repair. Meanwhile the technician was left without a vehicle, losing valuable time on the job.”

Dean and Billy decided that the best solution was to implement Mike Albert’s maintenance management program. “Now, if something goes wrong or needs service, there’s an easy, well-planned process in place. Mike Albert immediately notifies us if the quoted price for a service or repair hits our dollar threshold and gives us their expert recommendation on what to do. So now we don't feel like we're getting taken advantage of, like we did before, and we don’t waste lots of money on vehicles that aren't worth it.”

Plus, to help prevent breakdowns and costly repairs, the Mike Albert Overdrive® mobile app makes it easy for Bancsource’s technicians to keep up with regular OEM recommended maintenance. Overdrive alerts the technicians when a routine service is soon due and provides a directory of pre-approved service vendors where Mike Albert negotiates the best parts prices and labor times. The technicians simply select the vendor, day and time that works best for them. After servicing is completed, payment is handled automatically through Mike Albert so the technicians never need to pay out of their own pockets.

Bancsource continues to grow and plan for the future with Mike Albert

Dean sums up Bancsource’s experience with Mike Albert by saying, “We highly value our relationship with Mike Albert. They've helped us get over this huge mountain we couldn't have gotten over by ourselves. No more unwanted surprises, fees that can’t be explained, or invoices that are impossible to read. Now our fleet is a well-managed, well-oiled machine. We have the right number of vehicles, at the right mileage, with the right equipment.

The kind of attention to detail Mike Albert gives us has been crucial. They’re truly dedicated to helping us become smarter and more profitable. They’ve enabled us to rein in our fleet costs and make better, well-informed decisions about things like when to sell and replace vehicles, so we’re not throwing good money after bad. They continue to bring us good ideas that help us shape a strategy moving forward that ensures our fleet stays on course with our business growth.

There are several challenges and tasks involved in managing 200+ vehicles. But with the help of Mike Albert it seems effortless. Working with them has given us more time to focus on important business goals, like making more sales.”

Listen to Dean's interview on how he now defines fleet management.