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Discover how Dayton Freight increased profitability and maximized ROI with an automated warranty reimbursement process using Cetaris maintenance software.
Meet Dayton Freight Lines
Let’s explore how Dayton Freight drove cost savings and ROI using warranty management tools in Cetaris fleet maintenance software. Dayton Freight Lines is a leading LTL regional carrier with 2,261 tractors, 5,223 trailers, and 70 service centers. DFL relies on the efficiency and reliability of its fleet of vehicles to deliver goods in a timely manner. Ensuring the timely maintenance and repair of these vehicles is critical to the company’s quality, customer service, and bottom line.
The Problem: Warranty Dollars Left on the Table
Before implementing Cetaris, Dayton Freight Lines faced a few challenges they wanted to address. Firstly, they wanted to more accurately track warranty agreements and flag warrantable parts and labor. Their current process was manual and prone to errors. There was often a lack of visibility into warranty agreements. Information was locked away in spreadsheets or in someone’s head. Plus, the warranty claims sent to suppliers were often rejected if details of the repair, like the complaint, cause, and correction, were missing or inaccurate.
Without a systematic warranty management process, the company would miss out on dollars owed to them. Even with a detailed manual process, they found they were still leaving money on the table. The Dayton Freight Lines team set out to centralize all their warranty agreements in one system and begin more accurately tracking the details of each repair using a fleet maintenance system. They hoped that by automating claims, they would minimize missed warranty and increase supplier reimbursements. As Hessler notes: “We were not perfect with capturing warranty. Cetaris has helped with the very specific warranty agreements, setting up the flags for parts and labor.”
Dayton’s Freights Secret to Driving ROI with Warranty Reimbursements
Alex Hessler, Maintenance Analyst, and his maintenance team recognized the need for a more efficient approach to managing warranties and maintenance tasks. Dayton selected Cetaris because they felt it was the best system to capture detailed, accurate, and real-time repair data. The use of VMRS to systematize and codify repairs down to the component level was central to driving data accuracy. They also selected Cetaris for its ability to drive return on investment by streamlining costs, tracking warranty agreements, and flagging eligible parts and labor for reimbursement.
What’s more, Cetaris provided Dayton Freight Lines with mobile capabilities to help technicians save time on the shop floor. They empowered technicians with the tools to conduct inspections, capture photos, and input data directly into work orders to improve efficiency and accuracy. Alex highlighted the significance of this feature, stating, “A huge improvement was being able to get our technicians on mobile devices… utilizing Cetaris Fix for inspections and utilizing that mobile device to get pictures onto work orders.”
Results and Impact
The implementation of Cetaris resulted in significant improvements for Dayton Freight Lines. The company saw a dramatic increase in the capture of warranty reimbursements, leading to cost savings and improved profitability. In the end, by leveraging the software’s capabilities and empowering technicians with mobile devices, Dayton also enhanced its maintenance operations and productivity, ensuring the reliability and efficiency of its fleet.
“Warranty reimbursements are the unsung hero of cost savings for maintenance teams,” says Cetaris CEO Ric Bedard, “The average Cetaris customer reports seeing their ROI from Cetaris in 1 year in warranty reimbursements alone, and that doesn’t include additional cost-saving line items from productivity, parts management, asset uptime, and more”.
By harnessing the power of Cetaris, Dayton Freight Lines was able to overcome challenges related to warranty management and achieve tangible improvements in cost savings and operational efficiency. Discover why Cetaris has been identified as the best fleet maintenance software for creating business value by third-party research. Request a demo or request pricing today!