Technology has helped boost several industries in the last decade, and the trucking industry is no exception. From data analytics to digital automation, technology has enabled the industry to soar with greater productivity, quality controls and safety. The trucking sector is a driving force in the U.S. transportation industry, with the American Trucking Association reporting that 2021 trucking industry revenues reached $875.5 billion in gross freight, representing 80.8% of the nation’s freight bill, and much of the success and productivity of the trucking industry today is due to intricate and efficient emerging technologies.
EMBRACING CHANGE
With temp-controlled LTL in particular, technology is critically important to the success of transporting each and every load, on-temp and on-time. That’s why investing in technology is a key part of H&M Bay’s commitment to providing exceptional service to its customers. Technology helps maintain the efficiency and structure of our business operations, day-in and day-out. These advancements have been a key factor over the past several years in our industry, and that’s why logistics companies like ours are embracing changes that allow us to track customer’s orders and enable swift communication in the supply chain.
Optimizing the vast network of independent drivers at H&M Bay, technology is a key component driving our success. Our technology allows for seamless communication between truckers, dispatchers, and customers. Our advanced systems make it easier to engage and communicate in real time about each order.
H&M Bay handles 20,000 pounds of temperature-controlled LTL (less-than-truckload) each week with 7,000 shipments coast-to-coast. To help optimize our specialty service, H&M Bay’s in-house IT team designed and sustains our own customized automated web-based system, including our company intranet, customer extranet and an intuitive mobile app. H&M Bay also utilizes barcode technology and computerized dispatch to automate identification and tracking of pallets stored. Through our hi-tech systems, our dispatchers and customers can stay informed in real-time, retrieving valuable on-demand, web-based services and data.
MILES
The H&M Bay propriety customer portal, called “Miles”, serves as a liaison between our customers, their freight and our dispatchers. “Miles” makes it possible for customers to access their accounts at any time using their computer and anywhere using their cell phone via our mobile app. By accessing “Miles”, a customer has real-time data access to their account with the ability to obtain a quote, review order status including pick up & delivery status updates, and retrieve PODS and invoices.
IT DEPARTMENT
Our technology ensures streamlined communications with our valued customers and throughout our different divisions at H&M Bay, while ensuring the upmost in security as well. Our in-house IT department monitors and manages the ever-present security and technology issues at-hand. The department’s key areas of support that benefit our customers and keep operations running smoothly include:
- Providing business-savvy technical resources to work closely with business process owners to streamline their operations, as the cornerstone of an effective IT organization is to understand the business, not just be technical experts.
- Utilizing industry leading tools and hardware to provide solutions quickly. You cannot support a corporate business plan without agility.
- Focusing on 100% uptime as the ultimate goal. This involves using leading virtualization and replication software, redundant hardware resources and communications networks and refreshing them constantly.
- Providing a responsive help desk to provide a single point of contact for every end user in the company with the ability to resolve problems quickly.
- Staying abreast of new technologies and finding ways to apply these technologies to the business to provide tangible results.
H&M Bay’s innovative IT department is led by long-time IT Director, John Walker. “I have been impressed with H&M Bay, it’s principals and officers since I applied for the job 20 years ago. Their commitment to building a system tailored around their business processes is something most often found in only the largest of companies,” said Walker. “The last 20 years has been transformative for H&M Bay – which is quite remarkable for a company that already had a high level of computerization. The most rewarding aspect of this is that I have full faith we will transform this company even more in the next 20 years. It is really a pleasure to be part of an organization like that,” added Walker.
ABOUT H&M BAY INC.
Founded in 1982, H&M Bay has built a reputation as the country’s premier logistics provider for LTL frozen and refrigerated commodities. Headquartered in Federalsburg, Maryland, H&M Bay also has operations in California, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington. For more than four decades, H&M Bay’s commitment to operational excellence, new technology and superior customer service remains unwavering as they efficiently consolidate, store and deliver through their expansive network of independent truckers. To learn more about H&M Bay or experience first-hand their award-winning logistics and operations, connect with them at: https://www.hmbayinc.com/, and follow them on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
