HRI Uncovers “a Plethora” of Paving Data With FleetWatcher

Company: HRI, Inc.

FleetWatcher Customer Since: 2019

• The large infrastructure company piloted FleetWatcher in 2019, after using a few different systems.
• Positive impacts of features were immediately praised, particularly GPS mapping for real-time tracking of tickets and truck locations.
• A minor challenge with the e-ticketing feature was resolved by the customer service team in less than 24 hours; employees are optimistic about future developments.

The borough of State College is more than the home of Penn State. It is also the headquarters of HRI, Inc., a large infrastructure construction business with an international parent company. HRI has six hot mix asphalt plants, and provides a variety of bituminous products for private contractors as well as local and state agencies. The majority of its construction projects are awarded by PennDOT.

Having used a couple of different construction software systems, the HRI team was seeking a better solution. HRI’s parent company, Barrett Industries, allowed the team to pilot the use of FleetWatcher in 2019.

Embracing Technology for Operational Efficiency

Kory Fish, a longtime project manager in HRI’s Western Region Paving Operations, has been with the company since his project engineer internship in 2007. He works with the paving superintendent and project engineer to plan and coordinate projects, building them within budget. 

“I have been involved with our paving operations since my internship and have seen it evolve from daily handwritten timesheets that were faxed in, to using laptops, and now iPads,” Fish said. “Technology is exponentially advancing around us and with constricting budgets and tightening specifications, we as an industry need to evolve as well by taking full advantage of all the tools that exist.” 

The pilot program was immediately met with positive reviews. “It [FleetWatcher] has been working great for its current use; the GPS mapping is fantastic,” Fish said. “From an operational standpoint, our foremen love the app because it allows them to see when a ticket was produced, where the truck is in transit, and how their operation is progressing minute by minute.”

Partnering for Success

That’s not to say there weren’t a few hiccups during the pilot program. “Our first DOT project coming out of the Covid-19 lockdown, we needed to utilize the e-ticketing feature and it was realized very early on that the JMF number was not on the tickets,” Fish remembers. 

He called the FleetWatcher customer service team and explained what was needed. By the end of the day, they had it included. 

“The service and support have been fantastic, 11 out of 10,” the longtime project manager said of FleetWatcher.

Now that the HRI team is familiar with the software, they are looking forward to future developments to solve some of their current limitations. 

The FleetWatcher pilot was successful, as Fish attested.“Fantastic product, exceptional customer service, and a plethora of useful data!”