ROADVision Helps Ross Express Grow

Ross Express, founded in 1947 as a one-truck freight company serving Concord, N.H., now serves LTL shippers in the six New England states from its headquarters in Boscawen, N.H., and terminals in Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

For information on Ross Express visit their website at www.rossexpress.com.

“We needed to grow and be more efficient,” said Brown. “Everything is a step in a growth process to serve our customers—at their convenience.” Over the past five years, Ross Express has more than doubled its operating size.

“Steve knew we had to support the business with a better information management system,” said Jack Laflamme, the vice president of operations who has been with the company for over 18 years. Ross had relied on customized software that Laflamme describes as “Our own concoction that developed over time. As we grew it became more and more cumbersome and couldn’t keep up with our needs.”

Brown and Laflamme looked at a dozen software packages including ROADVision. “We met with Dave Norman (ROADVision’s vice president) and concluded that they had a solution that worked for us.”

Ross installed components of ROADVision’s trucking software in mid-2002. “We’re a work in progress but you discover new benefits in the system as you work with it,” said Laflamme. The first major innovation was the introduction of ROADVision’s bar code label system that makes each shipment’s Pro number a uniform tracking reference in every Ross computer. “In the past we had only an address on the bill of lading,” said Laflamme. “We had to track information on paper in different files. Plus, we had to trust that the shipper’s address information would stay on the shipment. There was always a chance for something to go wrong.” With the ROADVision system, drivers attach a bar code label to the shipper’s copy of the bill of lading. A matching label goes onto the Ross office copy and small labels are attached to the freight itself. If an address label disappears, the Pro number remains in place. “We deal with about 800 shipments every day,” said LaFlamme, most involving next-day delivery. This system saves time researching and tracking freight. It’s much more efficient and provides quick access to all necessary information. The benefits of the system are substantial for everyone.”

Ross also has brought ROADVision’s imaging system on line. As freight moves from in-bound to out-bound trucks, documents are scanned into the system and are immediately available for reference. “Previously, we had to dig through files,” said Laflamme. “Now you simply key an identifier such as bill-of-lading, PO, Agent or Pro number and all relevant shipment information is on the screen.”

The next step in Ross’s system upgrade was to bring an interactive web site on line. “It is professional but not jazzy,” said Brown. “Remember, we’re still a trucking company, not IBM.” Then it was the integrated fuel tax program and next is the Dispatch program with PC*Miler integration. As a regional LTL carrier that has grown rapidly into a multi-terminal operation, Ross Express has recognized the need to manage traffic throughout a system that serves the six-state New England market. ROADVision has brought state-of-the-art sophistication to Ross Express at an affordable price.

“Like any trucking company, we need to operate efficiently,” said LaFlamme, and now we are better able to meet that need. The ROADVision system is helping us grow and provide better service to our customers. We’re working together to develop and improve our system. It’s an ongoing relationship that works for all of us.”