Pacific Expressway Inc., a family-owned trucking company established in 2005 and headquartered in Los Angeles, embraced the Trinium Transportation Management System (TMS) in 2016 to enhance efficiency and gain a competitive edge.
"I was looking for how we could level the playing field and become more efficient," says Christian Zuniga, CEO of Pacific Expressway.
"In those early days we had a fleet of around 12 trucks and without a technology partner, it felt like we were just spinning our wheels. It didn’t matter who I brought in; we just couldn’t scale."
By 2019, Pacific Expressway tripled in size to 40 trucks, crediting Trinium TMS for laying the foundation for scalable growth.
“We knew technology was going to be able to streamline things for us, but it also gave me the flexibility to grow the business in ways I never thought possible,” Christian says.
“Trinium helped us exponentially in those formative years to soar. My advice: don’t waste your time thinking you’re saving pennies on technology, when you could be working with dollars.”
Minimizing paperwork challenges
According to Andrew Luna, General Manager at Pacific Expressway, prior to implementing Trinium TMS, the business had struggled with many manual, error-prone, and paper-based processes.
"We used to manage driver records using paper. Every morning, I would review my list of drivers, mark off those dispatched, and jot down their names on corresponding delivery orders,” Andrew reflects.
“After that, I would text all the necessary information from the delivery order to each driver. Upon their arrival at the port, the drivers would text me their times and other relevant details. I then had to manually input this information onto paper or directly write it down.”
Henry Zuniga, Operations Manager, adds, “It wasn’t just that we were relying so much on paper. It’s what happened when we misplaced those documents. This could result in significant financial losses, especially if you forget about a container that remains unattended for an extended period, accruing additional costs,” he says.
For Henry, Trinium TMS has significantly streamlined many of these legacy processes, allowing quick access to critical information, while facilitating more efficient handling and movement of containers.
“These benefits also extend to smoother invoicing processes and overall organizational efficiency,” he says. “In essence, it’s become a crucial partner for staying on top of various operational aspects of our business."
Driving productivity outcomes and team performance
Reflecting on the difficulties operating without Trinium TMS, Andrew acknowledges, "When we used to rely on manual workflows, the experience was honestly terrible. Mistakes like typing errors or pressing the wrong button could result in our drivers getting stuck at the trouble window for hours. Text messages from drivers were directed only to my phone, isolating communication from the entire dispatch team."
With the implementation of Trinium TMS, the company experienced a transformative shift, reducing response times from minutes to seconds. This enhanced efficiency empowered them to focus on other aspects of customer service, ultimately contributing to their growth and success.
For Andrew, the productivity benefits are clear. "If I didn't have Trinium, I would be wasting countless hours, possibly even resorting to sleeping in the office, and my employees would likely be working a lot of overtime.”
The team credits Trinium MC3 (mobile app for drivers) as a powerful productivity tool, which provides automated dispatch event updates, ensuring dispatchers and customers receive timely and accurate data.
“With MC3, every morning, our team checks for available drivers for both shifts. Dispatchers add loads, informing drivers through the app,” Henry comments.
“Details like delivery or pickup locations, container numbers, and bill of lading are displayed. We input driver notes directly into MC3, removing the need for text messages, and the platform gives real-time updates on delivery and pickup times. If there are GPS issues, MC3 acts as a reliable backup, offering accurate location information for improved customer communication and real-time tracking of drivers."
Optimizing operations with comprehensive visibility tools
Highlighting the critical role of information in the industry, Christian underscores, "You're only as good in this industry as the info you have. Customers appreciate how quickly we can adapt, attracting clients who might not have considered us."
Trinium’s visibility features play a pivotal role, allowing Pacific Expressway to swiftly respond to customer demands. The Trinium Availability Manager tool, for instance, automates tracking and tracing, offering real-time updates, and enhancing decision-making.
Andrew explains, “When there's a trace failure, I automatically know what it’s related to because the system flags these issues. This proactive approach minimizes disputes and ensures we have much more accurate data before dispatching a driver.”
The team also heavily relies on Trinium’s geofencing capabilities, triggering automatic alerts on drivers’ phones upon entering a location.
“The geofencing setup significantly streamlines our processes. Instead of waiting for driver updates, the geofence sends alerts, saving time and avoiding delays in communication with dispatch.”
Charting a future course for growth
For Pacific Expressway, Trinium has not only helped facilitate current success but also opened possibilities for future growth.
“I never thought we'd be running multiple, independent terminal locations that are also interconnected. So, I'm not thinking of stopping anytime soon. In fact, I get hungrier, especially when new features come out in Trinium,” says Christian.
The integration of new features and ongoing collaboration with the Trinium team keeps the company agile, positioning them as a forward-thinking player in the industry, ready to leverage the latest technology for sustained success.
"I've found that I can collaborate effectively with the Trinium team, providing feedback on what works and what doesn't. They implement changes, and sometimes I realize it was my suggestion. It's quite satisfying,” he said.
“This collaborative process benefits everyone, and I appreciate that Trinium pays attention to market shifts as I navigate through our journey."