Dimensioning Success Story – Estes Express Lines

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Print
Email
Exploration and Evaluation

When Estes Express Lines embarked on their journey into freight dimensioning in 2015, they did so with a strong commitment to improving their operations and pricing. While initially considering a handful of vendors, Estes used their best procurement practices to whittle down their list to two companies, FreightSnap being one of them.

The two finalists agreed to side-by-side testing designed to compare their dimensioners in terms of accuracy and speed. Physical footprint and electrical requirements were also considered. The tests were carried out at Estes’ freight terminal in Richmond, Virginia, where Estes’ operational and engineering personnel evaluated the FreightSnap FS 5000 dimensioner alongside a comparable competitor’s laser based product. They ran freight through each dimensioner, and then used a tape measure to confirm their accuracy.

According to Estes, both units performed well over the two-month evaluation period, exhibiting near equivalent accuracy and speed capabilities, as well as demonstrating similar struggles with outlying freight. In the end, Estes chose FreightSnap’s FS 5000 due to its lower price point and potential for quicker ROI.

“When I looked at the reports and spoke to our testing personnel on the dock, they were hard pressed to recommend one unit over the other. They seemed equally impressed with both units,” said Estes’ Vice President of Process Improvement Webb Estes.

“With our budget, we could purchase three FreightSnap units for every one of the competitor’s product. Another advantage for FreightSnap, however, was that they were able to provide us with portal access to their cloud repository for data and image storage, something we needed that the competitor didn’t offer.”

Rolling Out Estes’ Dimensioning Program

Estes’ initial RFP called for 23 units spread over 23 terminals. By the end of testing, Estes had decided to purchase 72 units in their initial order. They wanted to spread units out across more terminals and add multiple units at some of their busier breakbulk centers.

“After testing, we went all-in on the project,” said Webb Estes.

The initial implementation took a little over six months. Software customization was completed by FreightSnap, allowing Estes to access data and photos for each shipment through FreightSnap’s Density Management System (the front-end of FreightSnap’s cloud repository). Integration with Estes’ back office system was also performed, enabling Estes to supplement their legacy system with new and valuable dimensional data and photos of their freight.

As the program was rolled out, additional features were also added to the dimensioners to promote greater process efficiency at the already busy breakbulk centers.

“Customization was crucial to our early success. Initially, many of the terminal managers complained about the extra time needed to run freight through the dimensioners, and there was some push back,” Webb said. “But once we found the right process and equipment mix, and management had a chance to see exactly how the data could help us, there was no going back. In fact, we started looking at where else we could install more units.”

Moving Forward with Dimensioning

Since the first implementation, Estes has continued to invest in new dimensioners throughout its terminal network. As of November 2017, the company has more than doubled its initial order of dimensioners with over 150 units now installed. The fact that Estes continues to grow the use of FreightSnap dimensioners indicates the fruitful nature of their investment.

Today, dimensioners have been incorporated into the day-to-day function of the pricing division. Webb noted that going in, the company knew it was taking a calculated risk. “When we first made the decision to go with FreightSnap, they were a new company with a good product, but no experience rolling out a dimensioning program to the scale we were contemplating. As you can imagine, this made several of us very nervous.

Initially there were some growing pains on both sides, but our team and the team at FreightSnap kept at it and worked through all of it. As time went on, installs were easier, integration became seamless, and the product speed and operation continually improved.

“The fact that a project of this magnitude has been such a success for an organization as large and complex as ours is a real win. Everyone got on board and the excitement has been contagious. Both sides learned as the project evolved, and we took those operational learnings and put them to work by improving the implementation process. The collaboration with FreightSnap has really been amazing and we continue to partner with them to grow our dimensioning capabilities; we can clearly see the value in how they’re helping us. It’s been a good, strategic investment for us and a solid, strategic partnership with FreightSnap.”

 

For more articles like this, subscribe to our newsletter!

Was this article helpful?

Michael Eichenberg is the co-founder and CEO of FreightSnap, allowing the supply chain, logistics, manufacturing, distribution and transportation industries to measure, weigh, photograph and ID pallets and parcels in just seconds. Learn more and share your ideas on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Subscribe to our Blog

Stay up to date with our latest news, receive exclusive deals, and more.

2023 Newsletter Subscription Contact Form

Subscribe to Our Blog

Stay up to date with our latest news, receive exclusive deals, and more.

Shipping internationally can be a headache even for experienced shippers, which is why freight forwarders have become such an important part of the modern supply chain. From storing customers’ freight and verifying shipment details to ensuring that the appropriate customs, insurance and shipping documentation has been provided, a lot of...

The Parcel Industry has changed dramatically in recent years. To keep up with these changes FreightSnap has released the Parcel Flex Dimensioner to help ease some of the pressure for speed and flexibility in ways that can save you time and money. The Parcel Flex is a box dimensioner, able...

The Importance of Calculating Dimensional Weight With major package and less-than-truckload carriers like FedEx, UPS, YRC Freight, Old Dominion Freight Line, Estes Express Lines and others making use of dimensional weight pricing, it’s become more important for shippers to learn how to calculate the dimensional weight of their large freight...

The topic of dimensional weight pricing in the LTL transport industry has been covered at length as major LTL carriers like FedEx, UPS, Old Dominion Freight, SAIA, Estes Express Lines, YRC Freight and others have started using DIM weight as a key component in their rate calculations for shippers. In...

In the rapid world of logistics and freight management, identifying leaders in innovation is crucial. Enter FreightSnap, your solution to warehouse automation and optimization. The FreightSnap Image Station, a groundbreaking development in automated freight documentation, is redefining the game for shippers and carriers. Join us on an exciting journey as...

In the fast-paced, fiercely competitive logistics industry, the demand for warehouse automation is more pronounced than ever....

Wasted space means wasted money. As a warehouse manager, improper pallet sizes can rob you of valuable storage capacity, limiting inventory volumes and operational efficiency. But with some strategic planning, you can optimize your pallet dimensions to maximize usable cubic space. Here at FreightSnap, we help companies right-size their pallets...

Subscribe to our Blog

Stay up to date with our latest news, receive exclusive deals, and more.

Admittedly, the process for collecting on freight damage claims is more complicated than it probably needs to be, but that shouldn’t keep you from collecting what you’re owed. If you’re ready to stop losing money on claims collections, take a look at our top tips for being successful. Document your...

In June of 2016, FreightSnap installed two FS 5000 automatic dimensioners for LME Inc. LME Inc., a large regional LTL carrier serving the upper midwest, expects the FS 5000 to help them improve the speed and accuracy of their freight dimensioning process. To learn more about LME Inc. and their...

No matter how much you spend on less-than-truckload shipping, you probably feel like you could be spending less. And guess what? You probably could be. In this article, we’ll lay out seven strategies to help you reduce spending on LTL shipping services and run a more cost-effective operation. LTL Shipping...

Is there a truck driver shortage in the United States? According to Statista’s 2022 report, the answer is yes but this shortage is not new. In 2011, the industry was down 9,000 truck drivers. Today, that number has skyrocketed to 80,000, while experts predict it will double by 2030. So...

In the rapid world of logistics and freight management, identifying leaders in innovation is crucial. Enter FreightSnap, your solution to warehouse automation and optimization. The FreightSnap Image Station, a groundbreaking development in automated freight documentation, is redefining the game for shippers and carriers. Join us on an exciting journey as...

In the fast-paced, fiercely competitive logistics industry, the demand for warehouse automation is more pronounced than ever....

Wasted space means wasted money. As a warehouse manager, improper pallet sizes can rob you of valuable storage capacity, limiting inventory volumes and operational efficiency. But with some strategic planning, you can optimize your pallet dimensions to maximize usable cubic space. Here at FreightSnap, we help companies right-size their pallets...

Product Sheet - FS Parcel Dimensioner

2023 DimReimag LP - FSParcel PS Dwnld

Product Sheet - FS 5000 Dimensioner

2023 DimReimag LP - FS500 PS Dwnld

Request a Quote!

2023 DimReimag LP Pricing Request Form