Double the Size of Your Trucking Company

Kebo Transportation, of Atlanta GA, is a full-truckload carrier hauling freight in the southeast region of the United States. Kebo is one of a group of companies that includes warehousing and trucking interests as well as an on-line guitar store, www.valvehead.net. Kebo has been using Axon trucking software since March, 2004. Ryan Roark, President of Kebo, shares the following observations:

Tell us about your experience in dealing with Axon.
"It's just been a delightful experience to work with you guys. Basically, this trucking software has let us grow because we could not function with the number of trucks and trailers we run now with what we were using. It definitely helps us keep up with our equipment and where it's at, and of course you guys put together the equipment routing report for us which keeps up with our trailers."

Has Axon trucking software changed the way your company does fuel tax?
"Well, before [Axon] it was all done manually. Now, with the [fuel company] downloads and everything in the system we do it straight off the software, so it speeds that up. We've saved probably 75% of the time it took to do it manually."

What about driver settlements and equipment statements? Have they changed?
"Of course ... it cuts out all the questions on pay day, which is the biggest problem that you run into without them."

Has it improved your invoicing or any of your other business processes?
"Oh, it's literally changed that completely. Of course, it tracks all our accounting and keeps track of our payables - it's just changed that totally. As far as invoicing, everything is just much faster. And definitely the copying of the orders makes things real nice for repetitive orders and things of that nature."

How has the equipment revenue reporting helped you?
"It does a cost analysis for each individual load, which lets us know how much money we're making or it gives us a projection if we're even making money which we like."

Has Axon helped improve productivity of your office staff?
"Well, we've got the same amount of people here, but we've doubled in size with the software. We were running about 12 trucks when we started in March and now we're running 25 - and we're running it with the same number of people."

How does your staff feel about the Axon trucking program?
"They love it. The biggest thing that I have to say for you guys, versus other companies that we've purchased software from through our other companies, is definitely after the purchase. Usually, after the purchase, it's not that good. You guys are really on the stick any time we need any help. We can get somebody in usually five minutes. The software so far has been rock solid, no computer shutdowns and no network problems. They just really run smooth."

Where do you see your trucking company over the next five years?
"I'm hoping to see about 50 units."

And is that attainable with Axon's system?
"Oh, yeah."

What would you estimate your annual return on investment for our software to be over the past year?
"I guess the best way to put it ... we're sitting on a year now, but I'd say that in the next year we will already have paid for it."

How has working with Axon helped you maintain and improve your customer relations?
"It's helped us in a lot of ways as far as proof of deliveries and things like that. Being able to access information very quickly when they call - we did not have that capability before with the software we were using. So it really helps with the customer base as far as them calling and needing information; we can get it very quickly."

Tell us a little bit about the support that you received from the staff at Axon.
"It's excellent, excellent; that's all I can say!"

Compare your experiences with Axon to any other system you've used in the past.
"Well, as far as trucking software -- because we own several other companies -- I haven't used anything near this good - of course, we never had anything this good. And we did look at four different software setups before we made our decision. There were several software [systems] that we saw, but they were so detailed, to a degree that it made it hard to use."

And Axon is fairly easy to use for everybody in your staff?
"Yes. Very easy."

How has the real-time, fully integrated software benefited your trucking company?
"Well, it's definitely saved us a lot of time and a lot of money. To be quite honest, it makes our life easy. If we didn't have it, we couldn't operate."

How would you describe the training that you received over the past year?
"Well, we were offered a ton of training in the beginning. And any time we've ever had a question or needed to be trained ... like I know Becky in our accounting department needed some extra training on certain things and it was just a matter of a phone call. Everybody has always been willing to help us."

If one of your peers in the trucking industry asked you about Axon, how would you describe your experience with us?
"Hands down, excellent. I'd definitely recommend it to anybody -- except my competition!"

Double the Size of Your Trucking Company - with the Same Staff - and Still Have Time to Play a Few Licks