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Uncover How to Switch Your Fleet Maintenance Technology from On-Prem to SaaS, Seamlessly

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In 2019, Groendyke Transport, the fourth-largest tank-truck carrier in the United States, expanded its footprint with the acquisition of McKenzie Tank Lines, a family-owned carrier based in Tallahassee, Florida. With that move, McKenzie’s existing maintenance operation—Terminal Service Company— became an independent company.

Today, Terminal Service Company provides maintenance and repair services to tank haulers in the Florida panhandle, southern Georgia and Alabama. What hasn’t changed is its reliance on TMT maintenance management software. What has changed for some very sound reasons is how that solution is deployed and used by the operation.

“In 2011, McKenzie Tank Lines chose TMT Fleet Maintenance to manage its shop operations to improve inventory control and because it was able to be integrated with our accounting system,” said Pamela White, senior accountant at Terminal Service Company. “Banding those capabilities together measurably improved our management efficiency and the TMT product had the features and capabilities our shop needed to operate smoothly and productively.

“After we became a standalone company in early 2019, we evaluated whether TMT was still right for us, and we looked at other products,” White continued. “We quickly realized that the software still met our needs very effectively, and because our technicians were so used to TMT, bringing in a new system would cause a lot of complications. The only issue to resolve was that hosting the software on-site was very expensive now that we had to meet our own IT infrastructure needs.”

Making the Move to Fleet Maintenance Technology in the Cloud

Looking for a more economical means of using TMT in its shop, Terminal Service Company made the decision to switch to the SaaS version of TMT Service Center from Trimble. “It gives us all the same functionality, it’s very familiar and the price is a lot lower,” White stated.

“What also makes sense to us about a hosted version of the software is that updates and security are handled for us and we can access the software in our office and shop locations using a single portal,” White continued. “In addition, it integrates with our accounting system for invoicing customers and payroll processing without requiring a third party service.”

In the Terminal Service Company shop, reported Chris Joyner, operations manager, technicians and parts inventory specialists are using TMT Service Center software at workstations. “It’s a simple way for technicians to receive assignments and input comments and notes about services and repairs,” he explained. “The system also keeps track of labor on jobs for billing customers and for payroll, and our parts department uses it easily to enter information for repair orders.

“The cloud-hosted version of TMT Service Center is transparent to our technicians and parts staff,” Joyner continued. “The only thing that changed from the on-premise version we had previously is the way they log into the system. And for management purposes, it enables us to log in from anywhere if something needs our attention when we’re not in the shop.”

In the background, Joyner also related that TMT Service Center is proving valuable because it collects data in real time, and that up-to-date information is used to improve the shop’s operation.

Included are the ability to analyze parts usage and costs for more effective purchasing practices and inventory management, as well as monitoring dwell time and downtime for each service event to improve customer satisfaction.

Cloud Hosted Platform Supports Efficiency and Profitability

It is clear to Terminal Service Company that its decision to switch to a cloud hosted version of TMT Service Center was the right choice. The familiar capabilities in the software have been revamped to take advantage of the latest web-based technology, which improves performance and accessibility with an intuitive and easy-to-use interface. What it does not require is a large capital investment or additional internal resources.

From its start 30 years ago building tankers, Terminal Service Company has become a leading provider of a wide range of tanker maintenance and repair services for a large and growing customer base. It offers certified and DOT-required internal and external tank, leakage and lining inspections, as well as pressure and overfill system testing to meet loading terminal requirements. The company also provides pump and valve installations and repairs; tank cleaning; service for tanker brake, suspension and other systems; and new truck and trailer preparation.

“TMT Service Center has everything we need to efficiently and profitably run our shop operations, and it’s easy to use,” Joyner stated. “With the cloud hosted version we have access to its capabilities for an affordable monthly subscription price, and the support from the TMT team is always top-notch if an issue arises. We’re very happy we stayed with TMT and that we adopted the cloud version to continue to meet our needs.”

Enhance Your Maintenance Operations with Trimble

As Terminal Service Company’s story shows, making the move to a cloud based solution can improve all aspects of your maintenance processes. 

Are you ready to discover how TMT Service Center can fit in your business? Get in touch with us today to learn more about our portfolio of asset maintenance technologies and how we can help get you on the road to greater efficiencies and increased uptime.