The Official Blog of Penske Transportation Solutions

information week

Penske Truck Leasing earned placement on the 2014InformationWeek Elite 100 as a top business tech innovator at No. 93. This is IW’s 26th year identifying and honoring the nation's most innovative users of information technology. Penske has earned a place in their rankings every year for the last 15 years.

“This past year the Penske Logistics technology department created a process to electronically communicate customer truck delivery information for carriers not on a standard Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system,” stated Bill Stobbart, senior vice president of information technology for Penske Truck Leasing. “This innovative solution to a real business problem obviously caught the judges’ attention.”

In the supply chain industry, freight visibility is an important capability to both Fortune 500 and mid-size customers. When a carrier has EDI capabilities, it is able to report delivery status directly into Penske’s systems.

A number of smaller carriers that Penske employs do not have the capability to provide EDI connections. Penske’s IT professionals were tasked with building a standard process to provide these carriers with a better way to report on the pick-up and delivery status of their loads.

The solution was to install mobile device to machine communication; the driver can then send updates directly to Penske’s systems from their mobile phones via SMS text messaging.

Trucking carrier dispatchers have embraced the solution’s simplicity. Penske’s freight shipper customers and operational staff also benefit especially when deliveries are made during off-hours.

“We are honored to be recognized by InformationWeek for our support of the company’s transportation management and freight brokerage product lines,” stated Tom McKenna, Penske Logistics senior vice president of engineering and technology. “We’re confident this service offering provides our company with a competitive advantage.”

By “Move Ahead” Staff

[Read more...]Show less

Penske Truck Leasing is fourth in this year’sInformationWeek 500 rankings, the company’s highest-ever placement. InformationWeek identifies and honors the most innovative users of information technology with its annual rankings of 500 leading companies.

This year’s theme, according to the publication, is digital business.

“We are honored to be a part of this list for the 14th consecutive year and to be ranked in the top five is an incredible recognition for our teams in IT and Marketing and what they have done to support our used truck product line,” said Bill Stobbart, Penske’s senior vice president of information technology. (Pictured Below)

Penske earned its high placement for the major improvements its IT and marketing teams researched and implemented to support the company’s used commercial truck sales site, PenskeUsedTrucks.com.

As IW managing editor Shane O’Neill stated in an article: “The resulting site looks a lot closer to CarMax.com than an old Web-based catalog. Every type of Penske vehicle, from a standard cargo van to a refrigerated 18-wheel trailer truck, is searchable on the site.”

These efforts included web design and development incorporating customer experience considerations, database and application website search tools, customer-centric SEO and search terminologies and social media support.

“These upgrades are essential for Penske Used Trucks to remain competitive, visible and findable by our B2B customers that include retail truck buyers, truck wholesalers and corporate truck fleet buyers,” said Jack Mitchell, vice president of remarketing.

Last year, Penske’s used truck website and other efforts helped it sell more than 30,000 late-model commercial trucks, semi-trucks, and trailers making it one of the largest used truck sellers in the U.S.

“We have seen a healthy increase in sales, search position, and delivered a better overall online experience for our used truck customers,” said Ann Walsh, vice president of interactive marketing.

The mobile version of Penske’s used truck site is expected to go live later this month.

Click here to read the InformationWeek.com story.

By “Move Ahead” Staff

Photo ID: Penske Truck Leasing senior vice president of information technology Bill Stobbart is photographed outside of the company's global headquarters in Reading, Pa.

[Read more...]Show less