Tribe Transportation, a minority trucking carrier, announced that it has increased the fuel efficiency of its fleet by over 33 percent, achieved a 40-percent driver turnover rate and recorded double-digit annual growth in its freight business since 2010.
The rapid adoption of cutting-edge technologies and a company culture focused on rewarding employees are at the core of Tribe’s business model, enabling the company to grow from just five trucks and 10 trailers in 2010 to over 200 trucks and 300 trailers in 2014.
The company’s technology investments have delivered more than 33 percent increase in vehicle fuel efficiency, improving its average mile-per gallon-performance from six miles per gallon to eight miles per gallon. Tribe currently operates Kenworth T680 trucks and Great Dane aero-trailers equipped with side skirts and ATDynamics TrailerTails with 35-mile-per hour AutoDeploy technology. Other fleet technology investments like GPS satellite tracking, radar collision avoidance, electronic stability control on company trucks and remote temperature control, door sensors, split shoots, satellite tracking with geo-fencing capabilities and real time load monitoring for trailers provide customers with visibility and transparency on their freight, as well as ensuring optimum equipment performance throughout the delivery.
“Our company motto at Tribe is that the best team wins,” said Carla Joy Cain, President of Tribe Transportation. “Besides compensating our drivers above the industry standard for pay, bonuses and employee benefits, we provide them with the most technologically advanced equipment in the industry, Fortune 100 customers to serve and an expansive geographical network to increase their miles driven and take home pay. We are fortunate that our drivers are the strongest recruiting tool we have and of the 40-percent driver turnover we experience, 93 percent come back to us, giving our customers a very solid service foundation.”
Tribe is a SmartWay approved carrier and its commitment to sustainability resonates strongly with many of its blue chip customers, who are also seeking opportunities to improve their own sustainability profiles.
“We take the issue of environmental responsibility seriously and many of our technology investments have enabled us to proactively 'do something' about reducing our environmental impact,” said Matt Handte, executive vice president at Tribe Transportation. “Our recent investment in TrailerTail technology has decreased our fuel consumption, costs and emissions, increased driver retention and pay, and provided an opportunity to further strengthen our brand and visibility in the industry. TrailerTails have increased our fleet fuel efficiency by three or four tenths mile per gallon, and the AutoDeploy system ensures a seamless experience for our drivers.”
Tribe Transportation serves high profile food manufacturers like General Mills, Unilever, Land O’ Lakes, PepsiCo, H.J. Heinz and Wrigley-Mars and delivers their products to well-known retailers like Wal-Mart and Costco.
“When we first started in this business, we understood clearly that our drivers and our trucks would do most of the public relations work for our company, so have invested heavily in having the most professional drivers operating the most cutting edge equipment in the industry,” said Cain. “That is our brand promise and the foundation of our success.”
