Partners Propane of Georgia is a small family-run propane and fuel company located in rural Georgia. With 3 branches, 22 employees, serving 6800 customers spanning 30 counties, they have their work cut out for them. Luckily, CEO Jan Whitley has RCC’s FDS software and the newly updated Dispatch Manager to make the drivers’ routes as efficient as possible. Keep reading to find out how each driver is achieving 3-5 loads and 10-20 thousand gallons a day!
Using RCC Software Since the Beginning
Jan and her family are not new to the fuel and propane business. Partners Propane was started in July of 2003, and prior to that, she worked for her Dad’s propane business for 15 years. Jan’s husband, son, and aunt all work for the company today. Partners Propane has been using RCC’s fuel software since the beginning, “We use almost every RCC module: Payroll, inventory, Accounts Payable, General Ledger, fuel module, e-commerce, and Dispatch Manager…”
Upgrading to RCC’s New Propane Dispatch Software
Right before winter 2019, they upgraded to the new version of Dispatch Manager. What they have noticed since then, is that it has helped drivers spend less time on the road and get home to their families earlier, making a big impact. Jan pointed out, “This has been the best winter in 7-8 years for us. It has been cold and wet, which means more customers are calling in needing us to deliver propane. But we have been able to get propane delivered more efficiently than ever.”
“This has been the best winter in 7-8 years for us. It has been cold and wet, which means more customers are calling in needing us to deliver propane. But we have been able to get propane delivered more efficiently than ever.”
Optimized Routes Take Less Time
Before utilizing RCC’s propane dispatch software process for getting tickets for delivery routes used to be pretty tedious, “We used to have to print out every route. Now we prep the routes online and name them by each different driver’s name. All of the routes and customers are listed down, in order, on each driver’s tablet.” Jan admits that the drivers don’t like change, however after using Dispatch Manager and realizing that they can get home earlier, they are convinced. Before Partners Propane had RCC’s new Dispatch Manager, creating routes, logging, and reporting took a lot of time. Jan pointed out, “Our drivers would usually work from 8:30 am-9 pm. Now with Dispatch Manager and the MOGO tablets, they are done working so much earlier, the latest was 7:30 once or twice. The drivers like it and have commented how much nicer it has been this year.”
“Our drivers would usually work from 8:30 am-9 pm. Now with Dispatch Manager and the MOGO tablets, they are done working so much earlier, the latest was 7:30 once or twice. The drivers like it and have commented how much nicer it has been this year.”
Connecting Drivers to Call-In Customers Quickly
Partners Propane has a lot of customers that call in as they need deliveries which means each day the routes and customers are different and can change on-the-fly. Now, Jan can plan the routes for each of her four drivers to increase efficiency. She explained, “I can see all the customers and calls on a map and see where a driver could catch two calls instead of one. I can also see where every driver is and line up an extra driver if needed. Then I can avoid sending two drivers into the same territory. Using Dispatch Manager is much more efficient than each driver trying to line up their routes individually.”
“Using Dispatch Manager is much more efficient than each driver trying to line up their routes individually.”
RCC’s Consistent Support
Partners Propane knows how important customer service is, and support is one of the biggest things they like about working with RCC, “The RCC team is always willing to work with you to help you solve your problem when something comes up. If it’s urgent, we talk to a real person right away. They treat it like your problems are their problems.” Jan remembers when she first started working with RCC, “I remember talking to the owner, Brian Sheehan, telling him what I was looking for. Brian would say, ‘of course, we can do that’ and the RCC staff continues to have the same can-do attitude.”
“Brian would say, ‘of course, we can do that’ and the RCC staff continues to have the same ‘can-do’ attitude.”
Pumping More Gallons of Propane
With MOGO and optimizing drivers’ routes with RCC’s propane dispatch software, Partners Propane has realized they can pump more propane. Jan was proud to share, “In the month of January, one driver pumped 120,000 gallons, the next 100,000 gallons, the next 95,000 gallons, and our driver who has the biggest territory pumped 85,000 gallons. It is pretty amazing that our four trucks averaged pumping 100,000 gallons a month!” With each driver doing 3-5 loads and 10-20 thousand gallons a day, It is clear that Partners Propane has a hard-working crew. Now that they have the right technology in place, they have been capable of even more. Jan summed it up, “The route planning, adding in calls, electronic tickets, trip reports – all these things together make us more efficient than we ever could have been!”
“It is pretty amazing that our four trucks averaged pumping 100,000 gallons a month!”
Partners Propane Gets the Job Done
Being a small family-run business like RCC, Partners Propane knows the value that family time carries for their employees. To be able to optimize their routes in a way that maximizes both family-time and gallons pumped is a huge win for Partners Propane and their customers. Like RCC’s can-do attitude, Jan prides Partners Propane in running their business the same way telling their customers, “We can do it.” Learn more about Partners Propane on their website or on their Facebook page.
Have questions or want to learn more?
We would love to have a conversation with you about your needs to see what tools that RCC offers are a fit for your company, whether it’s E-Commerce+, Dispatch Manager, or one of our other many modules and features. Click the button below or call our Sales Department at 800-722-6659 to arrange for a demonstration.