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Schneider National Selects ORBCOMM Trailer Tracking Solution
Business Wire - April 28, 1999 17:41
DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 28, 1999--
Move expected to have widespread impact on transportation and logistics industry
ORBCOMM Global, L.P. (ORBCOMM), the first commercial provider of global low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite data and messaging communications services and Schneider National Inc., North America's largest truckload motor carrier, today announced that Schneider has selected Vantage Tracking Solutions, a business unit of ORBCOMM, as its trailer tracking provider.
The Vantage solution will enable Schneider to better manage the productivity and efficiency of its trailer assets by linking critical trailer location and status data directly to Schneider's fleet management and logistics systems via ORBCOMM's LEO satellite network. Schneider and Vantage have been working cooperatively over the past 24 months to develop the trailer tracking solution. Schneider has been conducting a test of the system since August 1998 on a number of trailers operating throughout North America.
Schneider will begin installing the next phase of the Vantage trailer tracking system in June of this year. Installation will continue through next year as the companies work to address Schneider's fleet of over 43,000 trailers. Communications and sensor technology embedded in each Schneider trailer will detect when a trailer is connected or disconnected from a tractor, if it is loaded or empty, as well as its GPS position and a number of other status reports. Trailer data collected and communicated via these systems will be fully integrated to Schneider's state-of-the-art fleet management and logistics systems to support the company's daily operations.
"Schneider has been actively pursuing a trailer tracking solution for nearly five years to address the needs of Schneider's worldwide operations," said Paul Mueller, Vice President of Communications Technology Services for Schneider. "Our relationship with Vantage over the past two years has enabled us to actively participate in the design and development of the system. We have extensively tested and evaluated the system's performance to ensure it will deliver significant value to our customers and our operations."
"We are constantly looking for ways to increase the value of service we are able to offer our customers," said Don Schneider, President of Schneider National. "To that end, we made an investment in the OmniTRACS system in 1988 and we see a similar opportunity with Vantage in trailer tracking. Untethered trailer tracking represents the next major breakthrough in transportation technology. We expect our trailer productivity to significantly improve, meaning better service to our customers."
"Schneider's business demands a trailer tracking system with ubiquitous coverage across the U.S., Canada and Mexico," said Scott L. Webster, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ORBCOMM. "ORBCOMM's global coverage, coupled with Vantage's trailer tracking solution, will enable Schneider to stay in close contact with their trailers."
"Schneider National has set the highest standard for quality of service in the trucking industry," said Don Thoma, General Manager of Vantage. "To win the Schneider business, we realized we had to match those high standards in all aspects of our business. This relationship has allowed us to offer a product that delivers value to the truckload industry and will immediately benefit Schneider and our future customers."
In a related announcement today, QUALCOMM, Schneider's provider for tractor based mobile communications, has announced an alliance with ORBCOMM to link this exciting new satellite-based tracking technology to provide an integrated solution for the transportation industry. Schneider set an industry standard in 1988 when it became the first major transportation provider to install QUALCOMM's OmniTRACS(R) satellite communications and tracking systems throughout its fleet, providing real-time shipment status to customers. The industry followed Schneider's lead and today more than 280,000 trucks utilize the OmniTRACS system.
Schneider National, Inc. is North America's largest transportation and logistics company, with clients throughout North America and Europe. The company has a long history of using information technology to help its customers compete more effectively. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., Schneider National is privately held and has annual revenues of $2.7 billion.
QUALCOMM Wireless Business Solutions currently has systems operating in the United States, Canada, Europe, Russia, Middle East, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and China. QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on the Company's CDMA digital technology. The Company's major business areas include CDMA phones; integrated CDMA chipsets and system software; technology licensing; and satellite-based systems including OmniTRACS(R) and portions of the Globalstar(TM) system. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., QUALCOMM is a FORTUNE 500(R) company with fiscal 1998 revenues in excess of U.S. $3 billion. For more information, please visit the Company's web site at qualcomm.com.
Vantage is a strategic business unit of ORBCOMM, chartered to design and implement trailer management solutions for motor carriers to improve trailer fleet productivity, decrease the cost of trailer ownership and enhance the value of transportation services to customers. The Vantage trailer tracking solution captures critical trailer data, communicates the data via ORBCOMM's LEO satellite network and integrates the information into the customer's fleet management systems.
ORBCOMM provides two-way monitoring, tracking and messaging services through the world's first low-Earth orbit satellite-based data communications system. ORBCOMM applications include monitoring of fixed assets such as electric utility meters, oil and gas storage tanks, wells and pipelines and environmental projects; tracking of mobile assets such as trailers, rail cars, heavy equipment, fishing vessels, barges and government assets; and messaging services for consumers and commercial and government entities.
ORBCOMM is a partnership owned by Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE:ORB) and Teleglobe Inc. of Canada. Teleglobe is listed on the NYSE, TSE (Toronto Stock Exchange) and ME (Montreal Exchange) under the TGO symbol. Orbital is a space technology company that designs, manufactures and markets a broad range of space products and satellite-based services. Orbital's experience includes carrying out more than 220 satellite, rocket and space payload missions during the past 15 years. Teleglobe Inc. is recognized as a world leader in global telecommunications. The Teleglobe network links North America with more than 240 countries and territories.
This release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding ORBCOMM's expected commercial operations. These forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and ORBCOMM's actual results and operations may be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. For a description of factors that may cause ORBCOMM's results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, please consult the Securities and Exchange Act filings of ORBCOMM Global, L.P.
For more information about Schneider, please visit www.schneider.com.
For more information on ORBCOMM services, please call 1-800-ORBCOMM, or visit the ORBCOMM web site at www.orbcomm.com.
For more information on Vantage services, please call 1-877-287-2548, or visit the Vantage web site at www.vantagetracking.com.
CONTACT: ORBCOMM Wende Cover, 703/406-5774 cover.wende@orbcomm.com or Shandwick Devon Nagle, 410/558-2100 dnagle@shandwick.com or
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