Dallas, Texas-based Builders FirstSource (BFS), a leading manufacturer and supplier of structural building materials to homebuilders, has selected the Teletrac® FleetDirector® vehicle tracking and fleet management system for use in its fleet of nearly 1,500 trucks. The installation of the first 510 units is scheduled for completion by mid-July, 2005, with subsequent installations continuing throughout the year. According to Salim Baltagi, vice president of logistics for BFS, the decision to proceed with the rollout of the FleetDirector system was based on a successful 80-unit evaluation at the company's San Antonio, Texas location plus three additional pilot programs that were conducted within the company’s Atlantic Region. Mr. Baltagi noted some of the key factors that were evaluated during the decision-making process. He said, “We were looking for a very broad set of fleet management and driver measurement tools. We were seeking an integrated system that would allow us to monitor engine idle times, provide maintenance alerts, automate state fuel tax and DOT report preparation plus allow us to monitor driver activities such as start, stop, and on-break times as well as vehicle speed. Improving vehicle and driver security were also concerns.” He continued. “We were also seeking to improve daily productivity by improving dispatch efficiency. This would allow us to raise our customer service standards while being able to complete more deliveries per-day per-truck. In order to maximize dispatcher efficiency, we needed a system that could provide both current location and status information simultaneously. Slower browser-based systems have a number of limitations in this regard. With FleetDirector, our dispatchers can have up to five screens open at once, giving them real time access to location, status and other vital information. When a customer calls in with an urgent order or needs a delivery status update, we can immediately provide an answer.”