DeLea Sod Farms Improves Driver Safety, Operational Efficiency and Customer Experience

“IntelliShift is easy to use, and the support staff is terrific. If we have an issue, I shoot an email and usually get a call back within ten minutes, sometimes even less. Support is Grade A.” – John Conover, Account Manager, DeLea Sod Farms

New York-based DeLea Sod Farms is a fourth-generation family business. It operates across the tri-state area and serves a diverse customer base, supplying materials for projects ranging from residential landscapes to large commercial settings – including professional athletic fields, golf courses and parks, as well as stocking home improvement retailers.

On any given day, the company runs 25-30 sod delivery trucks, plus vehicles for farm pickups and dump trucks for delivering materials like topsoil, sand and gravel. With a demanding daily schedule, keeping drivers safe while maintaining high marks for on-time deliveries and top-quality products is critical to success.

Before adopting IntelliShift, DeLea Sod Farms Account Manager John Conover lacked the end-to-end operational visibility needed to ensure driver safety and optimize workflows. Deploying IntelliShift’s dual-facing, in-cab video and telematics with real-time GPS tracking was the solution. 

Challenges

• Lack of visibility into on-the-road driver behavior made it difficult to ensure safe practices or accurately respond to driving complaints from motorists.
• Rising insurance premiums and an upcoming mandate from the insurance provider to deploy dual-facing, in-cab video.
• A demanding delivery schedule with perishable products required excessive communication between drivers, dispatch, and sales.

Goals

• Gain video evidence to provide context for safety incidents—either proving exoneration or offering insights for effective driver coaching.
• Improve driver safety and performance to lower insurance costs.
• Eliminate constant phone status checks with drivers, optimizing route efficiency and on-time deliveries.

Results

• Reduced insurance premiums:
  • 13% lower liability costs
  • 10% lower comprehensive costs
• 75% of driving complaints exonerated
• 12-15 hours per week saved on tracking delivery schedules