Grand Isle Shipyard reduces at-fault accidents by 50%
With Samsara, GIS has transformed their fleet operations, simplifying business-critical processes like payroll and maintenance. The visibility they gained with Samsara enables their proactive approach to safety and improves accountability across the organization.
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Meet Grand Isle Shipyard
Grand Isle Shipyard needed to free up their back office from tedious reporting
Grand Isle Shipyard (GIS) has over 75 years of experience providing infrastructure, electrical and instrumentation, and maintenance services to the oil and energy industry. To deliver the best possible service to their customers, they equip their mobile workforce with cutting-edge technology to ensure productivity and efficiency, as well as constant connectivity with the back office.
However, their previous telematics system was difficult to pull data from, taking up to four days to find the necessary information. This impacted the back office when working towards deadlines on critical workstreams like payroll and fuel management. Additionally, without visibility into their vehicles, it was difficult to determine how damage occurred and exonerate drivers when they were involved in incidents.
An integrated platform enhanced with AI
Samsara’s suite of workforce and fleet management solutions made the decision to go with Samsara simple for GIS. The platform's ability to consolidate vehicle and personnel data in one place provided GIS with the granular visibility they were looking for. Additionally, Samsara's AI Dash Cams aligned with GIS's existing use of AI, making them a natural fit for their operations.
Connected Workflows simplifies monthly vehicle inspections to save time and improve completion rates
Managing vehicle inspections and maintenance was a time-consuming and inefficient process for GIS. Previously, their 650 drivers completed monthly vehicle inspections using spreadsheets or paper forms that took over 30 minutes to complete. Drivers then had to email vehicle photos to the back office, often needing to send multiple emails due to data limits. This meant issues often went unreported or unresolved, leading to delays in maintenance.
To overhaul this process, GIS implemented Connected Workflows—by digitizing the vehicle inspection form with Samsara, they cut vehicle inspection time by 83%. “At first, drivers were hesitant to use another app but they were instantly impressed with Samsara,” said Carlson. “It's a huge process improvement and time saver—and you don't have to be tech savvy."
Now, drivers capture vehicle photos directly in the Driver App, eliminating the need for separate emails. Additionally, Connected Workflows automatically generate work orders for reported defects, ensuring all issues are resolved promptly. Today, their team is actively using Connected Workflows with over 95% of their team completing their monthly vehicle inspection. “Samsara makes it easy to follow up on reported issues and get them to mechanics—it puts action behind the reporting,” said Carlson.
Reducing time spent on vehicle inspections by 83%
Before Samsara, GIS’ monthly vehicle inspection process consisted of two steps: first, drivers completed the paper or Excel form, followed by emailing vehicle photos in. This led to forms not getting completed or going missing, causing vehicle issues to add up. By digitizing this process with Samsara Connected Workflows, GIS reduced how long it takes to complete vehicle inspections by 83%—and drivers can do everything, including photo submission, in the Driver App. Now, work orders are triggered every time an issue is logged, enabling easy follow through and fast repairs.
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Promoting accountability to reduce liabilities and improve safety behaviors
Before installing Samsara AI Dash Cams, vehicle damage often went unreported—whether due to an accident or uncontrollable event—especially if there was no police involvement. With vehicles costing up to $90,000, the impact of hidden damage was substantial—at one point, a high percentage of GIS’ fleet showed signs of wear and tear, with no clarity on how the damage occurred.
With Samsara AI Dash Cams, GIS gained comprehensive visibility into their vehicles so they definitively know what happens in and around their vehicles. Now, HD footage allows GIS to have open conversations and clear up misunderstandings about vehicle damage. “Previously, if a driver got rear-ended or their truck got damaged, we wouldn’t know about it,” said Carlson. “Now, we can immediately identify what happened and address it.”
Dash cam footage has also proven invaluable in exonerating not-at-fault drivers. “Our insurance premiums are down because of dash cams,” said Derek Champagne, Logistics & Asset Compliance Manager. “They pay for themselves by keeping us out of litigation. When there’s an incident, you can tell what happened right then and there.” In several cases, law enforcement even requested footage from GIS, helping accelerate investigations and clear their drivers’ names.
GIS now has insights into their drivers’ safety behaviors and by turning on AI Dash Cams’ in-cab audio alerts, drivers are notified when unsafe actions are detected. In-cab alerts helped GIS’ drivers reduce distracted driving by 99% and no seatbelt use by 91%, ultimately contributing to a 50% cut to their at-fault accident rate.
Decreasing at-fault accidents by 50% and distracted driving by 99%
Before Samsara, GIS had limited visibility into their vehicles which meant damage often went unreported and exonerating drivers was a challenge. With vehicles costing up to $90,000, they installed Samsara AI Dash Cams to protect their fleet and team. Since turning on in-cab alerts, driver behavior has significantly improved—notably, GIS reduced distracted driving by 99% and no seatbelt use by 91%. The combination of improved safety habits and HD footage has enabled GIS to reduce at-fault accidents by 50% and avoid costly litigation.
LEARN HOWPinpoint location data provides visibility into vehicle and employee movement
With a highly-mobile workforce, 90% of GIS’ field employees use company vehicles to travel between work sites, so accurate tracking and verification of work hours is crucial. But GIS previously struggled with an inefficient telematics system that made retrieving data a tedious process.
Using Samsara’s GPS tracking, GIS gained a complete view of employee travel and hours worked. “With our prior telematics company, it would take four days to find the data you were looking for. In the Samsara dashboard, everything is at our fingertips. It saves money and improves processes for the whole company,” said Champagne.
Now, when employees submit their weekly timesheets, managers can quickly verify entries by cross-referencing GPS data, simplifying payroll approvals.
Similarly, they are using Samsara pinpoint-accurate GPS for fuel audits. Precise location data enables GIS to compare vehicle locations with fuel pump sites, identifying potential discrepancies and reducing unauthorized fuel use. By mitigating fuel theft and optimizing fuel expenses, GIS is making significant strides in cost reduction.
Fast payroll processing and better fuel spend control with GPS data
GIS’ mobile workforce submits weekly timesheets but their previous telematics system made payroll verification a challenge. With instant access to GPS data in the Samsara dashboard, GIS can quickly and accurately verify hours worked and efficiently process payroll. Additionally, Samsara’s accurate location tracking helps identify fuel discrepancies, reducing unauthorized fuel use and improving overall cost control.
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