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| Xpress Cargo achieved greater coverage and lower installation costs with Avigilon Panoramic domes |
Challenge
Ensure asset protection, facilitate cargo management, and maintain employee safety.
Solution
Xpress Cargo staff seamlessly manages the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system using the Avigilon Control Center network video management software (NVMS) with High-Definition Stream Management (HDSM) technology. The commercial trucking company installed Avigilon HD cameras ranging from 1 MP to 8 MP to monitor activity at its main entrances and exits both inside and out, along with all major traffic areas to ensure maximum protection. Additional Avigilon HD cameras were installed in the parking lot to protect docked trailers and trucks from theft and damage, while several Avigilon HD 360 Panoramic dome cameras provide complete coverage of the warehouse. An Avigilon HD 180 Panoramic dome camera monitors the company's repair shop and outside employee lounge area. The company also added audio recording functionality in the dispatch office, repair shop, and drivers lounge area for added safety. Storing two weeks of continuous surveillance video, the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system is monitored live around the clock.
Benefits
By installing Avigilon HD 360 and 180 Panoramic dome cameras, Xpress Cargo was able to achieve greater coverage with fewer cameras and lower installation costs. With indisputable evidence in hand, the company has also been able to reduce liability costs by 15 percent. The Avigilon high-definition surveillance system provides complete oversight of all trucks being loaded to ensure the proper handling of client goods and to confirm that safety and freight handling requirements are being met, helping to boost overall operational efficiencies. In addition, Xpress Cargo employees now enjoy a heightened sense of security while on the job.
Xpress Cargo protects assets, manages cargo, and boosts employee safety with Avigilon
With a fleet of more than 150 trucks, 700 trailers, and 25 years in the business, Indiana-based Xpress Cargo offers consolidated freight and expedited transportation services across the United States. Specializing in team transportation of dry goods, refrigerated goods, and specialty freight, Xpress Cargo manages up to 375 trucks on the road at any given time, traveling from coast to coast. To protect its valuable assets, facilitate cargo management, and maintain employee safety, Xpress Cargo has deployed the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system at its 20,000 square foot facility.
Added security; Greater operational efficiencies
A successful and growing player in the American long haul trucking industry, Xpress Cargo operates in a fast-paced industry that moves millions of dollars of cargo across the country every year. To stay competitive, the company moved to a modern, centrally-located facility that effectively accommodates its expanding needs. Like all commercial trucking companies that store expensive equipment and cargo onsite, Xpress Cargo is a target for theft and vandalism. "While asset protection was certainly a top priority, we also realized that we could leverage surveillance for cargo, employee, and safety management," said Adam Stickler, network administrator at Xpress Cargo. With the assistance of AllThingsIT, a local managed service provider of IT solutions for small to mid-sized businesses, Xpress Cargo deployed the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system. "The Avigilon high-definition surveillance system delivers the image clarity and advanced functionality we need to easily identify and resolve incidents onsite."
Driven to find the most advanced surveillance solution available to meet its business goals, price was never a top consideration for the Xpress Cargo management team. "Xpress Cargo was pleasantly surprised to learn that by installing Avigilon's innovative HD 360 and 180 Panoramic dome cameras, their final investment was much less than other solutions," said Andy Thomas, president at AllThingsIT.
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| The Avigilon HD surveillance system provides complete oversight of all trucks being loaded |
Comprehensive coverage
Xpress Cargo staff seamlessly manages the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system using the Avigilon Control Center network video management software (NVMS) with High-Definition Stream Management (HDSM) technology. The commercial trucking company installed Avigilon HD cameras ranging from 1 MP to 8 MP to monitor activity at its main entrances and exits both inside and out, along with all major traffic areas to ensure maximum protection. Additional Avigilon HD cameras were installed in the parking lot to protect docked trailers and trucks from theft and damage, while several Avigilon HD Panoramic 360 dome cameras provide complete coverage of its warehouse. An Avigilon HD Panoramic 180 dome camera monitors the company's repair shop and outside employee lounge area. The company also added audio recording functionality in the dispatch office, repair shop, and drivers lounge area for added safety. Storing two weeks of continuous surveillance video, the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system is monitored live around the clock.
Xpress Cargo installed the Avigilon Control Center NVMS on several PCs throughout the building to provide management with easy access to the system. "We also have a 42-inch LCD monitor in the repair shop and dispatch office that provide a full view of the yard to give employees a heads up on who is entering the lot at any given time," explained Stickler.
Stickler has also found it quite easy to add cameras and microphones as the company's needs evolve. "Avigilon IP-based HD cameras are simple to install - just a matter of plug and play," he noted. "Avigilon offers a straightforward and effective surveillance solution."
Gaining control with Avigilon
"With its powerful zooming capabilities and image clarity, the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system can capture the detail we need to make a positive identification and quickly respond to a situation," said Stickler, who noted that Avigilon Control Center comes with the search tools needed to quickly and easily drill down to the pertinent information. To help solve several recent accidents, Stickler was able to successfully zoom into the small identification number located on the side of the trucks involved to determine driver responsibility. "With its advanced settings and options, the Avigilon Control Center software gives us a lot of control over the footage to find what we need."
"The Avigilon Control Center software gives us a lot of control over the footage to find what we need" |
Users at Xpress Cargo also leverage Avigilon's motion-sensor capabilities to take a broad timeframe and pinpoint a specific event in time, further expediting investigations. "We have also relied heavily on the system's pixel search functionality for fast access to detailed video," added Stickler. Avigilon's thumbnail searching allows users to quickly find small changes within larger scenes for quick identification.
Reducing liability costs
Xpress Cargo has relied on the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system to effectively manage incidents onsite - whether it's an accident, theft, or safety issue. "Since installing the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system, we have reduced our liability costs by 15 percent," noted Erik Jensen, who is responsible for sales and customer service at Xpress Cargo. "In one case, a contract driver claimed that his truck was hit, but we were able to confirm that he had actually driven into a snow bank, quickly resolving a potentially difficult - and costly - situation," added Stickler.
Cargo and safety compliance
The Avigilon high-definition surveillance system provides the Xpress Cargo management team with complete oversight of all trucks being loaded to ensure the proper handling of client goods and to confirm that safety and freight handling requirements are being met. "The Avigilon high-definition surveillance system plays a key role in providing employees with a heighted sense of security onsite," concluded Stickler. "At the same time, it has proven very useful as a cargo and employee management tool to help boost overall operational efficiencies and ensure safety compliance."
