City of Tacoma

Accuracy delivers bang for the buck and eliminates duplication, saving miles-not-driven.

The City of Tacoma equipped its street sweeping trucks with Zonar’s HD-GPS and very quickly learned how actual miles “swept” was quite different from the “block” estimates it replaced. This new intelligence led to a reduction in duplicate efforts, lower cost-per-mile for sweeping, and the ability to create accurate reports of miles swept which are required by the state.

Verifying equipment location mitigates claims.

Complaints about street sweepers’ activities and potential claims of damage are now being limited by verifying the exact time and location of each piece of equipment. It turns out that more often than not, their equipment hasn’t been anywhere near the location of the alleged incident. Zonar’s HD-GPS is also being used to “mark,” in real-time, the location of catch basins that need cleaning — thus eliminating the previously-used paper-based system.

New discovery leads to more cost-effective approach.

The use of Zonar GPS data and analysis lead to a totally new discovery — how much time was being lost to lunch. Because employees involved in sewage work needed adequate hand washing and clean-up facilities before eating, they returned to the city’s central facility. This required that the job site be broken down, so the truck and employees could return, which took a lot of time and consumed a lot fuel.

With the entire team being able to see the economic impact, a new option is in the works. Mobile trailers are being outfitted as a clean room and lunchroom that will be driven to the work-in-progress sites. This solution more than pays for itself in time saved. Think about the miles no longer being driven and the reduced environmental impact.