Frampton Z. Ferguson, President of Ferguson Forest Products, Luray, SC, and SCFA's 2000 Outstanding Logger of the Year, has increased trucking efficiency and improved safety by installing GPS units on all his trucks.

He first considered the units several years ago but cost was prohibitive. Now they work through the cell phone system and cost is $500 per unit plus monthly monitoring service.

"This is by far one of the best investments I've made," he says. "It has absolutely helped us improve efficiency. And there's no doubt on mill turn around times."

He can run a search and receive detailed feedback on the exact time a truck was cranked, route it traveled, exact speed and length of time that speed was maintained, how long the truck was at the mill, and when the truck was turned off.

"Even if it goes out of cell phone range, it records for 72 hours and gives me a log of what drivers are doing," he says. "When we go on a new job, I set up the site and begin monitoring.

"If I receive a call from someone who says one of my trucks was speeding, it has a map I log on to and locate that particular truck and hit playback for the exact address and speed of that truck."