DeSilvaGates Protects and Optimizes Their $200M Equipment Fleet with Samsara

Minimizing labor costs and reducing paper usage

Prior to Samsara, DeSilvaGates experienced inefficiency due to manual paperwork for safety inspections and equipment status reporting. This outdated process led to delays in addressing equipment issues, causing job disruptions and increased costs. It was clear that DeSilvaGates needed a more streamlined solution to improve efficiency and safety.

"With Connected Workflows, our safety inspections are now all digital and automated,” said Rich Poppoff, Equipment Superintendent. “Drivers are prompted to complete inspections on time, and any reported issues are submitted and addressed right away." This new system prevented job delays, saving the company approximately $45,000 a week, or $2.34 million annually. 

With Connected Workflows, DeSilvaGates is able to accelerate issue response times and streamline work order creation. By eliminating manual tracking and administrative tasks, DeSilvaGates has reduced administrative time by 90% and reduced paper usage, saving $600 a month.

Discreet and durable Asset Tag enhances equipment tracking.

Over the last few years, DeSilva Gates has experienced increased equipment theft from large machinery to small tools. These thefts resulted in substantial financial losses and operational disruptions, highlighting the need for a discreet tracking solution.

DeSilva Gates was already using Samsara Asset Gateways (AGs) to track high-value assets, such as excavators worth $185,000, but was interested in a location-tracking solution that thieves were less likely to discover. Furthermore, DeSilva Gates could not track smaller tools such as chainsaws, which frequently disappeared. This led to the turnover of about a third of their equipment every year. “Smaller assets are much easier to steal because a guy can just load them up on a trailer and go,” said Popoff. DeSilva Gates needed a solution that would enable them to reliably track their equipment without being detected by thieves. 

Poppoff reached out to his account team at Samsara, who told him about Asset Tag, which he asked to beta test. Immediately, it was clear that Asset Tag was discreet yet rugged. "They don't stand out like a traditional GPS box with a blinking green light,” said Poppoff. “They blend in seamlessly."

Durability was a necessity for DeSilva Gates, since they use heavy equipment in harsh environments. Despite the small size, Poppoff was pleased to see how Asset Tag performed in the field. One was embedded inside the aluminum head of a piece of equipment and still successfully transmitted location data.

Asset Tag use the Samsara Network, an industrial network comprising millions of devices that give organizations near real-time visibility across all of their assets. "I wanted to test the network’s coverage so I installed it on my pickup truck,” said Poppoff. “It registered on the Samsara Network, even in rural areas where none of our job sites are located.”

After seeing Asset Tag in action, Poppoff plans to double up on location tracking devices to protect against theft. He will keep his existing AGs, while discreetly embedding Asset Tag as a backup tracker. And, even if thieves find and discard the AGs, the hidden Asset Tag will continue to transmit location data, ensuring effective tracking and recovery of stolen assets. This strategy adds an extra layer of security, making it harder for thieves to evade detection.

Real-time visibility into equipment usage improves back-office efficiency.

Though DeSilva Gates’ previous GPS provider offered data into equipment location, they needed visibility into equipment usage. Manually tracking their equipment led to inefficiencies, particularly for rented equipment. 

With Samsara Asset Gateways, DeSilva Gates gained the ability to monitor equipment precisely, enhancing their operational control and accountability. "We needed a way to bill accurately for equipment usage,” said Poppoff. “With Samsara we now had a monthly report with the exact hours the ignition was on and the equipment was running." 

This solution allowed them to quickly transform their billing process, eliminating discrepancies and fraudulent entries. This automated tracking reduced the need for manual administrative work, saving $60,000 annually. “With Samsara, you can’t cheat it,” said Poppoff. “It's very simple: you turn the key, and you're paying for it."

Reducing incidents and exonerating drivers.

DeSilva Gates Construction wanted to improve driver safety and protect them and the company from false claims. Without clear video evidence, the company often found itself at a disadvantage, with drivers wrongfully blamed for accidents.

To address these challenges, DeSilva Gates implemented Samsara AI Dash Cams to help improve safe driving behaviors. The results were immediate. "The dash cams are worth every penny,” said Poppoff. “Right away, we saw a drop in wrongful claims and improved driver accountability."

The dual-facing cameras captured comprehensive footage, ensuring that both the road and the driver's actions are recorded. In-cab alerts help with real-time correction of unsafe behaviors, such as mobile phone use. "The in-cab alerts are like a safety manager in the truck all the time," said Poppoff. “It makes coaching so much easier.”

The clear video evidence helps exonerate drivers when incidents occur, significantly reducing wrongful claims. This not only protects drivers, but also saves the company in litigation costs and insurance claims. "With the video evidence, we’ve been able to reverse 90% of the claims against us, saving us from hefty legal and settlement fees,” said Poppoff.

Furthermore, DeSilva Gates uses Virtual Coach to send drivers the actual footage from the incident to help improve accountability. As a result, driving behavior has improved and there are fewer events that require coaching. “When we first started reviewing videos, I had maybe 200 videos a day. Now, I maybe have six,” said Poppoff. Always on the cutting edge, DeSilva Gates is also testing Connected Training, which allows them to send courses based on coachable events, directly to the Driver App. Poppoff anticipates this will streamline coaching even further.