{"id":282,"date":"2025-04-23T12:12:41","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T12:12:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reach24.net\/resources\/?post_type=case_studies&p=282"},"modified":"2025-06-04T11:06:19","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T11:06:19","slug":"from-midnight-calls-to-real-time-control-how-chicago-intermodal-reimagined-fleet-service-with-reach","status":"publish","type":"case_studies","link":"https:\/\/reach24.net\/resources\/case-studies\/from-midnight-calls-to-real-time-control-how-chicago-intermodal-reimagined-fleet-service-with-reach\/","title":{"rendered":"From Midnight Calls to Real-Time Control \u2013 How Chicago Intermodal Reimagined Fleet Service with REACH"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When Antoine, Director of Operations at Chicago Intermodal<\/strong>, thinks back to the early days of his role, he doesn\u2019t sugarcoat it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf something broke at 2 a.m., my phone rang. Our team had to scramble to find help. We were completely reactive.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chicago Intermodal is no small player. Established in 1989 and rooted in Chicago\u2019s vast rail infrastructure, the company moves freight for major railroads and warehouse clients throughout the Midwest and Southeast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company serves a complex logistics network with around 130 owner-operators<\/strong> and terminals in cities like Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Florida. But with complexity came chaos \u2014 especially when equipment broke down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back then, every equipment issue triggered a chain of uncertainty. There was no clear system for tracking service requests. Everything ran through email threads, phone calls, and gut instinct. Drivers sat idle. Dispatchers got overwhelmed. And the company often footed the bill for delays and damages they couldn\u2019t prove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had no visibility. No reports. We couldn\u2019t say how long something took to fix or even when it started. That made us vulnerable.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discovering REACH: A Game-Changer<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

During a site visit with DCLI, a key partner, Antoine, first encountered REACH. What began as a curiosity quickly evolved into a full onboarding. The team at REACH walked Chicago Intermodal through the platform, guided them through setup, and provided hands-on training. Antoine and his safety manager quickly realized they were working with something different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt first, it felt complex. But once we understood how proprietary and powerful it was, it just made sense. Now, it\u2019s second nature.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Turning Point: From Manual Mayhem to Central Command<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the first major improvements was organization<\/strong>. For the first time, Antoine could see every service request tied to specific data points: the terminal, the railroad, the vendor, the part, and the timeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to know how long it takes to replace brakes in Florida? The average is 4.5 hours<\/strong> from request to completion. That\u2019s not a guess \u2014 it\u2019s REACH data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Need to know which vendor gets the most requests? It\u2019s DCLI. Which railroad terminal causes the most issues? BNSF Chicago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before REACH, none of this was possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were drowning in manual work. Now, I can filter and find what I need in seconds. It\u2019s a different world.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reducing Costs and Preventing Repeat Problems<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The platform created visibility and accountability. Drivers are now held to process standards. If someone gates in a container with visible damage, Antoine can pull a timestamped log and show exactly when a repair should have happened and who failed to report it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat means fewer fines, fewer disputes, and a clearer line of responsibility.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also reduced duplicate tickets<\/strong> and dry runs<\/strong>. One infamous example is a container that once had 13 different service requests<\/strong> in a single month. That\u2019s now a thing of the past. With REACH, teams can see open tickets in real-time and avoid creating duplicate ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communication with vendors has improved, too. A vendor can now update a request directly in the system, flag additional issues, or clarify parts availability \u2014 all without back-and-forth emails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s clean. It\u2019s fast. It\u2019s documented.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Night Shift, Transformed<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before REACH, night shifts were nightmares. Drivers stranded on the road would call Antoine directly at all hours. The team would scramble to find vendors and update dispatch manually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, those 2 a.m. calls are history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drivers use the REACH app to request help; night crews can assign vendors without needing to wake up leadership. Even if a driver doesn\u2019t have the app, the night team can handle it for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom the moment a request comes in, a vendor is usually assigned within 30 to 60 minutes. That means less waiting and more driving \u2014 and our drivers get home.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DOT regulations allow drivers to pause their time if they\u2019re in sleep or berth mode. So while the repair happens, they\u2019re not losing hours \u2014 they\u2019re resting. Once the fix is done, they\u2019re back on the road, legally and safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat alone is a game-changer. It keeps our guys legal and off hotel costs.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning by Doing: Teaching the Team Through REACH<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

REACH has become more than a logistics tool \u2014 it\u2019s become a training platform. Every request forces drivers and dispatchers to learn the equipment better. What\u2019s a glad hand? What\u2019s a twist lock? What does a faulty mudflap look like?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow, when we talk about components, people visualize them. They understand what they\u2019re requesting. That\u2019s made us smarter across the board.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antoine even works with drivers who used to train for CSX, pulling in expertise to upskill the entire team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reports That Mean Something<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the most impactful tool has been REACH\u2019s reporting system. In May, Antoine began pulling reports across all markets, and the insights shocked him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tires were the top issue, followed by brakes and landing gear. Before REACH, it would have been an educated guess at best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he can see everything \u2014 broken down by vendor, terminal, container type, and component. He uses this data in industry committees and customer conversations to drive better accountability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not making assumptions anymore. We\u2019re using facts to push for better maintenance standards across the board.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He even stopped a customer from charging a per diem by pulling service timestamps, which proved the delay was due to a repair, not a driver error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Word: What Success Looks Like<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Today, Chicago Intermodal is operating with more clarity, control, and confidence than ever before. Drivers are safer, the team is better trained, and costs are down. And Antoine? He gets to sleep through the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe used to operate on hope and hustle. Now, we operate on visibility, data, and process. REACH gave us that. It\u2019s the best decision we\u2019ve made.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Antoine, Director of Operations at Chicago Intermodal, thinks back to the early days of his role, he doesn\u2019t sugarcoat it: \u201cIf something broke at 2 a.m., my phone rang. Our team had to scramble to find help. We were completely reactive.\u201d Chicago Intermodal is no small player. Established in 1989 and rooted in Chicago\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":431,"template":"","class_list":["post-282","case_studies","type-case_studies","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"featured_image_url":"https:\/\/reach24.net\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/case-study-img-2-1.png","reading_time":"5 min Read","author_avatar_url":"https:\/\/reach24.net\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/paul-2-1-150x150.png","author_name":"Paul","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reach24.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case_studies\/282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reach24.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case_studies"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reach24.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/case_studies"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reach24.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reach24.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reach24.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}