Donna Constant is just that—a constant source of logistics industry knowledge and know-how for her hard-working team. As the Sales and Logistics Manager of Grounded Air Transport, Donna touches nearly every aspect of daily operations and serves as an endless repository of answers to almost any question.
“I’m a Jack of all trades, but a master of none. I wear a lot of hats.”
Having been in the trucking industry for over 40 years, Donna started out as a driver herself. After spending years on the road with her husband and small family, she managed to clock more than 1,000,000 miles across 48 states, Canada, and Mexico. There is nothing about driving trucks that Donna can’t tell you, so when she came aboard the GAT team, she knew exactly where the opportunities were to make improvements.
“They didn’t have a money system to pay lumpers. I was looking at several payment solutions, but a lot of them hold your money, and I didn’t like that. Then I stumbled on you guys and called.”
Like many carriers, Donna’s team had been paying lumpers using outdated cash and check systems, which often require lengthy late-night authorization phone calls, time-consuming reimbursement processes, and lost sleep.
“It’s a pain in the rear. You have to generate a 16-digit code and if you read it wrong, you’re reading it again. You might get 6 calls in one night and you’re doing all of this at 1, 2, 3 in the morning.”
In addition to late-night troubleshooting and bookkeeping headaches, the team was in need of a more efficient way to empower drivers to make key decisions and purchases on the road. Whether repairs, truck washes, or unforeseen OTR needs, without an automated system in place, authorizing purchases was an added burden for both driver and carrier.
“With Relay, they don’t have to call us if they need a repair under $1,000. If they blow a tire, they can fix it without having to call anyone,” Donna said.
With customizable security controls, apps like Relay allow carriers to set and approve locations, purchases, and spending limits far in advance—eliminating concerns about last-minute permissions needed. Additionally, with automated expense reporting and receipt tracking, where and when the money gets spent is immediately available and trackable from a convenient user portal.
“We can trust our drivers and give them control and freedom. Relay allows us to do that,” Donna said.
Now with 20 lumper payments per week and growing, Grounded Air Transport has found a rhythm worth repeating. When we asked Donna how Relay benefitted their team the most, the response was one we hear a lot.
“The biggest thing is our time—I don’t know how you put a value on that. It’s huge. It’s an amazing system and really works for what we do. I tell everyone about Relay.”
In a fast-paced industry that seems to only get faster, digital payment systems have become a go-to resource for businesses to remain competitive, efficient, and financially on top. Time is money in every way, and Relay is honored to work alongside our community to build and continually improve a system that is changing the game for the logistics industry.
To learn how Relay can simplify operations for your fleet and make payments a breeze, get in touch with our team today.
