Sterling Yoars, CPC Logistics’ senior manager of operations, analytics and project management, has always been interested in data and how it can be used to solve challenges. After earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management from the University of Central Florida, Sterling became a district executive for the Boy Scouts of America. While working in Chicago he realized he could use data to recruit and fundraise more effectively despite the limited resources available to him.
“There were more than 600 elementary schools in my district,” Sterling said. “With just a small team of volunteers to visit them, I had to find a way to figure out which schools were most likely to yield new recruits. That is when I first learned how to take data and distill it into useful information. There was so much data being collected about our recruits and donors, and I was the first person to do something with it.”
At this time Sterling’s friend Dan Most, CPC’s chief operating officer, took notice of his knack for analytics.
“In 2015 I helped Dan with a project that involved interpreting a large amount of data in Excel,” Sterling said. “Shortly after, while I was on my honeymoon in Germany, I got a call from Dan offering me a position as manager of analytics and safety programs at CPC. I jumped at the opportunity.”
In his new role Sterling collected and analyzed data with the goal of helping CPC’s customers improve the efficiency and safety of their private fleets. He developed a variety of tools designed to increase fuel economy and reduce injuries and accidents. After obtaining his Project Management Professional certification in 2021, he began overseeing the integration of new equipment for customers, ensuring all their trucks were outfitted with the right tools and technology. He was promoted to his current position in 2022.
“It is no longer enough to simply get from one point to another,” Sterling said. “A large component of what makes a fleet successful today is the technology they use to be more efficient. The tools we develop give our customers a competitive advantage and make CPC a top provider of transportation and logistics services.”
CPC customizes the technological solutions it develops for its customers depending on their needs and goals. For example, one customer wanted the ability to request the movement of numerous trailers at the same time. Sterling created a tool that enabled the customer to facilitate the transit of dozens of trailers with the touch of a button instead of making multiple inquiries. He is currently working with another customer to install electronic logging devices that record driving time for easier, more accurate hours of service tracking.
Many CPC truck drivers have benefited from what Sterling has built, including easy-to-use tools to request time off and access 24/7 support. Because truck drivers often take different routes than passenger vehicles, Sterling designed a resource that helps them access directions specifically for semi-trucks, which saves time.
One of Sterling’s favorite projects was creating a special website for a group of drivers that functions just like an app. Easily accessible from phones built into their trucks, these drivers can use the site to request vacation time, contact their managers, view a map with every customer delivery location, find truck stops and weigh stations, and more. Sterling calls it a “one-stop shop” for drivers.
“Nothing is possible without our drivers,” Sterling said. “These in-cab tools make their jobs easier and increase their quality of life by taking some of the guesswork out of trucking.”
He has also designed technology to improve driver safety, including an app for CPC’s safety supervisors that enables all of them to record their observations about driving behavior in one place. Since it was introduced in 2019, the app has captured thousands of observations that have helped determine the safety training and resources rolled out to CPC’s drivers.
“When I develop a new tool, my goal is always to multiply the effort and skills of people like safety supervisors who are in the field every day,” Sterling said. “CPC hires some of the best in the industry. I spend lots of time asking them questions and learning about what they need to be most effective.”
For Sterling, one of the best parts about working with CPC is that every day is different.
“Whether it is gathering and analyzing data about injuries for our safety team, coming up with a solution for a customer or improving driver efficiency with a tool, there is always something new to do or to learn,” Sterling said.
Learn more and contact CPC Logistics about custom private fleet solutions here.