Huffman Trucking

Executive Summary

Huffman Trucking, a National trucking company providing services to Government and other industrial companies, prides itself on 100% customer satisfaction. The company has outsourced their entire IT department to Smith Consulting Services. An overview of the company’s four locations will highlight the hardware and software compromising Huffman Trucking. Reviewing the company’s Information System will display the technological adjustments that Huffman should undertake to continue to be a leader in the trucking industry.

Company Overview

Huffman Trucking was established by H. Huffman in 1936, and consisted of one tractor-trailer contracted for services in and around Cleveland, OH. During World War II, Government contracts increased and Huffman Trucking capitalized on the need for services by expanding their fleet to 36 trailers by 1945. From 1948 to 1976, Huffman Trucking acquired five Eastern regional carriers and continued to grow. After the Motor Carrier Act deregulated the trucking industry in 1980, Huffman became a National carrier.

Huffman Trucking employs 1,400 individuals in the logistical hubs, maintenance facility and drivers of their 800 tractor-trailers. The company has two maintenance facilities located in Cleveland, OH and St. Louis, MO, which also house the company’s main logistic hubs. Huffman Trucking also has a logistics office and plant in Bayonne, NJ and a business office and plant in Los Angeles, CA. Huffman Trucking expects revenues of over $600,000,000 during the 2004 fiscal year and is constantly striving for a more effective and cost efficient business.

Maintenance and Logistics: Cleveland, OH

The logistics office in Cleveland is centered on a token ring network, with IPX/SPX protocols connected to a Cisco 10mb hub. Connection to the internet via a fractional T1 line is protected by a firewall with a Cisco 2600 router. The network cabling used in the office is CAT5 and an Avaya digital phone system...