GETAC SUCCESS STORY
How a Major Transportation and Logistics Carrier Improved Efficiency and ROI Across 10,000+ Forklifts with the Getac ZX10
A major transportation and logistics carrier running more than 400 warehouses nationwide was losing productivity to the tablets mounted on its forklift fleet. The competitive rugged tablet in place weighed 6.65 pounds, needed constant security updates and software installs, and took up to 15 minutes or more to boot, leaving forklift operators waiting before they could even start a shift.
Boot delays, unplanned downtime, and rising fuel and labor costs were adding up across the fleet. So the carrier set out to replace its forklift tablets fleet-wide with a rugged Android solution built for warehouse conditions.
Getac ZX10 Fully Rugged Tablet Use Case Summary
A major transportation and logistics carrier is outfitting its entire fleet of more than 10,000 forklifts across 400+ U.S. warehouses with Getac ZX10 fully rugged Android tablets, paired with a docking station and a customized mounting solution.
Customer: Major Transportation & Logistics Carrier (anonymous)
Industry: Transportation & Logistics / Material Handling
Solution: Getac ZX10 fully rugged Android tablet with a docking station and customized mounting solution
Primary Use Case: Forklift-mounted computing across a nationwide warehouse fleet
Key Result: Boot time cut from 15 minutes to under 1 minute, with ROI projected in less than one year
Why Did the Carrier Replace Its Forklift Tablets?
The carrier’s previous rugged tablets were mounted directly on each forklift but weighed 6.65 pounds and required constant security updates and software installations that slowed the system down. Boot-up times stretched to 15 minutes or more, and every minute of that was a forklift operator waiting instead of working.
The operating system itself was difficult to secure, creating security vulnerabilities across the fleet, and licensing costs piled up per tablet. Harsh warehouse weather could also knock cellular connectivity offline, taking tablets out of service mid-shift.
What Should a Transportation and Logistics Fleet Require From a Forklift-Mounted Tablet?
A transportation and logistics fleet should require a tablet that boots fast, secures easily, stays connected through harsh warehouse conditions, and mounts across a large, varied forklift fleet without adding replacement or calibration costs. The carrier’s previous solution failed on nearly every one of these fronts.
The carrier needed a solution that could:
Boot in seconds, not minutes, so operators start moving freight immediately
Run an operating system that is easier to secure and manage at scale
Maintain reliable cellular connectivity across warehouse environments with harsh weather exposure
Mount and dock without requiring device replacement or lift-scale recalibration when a unit needs service
Scale across more than 10,000 forklifts and 400+ warehouse locations nationwide
Key Outcomes: What Did the Getac ZX10 Deployment Deliver?
Getac was selected through a Request for Proposal process that evaluated price, device performance, technical support, and long-term benefits. The projected outcome is a full deployment of more than 10,000 ZX10 tablets across 400+ U.S. warehouse locations with ROI expected in under one year.
Key outcomes included:
Boot time cut from 15 minutes or more down to less than one minute
ROI projected in less than one year, driven largely by reduced boot time and the included B2B warranty
Strategic connectivity redundancy through an embedded wireless modem, wireless capability, and dual SIM
Reduced device replacement and lift-scale recalibration costs through a custom docking and mounting solution
Fleet-wide device configuration and management through Getac’s deployXpress platform
Overview: How Is This Carrier Modernizing Forklift Computing With Getac?
Before implementing Getac solutions, this major transportation and logistics carrier, with more than 400 warehouses nationwide, faced operational challenges spanning worker productivity, warehouse efficiency, cellular connectivity, security vulnerabilities, and rising labor and fuel costs.
To address these issues, the carrier is outfitting its entire fleet of more than 10,000 forklifts with Getac ZX10 fully rugged Android tablets, along with a docking station and a customized mounting solution built to improve connectivity, efficiency, and output.
The carrier required a mobile computing solution that could:
Boot fast enough to eliminate the productivity loss of a 15-minute startup
Run on an operating system that is easier and less costly to secure and license at scale
Hold a stable cellular connection through harsh warehouse weather conditions
Mount through a docking and hub solution that avoids device-replacement and lift-scale recalibration costs
Deploy and manage centrally across 400+ locations nationwide
What Challenges Was the Carrier Facing With Its Forklift Tablets?
Beyond the 15-minute boot times and 6.65-pound competitive tablets, the carrier faced high licensing costs for the operating system on each device, ongoing update management, and difficulty ensuring proper functionality across the fleet.
Harsh weather in some warehouse environments could knock cellular connectivity offline, taking tablets out of service. The operating system was also difficult to secure, resulting in numerous vulnerabilities. And if a forklift-mounted device became inoperable, the tablet needed replacement and the lift scale needed recalibration, adding downtime and extra calibration fees on top of the repair itself.
Key challenges included:
Boot-up times of up to 15 minutes or more, delaying every shift start
High per-device OS licensing costs and constant update management
Cellular connectivity that dropped offline in harsh warehouse weather
An operating system that was difficult to secure, creating security vulnerabilities
Device failures that required both tablet replacement and lift-scale recalibration, adding downtime and calibration fees
How Did Getac Solve the Carrier’s Forklift Computing Problems?
Getac was chosen as the solution provider for a Proof of Concept and deployment project based on its responsiveness, problem-solving ability, and dedication to customer service. The RFP evaluated Getac’s offering on price, device performance, technical support, long-term benefits, and overall fit for the project.
The deployment installs a docking station with a custom mounting solution and hub, eliminating the device-replacement and lift-scale recalibration costs the carrier was absorbing before. Getac’s deployXpress platform handles device configuration and management across the fleet, and the project also draws on Getac’s Android migration support and MDM engineering customization.
Key capabilities of the Getac ZX10 solution include:
Android 11 operating system, verified by Google as an Android Enterprise Recommended Rugged Device
A docking station and customized mounting solution that removes device-replacement and recalibration costs
An easy-to-use interface that adjusts between touch, glove, or stylus input for operational readiness
Strategic connectivity redundancy through an embedded 7511 modem, wireless capability, and dual SIM
Fleet-wide configuration and management through Getac’s deployXpress platform
What Results Is the Carrier Expecting From the Getac ZX10 Deployment?
The Getac ZX10 boots in less than a minute, compared to the 15 minutes or more of the previous device, directly improving efficiency and productivity across every shift. It was estimated that the reduction in lost man-hours alone would cover the entire cost of the deployment within the first year.
Boot time reduced from 15 minutes or more to less than one minute
ROI projected in less than one year, driven by reduced boot time and the B2B warranty
An embedded wireless modem delivers strategic connectivity redundancy across LTE speed, bandwidth, and network performance
Dual SIM ensures each tablet never loses connectivity
The project’s success earned Getac a seat on the carrier’s technology council and opportunities for future collaboration
Why Is Boot Time and Connectivity Reliability Critical for Forklift Fleets?
In a forklift fleet running 10,000-plus units across 400-plus warehouses, every minute a device takes to boot or drops connectivity is a minute an operator isn’t moving freight. A 15-minute boot time multiplied across a fleet this size compounds into real, measurable lost productivity and rising fuel and labor costs.
The ZX10’s sub-one-minute boot time and strategic connectivity redundancy, including an embedded wireless modem and dual SIM, are built to keep operators working through the kind of significant temperature and network conditions a nationwide warehouse footprint produces. Reliability here is not a convenience feature. It is the difference between a fleet that ships on schedule and one that doesn’t.
Expert Insight: What Made Getac the Right Fit for This Deployment?
Getac was chosen through a Request for Proposal process that evaluated price, device performance, technical support, long-term benefits, and overall solution fit for the project. Getac’s years of experience deploying rugged solutions to enterprise customers factored directly into that decision, alongside its promotion as an Android Enterprise Recommended provider and its Android migration and MDM engineering support.
The project’s success earned Getac a seat on the carrier’s technology council, with opportunities for future collaboration beyond this deployment.
Why Do Transportation and Logistics Carriers Choose Getac?
Transportation and logistics carriers choose Getac because the ZX10 solves boot speed, fleet-wide manageability, connectivity, and mounting cost as one deployment, the areas where general-purpose and competitive rugged tablets fall short in warehouse operations.
Boot speed that protects every shift: The Getac ZX10 boots in under one minute, compared to the 15 minutes or more this carrier lost to its previous rugged tablet on every startup.
Verified enterprise Android, not a workaround: The ZX10 runs Android 11 and is verified by Google as an Android Enterprise Recommended Rugged Device, which lowers the licensing and security burden the carrier carried on its previous operating system.
Connectivity built for warehouse conditions: An embedded 7511 modem, wireless capability, and dual SIM provide redundancy so tablets stay online when harsh weather affects cellular coverage.
Mounting that removes hidden costs: A docking station with a customized mounting solution and hub eliminates the device-replacement and lift-scale recalibration fees the carrier absorbed whenever a forklift-mounted tablet failed.
Deployment support at fleet scale: Getac’s deployment services team oversaw installation across various forklift brands, with deployXpress handling configuration and management across more than 10,000 devices.
For a carrier running 10,000-plus forklifts across 400-plus warehouses, the reduction in lost man-hours alone was estimated to cover the entire cost of the deployment within the first year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What challenge was the transportation and logistics carrier facing with its forklift tablets?
The carrier’s existing forklift tablets weighed 6.65 pounds, took up to 15 minutes or more to boot, and required constant security updates, causing lost productivity and rising fuel and labor costs across more than 400 warehouses.
Which Getac rugged tablet is the carrier deploying across its forklift fleet?
The carrier is outfitting its entire fleet of more than 10,000 forklifts with the Getac ZX10 fully rugged Android tablet, paired with a docking station and a customized mounting solution.
How much did the Getac ZX10 reduce boot time compared to the previous device?
The Getac ZX10 boots in less than one minute, compared to up to 15 minutes or more with the carrier’s previous rugged tablet.
What ROI is the carrier projecting from the Getac ZX10 deployment?
ROI is projected in less than one year, driven largely by the reduced boot time and the included B2B warranty, with the reduction in lost man-hours alone estimated to cover the full cost of deployment.
How does the Getac ZX10’s docking solution reduce device replacement and recalibration costs?
The docking station and customized mounting solution eliminate the device-replacement and lift-scale recalibration costs the carrier previously absorbed whenever a forklift-mounted tablet became inoperable.
What connectivity features does the Getac ZX10 offer for warehouse environments?
The ZX10 provides strategic connectivity redundancy through an embedded 7511 wireless modem, wireless capability, and dual SIM, helping ensure tablets stay connected even through harsh warehouse weather conditions.
Why was Getac selected as the solution provider for this deployment?
Getac was selected through a Request for Proposal process evaluating price, device performance, technical support, and long-term benefits, based on its responsiveness, problem-solving ability, and years of experience deploying rugged solutions to enterprise customers.
Is the Getac ZX10 verified as an Android Enterprise Recommended device?
Yes. The Getac ZX10 runs Android 11 and is verified by Google as an Android Enterprise Recommended Rugged Device, supporting standardized fleet management at scale.
Learn More About The Getac ZX10
GETAC ZX10
Talk to Getac about building a forklift-mounted computing deployment around the Getac ZX10 fully rugged Android tablet and a customized docking solution for your fleet.
