GETAC USE CASE
How Ward Transport & Logistics Gained Real-Time Freight Visibility on the Dock with Getac ZX10 Rugged Tablets
Every shift on an LTL dock starts with a clock running. At Ward Transport & Logistics, a mid-Atlantic less-than-truckload carrier with 24 service centers, forklift operators were starting theirs by waiting for legacy Windows vehicle-mounted computers to boot. Worn ports and failing mounts kept IT busy, and freight moved without a clear, network-wide picture of where it was.
Ward Transport & Logistics mounted Getac ZX10 fully rugged Android tablets on its forklifts at all 24 service centers, connected to barcode scanners and scale systems. Every piece of freight is now scanned and weighed as it moves, the devices are ready the moment workers clock in, and the company has a complete chain of custody from inbound truck to outbound load.
At a Glance: How the Getac ZX10 Put Ward Transport & Logistics' Docks in Real Time
Customer: Ward Transport & Logistics, a mid-Atlantic LTL carrier with more than 1,500 employees and 24 service centers
Industry: Transportation and Logistics, Less-Than-Truckload Freight
Solution: Getac ZX10 Fully Rugged Android Tablet, mounted on forklifts and integrated with barcode scanners and scale systems
Primary Use Case: Real-time freight scanning, weighing, tracking and routing across dock operations
Key Result: No more startup delays at shift start, fewer device failures and an end-to-end chain of custody for every piece of freight
Ward Transport & Logistics replaced slow, failure-prone Windows vehicle-mounted computers with Getac ZX10 rugged Android tablets on its forklift fleets. The ZX10 is now the central interface for dock workers, capturing scan and weight data from unloading through staging to outbound loading, and feeding the real-time data the company uses for dispatching and linehaul planning.
Why Did Ward Transport & Logistics Replace Its Forklift Computers with the Getac ZX10?
Ward Transport & Logistics replaced its forklift computers with the Getac ZX10 because the old ones were slowing the dock down. The company had already moved its freight workflows off paper and onto vehicle-mounted computers, but the legacy Windows-based units took several minutes to boot. That delay hit the start of every shift at every service center, and on a dock where forklifts move the freight, a forklift waiting on its computer is a forklift that is not working.
Reliability was the other half of the problem. Worn ports, failing mounts and broken external components meant constant repair cycles that tied up IT and left dock workers idle. Ward Transport & Logistics chose the Getac ZX10 to give every forklift a fully rugged Android tablet that starts fast, holds up to dock work and captures freight data the moment it moves.
What Did Ward Transport & Logistics Need the Getac ZX10 to Handle on the Dock?
An LTL dock never really stops. Freight is unloaded, sorted, staged and reloaded for outbound delivery all shift long, and every step depends on accurate data. Ward Transport & Logistics needed a forklift-mounted device that would be ready when the shift started, survive constant vibration and handling, and connect directly to the scanning and weighing equipment its workflow runs on. The fully rugged Getac ZX10 met those requirements and became the standard across its forklift fleets.
Key requirements included:
- Fast startup: No multi-minute boot time holding up the start of a shift
- Hardware that lasts: Ports, mounts and components that stand up to forklift duty without constant repair
- Scanner and scale integration: Barcode and weight data captured on the same device at every freight movement
- Real-time data: Network-wide visibility to support dispatching, linehaul planning and customer shipment tracking
- Safe mounting: Device placement that works across different forklift models without blocking the operator's view
- Room to grow: A platform internal teams can build custom applications on
What Changed for Ward Transport & Logistics After Deploying the Getac ZX10?
Since deploying the Getac ZX10, Ward Transport & Logistics has removed startup delays from the dock, cut down on device failures and gained real-time visibility into every piece of freight across its network.
Key outcomes included:
- Dock workers processing freight the moment they clock in, with no wait for devices to start
- Fewer device failures and maintenance-related interruptions on the forklift fleet
- IT and dock teams spending more time on logistics and less time on equipment issues
- An end-to-end digital chain of custody for every piece of freight
- Real-time inbound and outbound data supporting linehaul planning and routing
- Supervisors running yard management and equipment tracking on the same tablets
Who Is Ward Transport & Logistics, and Why Did It Turn to Getac?
Ward Transport & Logistics is a mid-Atlantic less-than-truckload carrier that runs Getac ZX10 rugged tablets on its forklifts at all 24 service centers, with more than 1,500 employees. For more than 90 years, the company has built its reputation on delivering freight on time, claim-free and at a competitive cost.
That promise is kept or broken on the dock. Freight is continuously unloaded, sorted, staged and reloaded for outbound delivery, and because the work is time-sensitive, Ward Transport & Logistics depends on accurate, real-time data to optimize routing, minimize delays and give customers the shipment visibility they now expect. It turned to Getac for a forklift device that could keep up.
Ward Transport & Logistics required a solution capable of:
- Serving as the central interface for dock workers on every forklift
- Scanning freight the moment a truck arrives
- Capturing weight data at every freight movement
- Tracking and routing freight from unloading and staging to outbound loading
- Feeding real-time, network-wide data to dispatch and linehaul planning
What Was Slowing Ward Transport & Logistics' Docks Down Before the Getac ZX10?
Ward Transport & Logistics warehouse operations had historically run on paper-based workflows for freight intake, routing and tracking, which limited real-time visibility and held back efficiency. Moving to vehicle-mounted computers solved the paper problem but introduced new ones.
The legacy Windows-based systems needed several minutes to boot, delaying the start of every shift across the dock. Worn ports, failing mounts and broken external components led to frequent repair cycles that overwhelmed IT and left dock workers waiting. Because forklifts move the freight, every delay or device failure cut directly into throughput. At the same time, the company needed real-time, network-wide data for dispatching and linehaul planning that its existing setup could not deliver.
Key challenges included:
- Several minutes of boot time at the start of every shift
- Worn ports, failing mounts and broken external components on forklift computers
- Frequent maintenance and repair cycles overwhelming IT
- Dock workers idle while devices were down
- A visibility gap that limited dispatching, linehaul planning and customer shipment tracking
How Did the Getac ZX10 Become the Dock Interface on Every Ward Transport & Logistics Forklift?
Ward Transport & Logistics deployed the Getac ZX10 fully rugged Android tablet across its forklift fleets at all 24 service centers. Each forklift now carries a ZX10 integrated with barcode scanners and scale systems, and the tablet is the central interface for dock workers: scanning, weighing, tracking and routing freight through the entire handling process, from unloading and staging to final outbound loading.
"When a truck arrives, it’s scanned immediately," said Zack Stewart, Tech Optimization Manager at Ward Transport & Logistics. "From that point on, every movement requires the device to capture weight data to ensure accuracy throughout the process."
Getac and its partners worked on-site with the Ward Transport & Logistics team to design and refine the deployment from the ground up, testing mounting configurations across different forklift models and placing each device to protect driver visibility and safety. Because the ZX10 detaches easily, supervisors also take the same tablets off the forklift to run custom applications as they move around the facility.
Key capabilities of the Getac ZX10 deployment include:
- Fast startup and responsive performance on the Android platform
- Barcode scanner and scale integration for scan-and-weigh at every freight movement
- Forklift mounts tested and positioned for operator visibility and safety
- Easy detachment so supervisors can carry the tablet across the yard and facility
- Custom Android applications for yard management and equipment utilization tracking
What Results Has Ward Transport & Logistics Seen with the Getac ZX10?
The Getac ZX10 delivered immediate, measurable improvements across Ward Transport & Logistics dock operations, starting with speed at the point of use.
"We’re no longer waiting for machines to start up," said Zack Stewart. "That alone has made a noticeable difference."
Key results included:
- Startup delays eliminated, so freight processing starts at clock-in
- Fewer device failures and less ongoing IT troubleshooting
- Every freight movement digitally scanned and recorded
- Stronger accountability and performance management on the dock
- More efficient linehaul planning and more precise routing
- Less dependence on legacy systems as new Android applications roll out
How Does the Getac ZX10 Give an LTL Carrier Real-Time Freight Visibility?
By capturing the data where the freight moves. On a forklift-mounted Getac ZX10, every scan and every weight reading is recorded the moment it happens, so Ward Transport & Logistics has a complete, end-to-end chain of custody across its network. Supervisors can see who handled what and when, and the company can coach and correct with facts instead of guesses.
That same live data now reaches beyond the dock. Real-time insight into inbound and outbound freight helps Ward Transport & Logistics plan linehaul more efficiently, route more precisely and meet increasingly complex customer demands. With an Android platform its own teams can build on, the company is adding new use cases such as equipment utilization tracking and yard management without going back to legacy systems.
Why Do LTL Carriers and Warehouse Operations Choose the Getac ZX10 for Forklifts?
Because a forklift is a hard place for a computer. Constant vibration, impacts, dust and all-shift use wear out ports, mounts and components on devices that were never built for it, and every failure takes a forklift out of the flow. The Getac ZX10 is a 10-inch fully rugged Android tablet built for that work, certified to MIL-STD-810H and IP66 with a 6-foot drop rating, and it starts fast enough that nobody waits on it at shift change.
Getac has designed and manufactured rugged laptops and tablets for transportation and logistics and other demanding industries as an Original Equipment Manufacturer since 1989, and it showed up on the dock, not just with a shipment. Getac and its partners worked on-site with Ward Transport & Logistics to test mounts across forklift models and get device placement right. One rugged Android platform now runs on the forklifts, in supervisors' hands and under the company's own custom applications.
Expert Insight: Why the Getac ZX10 Works for Ward Transport & Logistics
"We now have a breadcrumb trail of every piece of freight. It makes people more accountable and gives us the ability to coach and correct when needed."
Mike Zupon, Vice President of Technology, Ward Transport & Logistics
For an LTL carrier, visibility is only as good as the device capturing it. When the tablet on the forklift is ready at clock-in and records every scan and weight, the data becomes something the whole network can plan around.
Getac ZX10 for LTL Dock and Forklift Operations: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best rugged tablet for forklifts in an LTL or warehouse operation?
Look for a fully rugged tablet that starts quickly, survives constant vibration and handling, mounts securely without blocking the operator's view and connects to barcode scanners and scales. Ward Transport & Logistics chose the Getac ZX10 fully rugged Android tablet for its forklift fleets at all 24 service centers.
Why switch forklift computers from Windows to Android?
Faster startup, quicker responsiveness and easier custom application development are common reasons. Ward Transport & Logistics replaced legacy Windows vehicle-mounted computers that took several minutes to boot with Getac ZX10 Android tablets and eliminated those startup delays.
How do rugged tablets improve freight visibility on the dock?
They capture scan and weight data at the moment freight moves, building a digital record of every handoff. With the Getac ZX10 on its forklifts, Ward Transport & Logistics now has an end-to-end chain of custody for every piece of freight.
Can a forklift-mounted tablet connect to barcode scanners and scales?
Yes. At Ward Transport & Logistics, each forklift-mounted Getac ZX10 is integrated with barcode scanners and scale systems, so workers scan freight on arrival and capture weight data at every movement.
How do you reduce forklift computer downtime and maintenance?
Start with hardware built for forklift duty. Worn ports, failing mounts and broken external components drove frequent repairs at Ward Transport & Logistics until it moved to the fully rugged Getac ZX10, which reduced device failures and maintenance-related interruptions.
Can the same rugged tablet be used on and off the forklift?
Yes. The Getac ZX10 detaches easily from its forklift mount, and Ward Transport & Logistics supervisors use the same tablets to run custom applications for yard management and equipment tracking as they walk the facility.
Is a rugged tablet worth it compared to a consumer tablet for warehouse and dock work?
For forklift and dock work, usually yes. Vibration, impacts and all-shift use are hard on consumer hardware, and a failed device stops freight. The Getac ZX10 is certified to MIL-STD-810H and IP66 with a 6-foot drop rating, and it gave Ward Transport & Logistics fewer failures and less IT troubleshooting.
See the Getac ZX10 on the Dock
Still waiting on forklift computers to boot, or chasing freight you can't see? Talk to Getac about how the fully rugged ZX10 puts scanning, weighing and real-time freight data on every forklift.
"We’re no longer waiting for machines to start up. That alone has made a noticeable difference." – Zack Stewart, Tech Optimization Manager, Ward Transport & Logistics
Learn More About The Getac ZX10
Ward Transport & Logistics modernized its dock operations with the Getac ZX10 fully rugged Android tablet. The ZX10 gives forklift operators a fast-starting 10-inch tablet for scanning, weighing, tracking and routing freight, and detaches for supervisors on the move. Learn more about how the ZX10 supports transportation, logistics and warehouse operations.
