How Faster Equipment Returns Drive Faster Revenue: Black Diamond’s Approach to Reducing Yard Turn Times with InTempo CTX

Tony Tye

The equipment rental lifecycle is – in essence – one long chain reaction. If an off-rent machine hasn’t been picked up from a customer’s jobsite, it can’t get inspected. If it can’t get inspected, it can’t be repaired. If it can’t be repaired, it can’t be rented to the next customer. If it can’t be rented to the next customer, it isn’t generating revenue. A delay at any point in this process wastes valuable time and directly impacts the bottom line.

On the flip side, the faster a machine returns to the yard, gets inspected and repaired, and gets rented to the next customer, the faster it can generate revenue.

That's exactly where InTempo CTX has delivered measurable operational improvements for Black Diamond, according to their Chief Analytics Officer Oliver Herndon.

The Clock Starts When the Equipment Comes Home

“The efficiency really comes back to getting our gear back faster,” Herndon explained. “We can't get the equipment ready for the next rental until it physically returns to our yard so it can be run through the shop. If the equipment takes five days to come back [as opposed to] one day…that may be the difference between the next rental happening sooner as opposed to later.”

By helping dispatchers prioritize and optimize pickups, CTX reduces the amount of time equipment spends sitting in the field after a rental ends. That means inspections begin sooner, repairs are identified earlier, and assets become available for the next rental faster.

This triggers a cascade of operational benefits. Once equipment gets back to the yard, the team can determine:

• If any repairs are needed or if a routine inspection is sufficient
• If replacement parts are required and if so, whether they’re in stock
• If the required parts are out of stock at the yard, whether they can be transferred from another branch, pulled from truck stock, or ordered from a supplier
• If anything else needs to be done before the unit is rental-ready again

The sooner that process begins, the sooner managers know what's available to rent, what requires service, and what can go back out to customers. That visibility helps improve fleet availability and reduces surprises.

Preloading is Now Another Time-Saving Norm

CTX makes it easier for drivers to preload their trucks in the afternoons for the first stop of the following day.

“When drivers preload their truck, they can get up in the morning, perform their walk around of their truck, and do their safety check. They can document that time in their app and depart. They already know where they’re going…they’re not having to walk back and forth between their truck and the dispatch office. They know the plan for the next day and are ready to roll.”

This isn’t just a benefit for the drivers; it extends through the rest of the organization as well.

“Since we’ve started using the platform, it’s forced the vast majority of the deliveries to be figured out well before the 4:00 company-wide ops call. Instead of sales reps waiting until the last minute, they know they need to get everything together before that call to make sure their jobs are in the first run of the planner. And, with the app’s ability to email the trucking plans to all of our sales reps and branch managers, they all know what’s going on.”

Speed Doesn’t Come at the Cost of Safety and Reliability

For any equipment rental company, reliability is important. However, it’s especially crucial for independent rental companies that compete on customer experience, not just price.

That means refusing to cut corners for the sake of speed.

Herndon noted that at Black Diamond, every machine returning from a jobsite goes through the shop before going to another customer. The company intentionally avoids moving equipment directly from one customer to the next because they want technicians to inspect every machine, helping them deliver the reliability that keeps customers coming back in a competitive market.

“We really try to avoid job hopping. All equipment that is out on rent with one customer is returned to the shop before it’s given to another customer. We want to make sure these machines are running efficiently and running safely.”

The Impact Becomes Even More Visible in Periods of High Demand

A tightly optimized process becomes especially important during busy periods, when demand exceeds available inventory.

During summer months, when Black Diamond’s fleet is more heavily utilized than any other season, there is an even stronger need for visibility into what equipment is coming back (and when). CTX helps create that rhythm by making pickups more predictable and coordinated.

There’s also a noticeable impact on smaller fluctuations that occur within the same season.

“We’ve found that the CTX application has helped us have more uniform work distribution throughout the work week. Our business is very cyclical, so we’ll have ups and downs. It’s never the same number of rentals each day. Having this efficiency on the logistical side with both the deliveries and pickups has really made things more efficient…and our drivers’ days more predictable. The level of visualization within the software really helps in that area.”

Better Logistics Leads to More Strategic, Sustainable Growth

The benefits of faster pickups extend beyond individual transactions.

Herndon noted that in conjunction with their adoption of InTempo CTX, Black Diamond's fleet has grown while utilization has remained steady. More equipment is moving through the business without a corresponding increase in logistical complexity.

“Our fleet has grown by around 10 to 15 percent. We are as heavily utilized as last year at this time, which means we actually have more gear out on deals moving back and forth.”

At the same time, they are managing this expanded fleet with the same drivers, trucks, and available hours.

“Post-CTX, we have the same number of drivers and the same number of trucks, working just as many hours as before…but they are simply accomplishing more,” Herndon noted. “By using the InTempo CTX platform for both pickups and deliveries, we use our drivers more efficiently. They are simply getting more done with the same set of trucks.”

Herndon also noted a financial win-win that accompanied this shift.

“Our drivers are quite happy that they didn’t lose any money in their pocket from us switching to a more efficient delivery and pickup system. The company has saved [on outside hauling costs that were previously being paid to a third party], but it didn’t come at the expense of our team members. We don’t believe in taking money out of our team’s pockets. With the fall in outside haulers, which was dramatic, we are able to still get more gear picked up and delivered using our own guys, keeping them within federal DOT limits while still allowing them to earn the overtime they were used to getting.”

Build a Similar Advantage for Your Equipment Rental Business

It isn’t easy to turn equipment around quickly – but InTempo CTX makes it doable. To see how it can help you speed up your turn times and generate more rental revenue, contact us or request a demo