Imperial Dade Canada operates as the Canadian arm of North America's premier distributor of foodservice packaging, commercial cleaning supplies, janitorial equipment, and industrial packaging. With 28 facilities nationwide and over 100,000 products in their portfolio, Imperial Dade supports customers across sectors such as grocery, foodservice, healthcare, hospitality, and government. Their expansive reach, product variety, and commitment to customer support set them apart in their industry.
In just a few years, Imperial Dade Canada has doubled in size - growing from a $1 billion corporation to $2 billion and expanding its fleet from 110 to 204 power units. Growth at this scale brings tremendous opportunity, but also new challenges in fleet safety, regulatory compliance, and sustainability. To address these challenges effectively, Imperial Dade partnered with Assured Telematics, their Authorized Geotab Reseller, to implement fleet management solutions that enhance driver safety, reduce emissions, and deliver measurable operational improvements.
At Imperial Dade, safety is embraced as a company-wide value. The leadership team fosters a “don’t walk by” mindset: if someone notices an issue, they’re empowered to say something or fix it immediately. This culture of shared accountability extends across drivers, warehouse staff, and management, making safety a collective responsibility rather than a siloed obligation.
Telematics plays a critical role in reinforcing that culture. By providing real time fleet data on behaviors such as speeding, hard braking, or sharp cornering, it enables coaching and encouragement rather than punitive enforcement. One powerful tool is their driver scorecard system, which tracks safety metrics, empowers weekly reviews, and nurtures positive dialogues between managers and drivers. These scorecards bring transparency to safety progress and turn data into actionable insight. When employees see clear metrics, they understand how improvements tie to company goals and to their own recognition.
Commercial driver compliance, covering Hours of Service (HOS), inspections, and roadside audits, can feel fragmented, complex, and stressful. Without streamlined tools, drivers and managers face a high administrative burden and elevated risk of errors. Imperial Dade knew they needed a better process to transform compliance from a chore into a confidence-building feature.
With Geotab’s intuitive platform, customized by Assured Telematics, drivers log in via mobile or tablet and instantly access their duty status, hours, and inspection records. When regulators ask for information, they can present it right away, reducing stress and enhancing trust in their processes. No more scrambling for paperwork or trying to recall specific details - everything is at their fingertips.
The platform’s user-friendly design ensures adoption is seamless across all experience levels, including veteran drivers. One driver described it simply: “It’s so user-friendly that unless you didn’t know how to use a phone, you’d have no trouble with the app.” This demonstrates how thoughtful integration of technology can simplify compliance without disrupting day-to-day operations.
Imperial Dade has also achieved notable success in reducing idle time and lowering fuel costs - areas where improvements add up quickly. Before using telematics, the company averaged over $200,000 in idle-related fuel expenses annually. By collaborating with Assured Telematics to generate custom idling reports, monitor patterns, and coach drivers, that figure dropped dramatically to about $60,000 per year, a powerful example of operational and environmental gains working hand in hand.
The team has set an ambitious but achievable target: reducing idle time to three minutes per hour. Through consistent scorecard tracking and transparent reporting, both management and drivers stay aligned on progress. These results show how using data for accountability isn’t just good for efficiency - it’s good for the bottom line and the planet.
“The idle reports opened our eyes. When drivers could actually see the numbers for themselves, it clicked. That’s when we started to see real behavior change, and the results have been huge.”
These achievements underscore Imperial Dade’s dual priorities: smarter operations and stronger sustainability. With clear data, drivers and managers alike understand the impact of small changes: fuel saved, emissions cut, dollars returned to the business.
One of the most powerful aspects of Imperial Dade Canada’s success story is the partnership behind the technology. By offering custom reporting, ongoing support, and dedicated account management, Assured Telematics acts as a trusted extension of Imperial Dade’s team.
This partnership has been key to making the technology not only functional, but impactful. Assured Telematics delivers fast, customized solutions that ensure fleet managers always have the insights they need, when they need them. By bridging the gap between technology and day-to-day operations, Assured Telematics makes sure data translates into real results. Learn more about Telematics Development Services, including custom integrations and analytics expertise that help fleets maximize their ROI.
As Rob Barr, Senior Transportation Manager at Imperial Dade, shared:
“My relationship with Assured Telematics has been outstanding. No matter how unusual the request, Frank and his team come through every single time. I don’t wait days for a report - usually it’s only an hour, and it’s done exactly the way I need it.”
That level of responsiveness and customization is what sets Assured Telematics apart. Every fleet operates differently, and our role is to ensure that telematics solutions are not just implemented, but optimized. This is what turns technology into true business value.
The story doesn’t end here - Imperial Dade is already preparing for the next leap forward in fleet technology. They’ve planned an integration of Geotab with Hyundai’s trailer camera system to bring greater visibility and awareness to drivers in real time. By combining telematics with video analytics, they’ll improve safety, accountability, and operational insight across their growing fleet. Each new investment builds on proven results, aligning with their commitment to operational safety, compliance, and sustainable growth. With Assured Telematics by their side, Imperial Dade ensures every new tool adds strategic value.
Imperial Dade Canada’s journey highlights how combining culture, technology, and strategic partnership can transform fleet operations. Their story demonstrates that:
Culture
When safety feels shared rather than enforced, accountability and trust grow.
Technology
User-centric solutions make compliance and performance tracking part of the workflow - not an extra layer.
Partnership
Human, responsive support turns tech into actionable insight, faster and smarter.
Sustainability
Data-driven decisions cut costs and reduce emissions—delivering both business and environmental wins.
For organizations scaling rapidly, the Imperial Dade model shows what’s possible when vision, purpose, and support come together. It’s proof that with the right partner, shared values, and smart tools, growth can be smart growth.
Contact Assured Telematics to learn how we can help your fleet achieve greater safety, compliance, and sustainability.
“My relationship with Assured Telematics has been outstanding. No matter how unusual the request, Frank and his team come through every single time. I don’t wait days for a report - usually it’s only an hour, and it’s done exactly the way I need it.”
Rob Barr
Senior Transportation Manager, Imperial Dade
