Rottler Goes High-Tech to Beat Traffic Tie-Ups

Editor's note: An article in the Overland-St. Ann Journal details how Rottler Pest & Lawn Solutions began using new mapping software and handheld technology to ensure a more-efficient use of vehicles, fuel and time. Here is an excerpt from that article.

At first glance, the high-tech devices used by Rottler Pest & Lawn Solutions seem to be a good way to help the company’s service vehicles navigate around the Highway 40 overhaul.

After all, the 52-year-old company headquartered off of St. Charles Rock Road in Charlack services a lot of territory on both sides of Highway 40.

And as President and CEO Mike Rottler acknowledged, while there have not been the traffic tie-ups that many feared, there probably will be.“It’s still early,” he said. “You’ll see it beginning around Memorial Day.”

The start of the summer travel season, the time when more people come to St. Louis to visit the Zoo, go to the riverfront and see a Cardinals game is also the start of Rottler’s busy summer season. That’s when the devices will pay off, he said.

“We tried to build routes because of the 40 issue,” Rottler said.

But for now, company leaders are pleased the new-fangled software — which feeds hand-held devices assigned to the technicians — allows them to more-efficiently schedule their 80-plus vehicles and 90 employees throughout the metro region.

Click here to read the entire article.