Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/409540
58 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2014 TECHNOLOGY: DISPATCH SOFTWARE and trucks from any Virtual Fleet Pro member. Available trucks appear on Sweetland's dispatch board in the TMS, while its own available trucks can be dispatched by other carrier and broker members, Gavriloski says. The capacity of the Alliance network and the visibility, connectivity and e-commerce tools of the integrated TMS platform both help Sweetland compete with larger companies and retain cus- tomers, he says. Fleets and brokers traditionally have used TMS systems in a client-server setup. Users needed the screen space and function keys of desktops and laptops to enter orders, dispatch loads and perform other complex tasks. Today, TMS systems have become more mobile-friendly, providing trans- portation providers more freedom to extend robust applications to employees on the go. Fleets and brokers are using a variety of technologies to extend the knowledge and automation in their office out to their mobile workers. THE MOBILE FLEET MANAGER An Internet connection makes it possible to access the full features of nearly any TMS system, but people expect to use information differently in a mobile envi- ronment. They want to see it presented in a clear summarized fashion and be able to perform quick simple tasks. Chris Hummer, vice president of Don Hummer Trucking, a 200-truck company based in Oxford, Iowa, recently used the McLeod Anywhere mobile app while talking to a carrier that does business with his company's freight brokerage operation. Don Hummer Trucking is one of more than 120 motor carriers and brokers who use the app. The carrier raised a question about an order. Hummer used his mobile device to pull up an image of the invoice that the carrier had sent and viewed other infor- mation about the order. The questions were answered immediately – while both people were out of the office. The McLeod Anywhere app is designed to allow users to view information from McLeod Software's LoadMaster and Pow- erBroker TMS systems as well as create and edit orders, dispatch trucks and send electronic funds to drivers, among other interactive features. Hummer says McLeod Anywhere helps him and other company managers stay on top of exceptions, called Rapid Alerts. Users get an instant notification and can take steps to clear the alert while away from their desks. Clay Murdock, president of Doug Andrus Trucking, uses McLeod Anywhere to keep a close eye on his business' performance. The 280-truck carrier based in Idaho Falls, Idaho, uses the optional Vital Signs module to monitor key performance metrics for deadhead, miles and revenue. "I am really passionate about Vital Signs," Murdock says. "Maybe so passion- ate that it drives my wife crazy because when we are on a date, I'm always checking to see where we are at and what is going on. It consumes you because you really want to know where you are at right now." TMW Systems is in the final stages of developing its TMW Go app for both Apple and Android devices. TMW Go will be designed to provide fleet manag- ers instant access to load status and order summary information viewable on a map from ALK Technologies. Companies can set up individual filters, views and reports for each mobile user. TMW Systems also is working to make the user experience for its enter- prise software more closely resemble that of mobile devices. "You expect a user experience that guides you in understanding the app, one that presents information in a logical Sweetland Transport can access its office essentials in a mobile environment by using the Sylectus cloud-based transportation management software system. Sylectus offers apps for fleets looking to lever- age the convenience and efficiency of mobile devices to enhance business operations and improve communication with drivers.