Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/821508
commercial carrier journal | may 2017 63 TECHNOLOGY: DRIVER MOBILE APPS Cat-certified scales. e Transflo Mobile app has in-motion restriction technolo- gy that allows fleets to disable certain features while a vehicle is moving. Pegasus also offers the Transflo Telematics enterprise system through Transflo Connect to provide ELD-compliant driver logs and vehicle and driver performance reporting. "We are trying to build everything we can into one app so that drivers can manage their entire workday," says Rick Bradberry, chief marketing officer of Pegasus TransTech. EBE is planning an icon-driven menu interface for its CMC mobile app. e Command Center interface will expand the app beyond document capture to give drivers a "single window into all functions," says Cindy Nelson, vice president of marketing and business development. ose functions will include one-click access to any web- based driver management application their fleets use from the EBE Ships platform, including payroll and settlements, driver safety, compliance, online training and performance scorecards. e Command Center also can include integrations with third-party applications and will give drivers notifications for missing work, such as a driver vehicle inspection report. Also, all of the Ships web-based driver management applications are getting a new responsive design to optimize the interface for any size of device and web browser. Companion apps Companies that supply mobile fleet management systems can allow their customers to deploy their soware on Apple or An- droid devices. Some also have companion apps that drivers can install on personal devices. ProBuild, a supplier of lumber and building materials, has 360 locations in 40 states and a delivery fleet of 2,400 vehicles. One reason the Denver-based company uses the Telogis platform – with apps for electronic logs, DVIR telematics, navigation, route optimization and more – is its multi-device flexibility. ProBuild uses iPhones and other Apple iOS devices. "What- ever we picked, we knew it had better be easy to use to make it easier to get it out to the field," says Tom Gustafson, IT director. e Apple iOS platform also fits ProBuild's long-term vision for mobility, Gustafson says. Omnitracs is planning a mobile app suite that motor carriers can offer to their drivers to extend functionality from its in-cab IVG and MCP platforms. One of the first products will be an hours-of-service app that will allow drivers to change duty status and view their logs, says Laura Lohrke, senior product manager. New mobile versions of Omnitracs' DVIR and messaging capabilities also will be early additions to the suite. e company plans to create new apps that will work independently from the in-cab platforms and allow drivers to keep certain data and func- tions in their apps as they change carriers, such as their previous eight days of electronic log data. PeopleNet's companion mobile app, ConnectedDriver, has a new user interface. Several app functions such as messages, duty status and HOS daily summaries have been relocated to make them easier to use. rough ConnectedDriver, drivers can view up to 14 days of detailed HOS data. Going mobile with TMS Companies that develop enterprise soware systems for transportation management traditionally have not competed with products from Omnitracs, PeopleNet and other telematics providers. at soon could change. McLeod Soware offers a privately branded driver mobile app that its carrier clients can use to give their drivers access to certain functions in the LoadMaster TMS system, such as messaging and payroll settlements. McLeod also is considering a deeper partnership with telematics provider Geotab to add more features to the app. "ere are a lot of things we can do, but we are going to do common-sense things," says Mack Killough, vice president of soware development for McLeod Soware. "e technology is there, and we are going to take advantage of it, because if not, we know someone else will." TMW Systems and PeopleNet both are owned by Trimble. TMW does not have a driver mobile app that would compete with PeopleNet, but TMW customers who use the Innovative IES TMS system have a new option to keep drivers connected outside the cab. IES Mobile Driver is a web interface that drivers can access from their Android or iOS devices to review and manage trip details and messages, monitor HOS, view current routes and examine paycheck information. e vast majority of truck drivers own smartphones and are willing to use technology that keeps them connected to make their workday easier. For asset and nonasset transportation companies, the cost to deploy mobile driver apps is much less expensive than traditional approaches, especially since drivers today are more willing to cover the cost of the hardware and wireless data plans. PeopleNet's ConnectedDriver companion mobile app has a new user interface with sev- eral app functions – such as messages, duty status and HOS – relocated to make them easier to use.