Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
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MAKING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS WORK FOR YOUR FLEET BY AARON HUFF LoadMaster and PowerBroker two years ago. The basic functionality of the first versions has been expanded with new features such as mobile dispatch messaging and real-time exception alerts for fleet managers. In the first quarter of 2013, McLeod Software plans to release a visual workflow product to allow users to define custom workflows in their system, allowing users to produce new workflows without having to pay for custom programming. "It is a very powerful product that we believe will be a game-changer for the way you run operations," McLeod said. "If you are prepared, you can take advantage of these opportunities." – TOM MCLEOD, PRESIDENT AND CEO, MCLEOD SOFTWARE The company also is building new scorecard functionality into its busi- ness intelligence framework. Business owners and managers can marry their strategic planning with day-to-day execution by choosing what metrics to monitor and then comparing planned versus actual performance over time. Another soon-to-be released product is a customer relationship management system that will have seamless integration to LoadMaster and PowerBro- ker to move cus- tomers through the sales cycle with all financial, load activity and other information ac- cessible in one place. "Companies who are experiencing the most growth are those with a well-trained experienced sales force," McLeod said. McLeod Software also is developing computer telephony integration that will trigger a popup screen of infor- mation for all incoming calls. Users will see who is calling and be given a prequeried set of information that the caller is likely to request, allowing users to "take out some of the reaction mode," Brothers says. When a customer calls, users quickly could access orders, quotes and billing history; and when a driver calls, the system preque- ries current dispatch and location information. At the user conference, PeopleNet and Qualcomm announced integra- tions with McLeod Software prod- ucts. PeopleNet's integration with McLeod LoadMaster inserts optimized fuel stops in the driver's route plan, which is delivered directly to the in-cab navigation applications – ALK CoPilot Truck and Maptuit NaviGo – that cur- rently run on the PeopleNet platform. Qualcomm's In-Cab Navigation ap- plication offerings now are integrated with McLeod LoadMaster, offering au- tomatic stop-by-stop routing through the In-Cab Navigation applications and removing a driver's need to enter addresses manually. Qualcomm also announced enhancements to McLeod's LoadMaster LTL enterprise dispatch and operations system to improve driver workflow. AARON HUFF is Senior Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail ahuff@ccjmagazine.com or call (801) 754-4296. INBRIEF • Qualcomm Inc. updated its Trailer Tracks 210 untethered trailer tracking platform, which now features a one-piece hardware configuration designed for easy installation and an embedded solar charging system to help preserve equip- ment uptime and battery life. • Vigillo released its Daylight Driver Index, a scor- ing system that describes an individual driver' s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration record using Compliance Safety Accountability data. DDI assigns a single number (0-100) to drivers based on safety inspections and crash records. • TransCore's DAT Load Boards, Truckload Rate Index and other services now incorporate PC Miler by ALK Technologies as the primary mile- age, routing and mapping solution. • Cadec Global, a provider of fleet management solutions, announced expanded Performance Management Scorecards as part of its PowerVue system to help fleet managers track and report driver and vehicle performance more closely in real time, improving safety, fuel efficiency and customer service. • Rand McNally's latest updates to its MileMaker and IntelliRoute software for truck-specific routing, mileages and mapping include updated postal codes for Canada and Mexico, updated ZIP and Standard Point Location Codes, updated toll costs for the United States and Canada, and overhauled rest areas, weigh stations, service areas and welcome centers. • Cheetah Software Systems and Efreightsolu- tions teamed to offer an integrated logistics intelligence solution by matching Cheetah' s logistics platform with Efreightsolutions' trans- portation management system. • Spireon Inc. updated its VehiclePath 2.0 User Interface, VP2500 GPS device and VehiclePath Website. The company also announced a strategic relationship with Verizon to deliver its FleetLocate fleet management solutions. COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2012 41