Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/936627
commercial carrier journal | february 2018 45 INNOVATORS LOAD ONE Taylor, Mich. as an Innovator in 2012 for launching an online rewards program that improved driver engagement and retention. Since March 2017, the pace of technol- ogy development has accelerated a er Load One contracted with App Nouveau Canada as its exclusivetransportation technology consultant and developer. ANC was formed by developers with extensive experience in transportation- related so ware and programming. Ed De Leon, chief executive, was a founder of the web-based Sylectus dispatch andtransportation management systemused by Load One and other expedite carriers. With deep knowledge of the Sylectus database, ANC programmers moved quickly to develop integrated applica- tions. One of the rst projects was Load One Track, a mobile app that gives cus- tomers total transparency of shipments. With the app, Load One's shipper and third-party logistics customers can view real-time locations and ETAs and receive instant alerts for any potential delays caused by weather and other events. A er launching the customer app, Load One rolled out its own driver app last December. e goal was to give employees and contractors a tool that no other carrier o ers, Elliott says. Some features in the driver app such as instant two-way messaging, document scanning and access to payroll settle- ments are common in other apps devel- oped by industry suppliers and carriers. Load One app helps company's drivers make the most of their planning decisions BY AARON HUFF O n Tuesday, Jan. 9, owner-operator Rick Downey had loaded in Portsmouth, N.H., and was headed south to Norfolk, Va., for a next-day delivery. Downey had been to Norfolk two times previously for Taylor, Mich.-based expedite carrier Load One. His own records show he waited between one to two days a er unloading to receive his next dispatch. Layovers are common in the expedite business, says John Elliott, Load One's found- er and chief executive o cer. e company is among the largest full-service transpor- tation and logistics providers in the expedite segment with a eet of 400 power units. About 80 percent of orders from customers have immediate service requirements. Expeditors are like an ambulance service, Elliott says, and this makes it nearly impos- sible to pre-plan loads for drivers. e standard dispatch practice is to call drivers who are closest to the available loads. If two or more drivers are in the same area, dispatch moves according to wait times — rst driver in, rst out. Until recently, drivers relied on experience and advice or "best guesses" from dispatchers to position themselves for the next load. Drivers typically go to the closest major city or the nearest truck stop, but guesswork and waiting "inherently builds up anxiety and frustration," Downey says. Hours may turn into days, and "the squirrels in your mind start spinning, and you wonder 'What is going on?' " Accelerating change Load One always is looking for ways to di erentiate its services and innovate for customers and drivers, says Elliott. e company previously was recognized by CCJ The expedite hauler's mapping tool provides drivers with historical and real-time data on demand and capacity. Load One developed a driver app to give employees and contractors a tool that no other carrier o ers, says John Elliott, the company's founder and CEO.