CCJ

February 2015

Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal

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40 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | FEBRUARY 2015 technology T he information delivered by motor carriers can be as valuable as the freight. Without accurate and timely shipment status updates, a manufacturer may be forced to shut down a production line and incur losses greater than the value of the goods in transit. Many fleets already use technology to deliver shipment status to customers – the contents, pickup-and-delivery times, real-time location and more. But while this critical information already is communicated electronically, paper documents still are being used as proof-of-delivery receipts. It long has been standard practice for shippers to hand drivers a bill of lading, or manifest, when they pick up a shipment. These documents accompany the shipment to the destination to be signed and returned to the fleet as a POD receipt for billing. In a less-than-truckload environment, paper manifests stack up quickly and may get lost in the shuffle as driv- ers, dock workers and office employees route freight. In truckload, manifests typically stay with the same truck and driver. In both types of businesses, a combination of back-office and mobile technologies can be used to bypass the paper trail and move information electronically from start to finish. The back office Transportation management software systems can help keep paper out of the office. LTL carriers traditionally have been inundated by paper manifests coming into their cross- dock facilities and being shuffled around before going out with deliveries. Carrier Logistics Inc. has helped fleets eliminate paper with a dock management application that runs on mobile devices. The app gives dock workers real-time information to execute the shipments and routes according to plan. The dock management system integrates with CLI's Facts back-office dispatch, routing and accounting soft- ware. These technologies help move shipments through cross-dock facilities at a high velocity, says Ben Weisen, vice president of products and support. Most TMS systems, including Facts, also support a variety of mobile POD applications that drivers can use to capture document images and electronic signatures to help eliminate the flow of paper into the office. Going mobile Some POD applications can eliminate paper manifests al- together. These applications integrate with TMS systems to present drivers with pickup-and-delivery information they otherwise would get from paper documents. The applica- tions also can be used to store manifests electronically and capture electronic signatures for paperless POD receipts. CrossCountry Freight Solutions, a 210-truck LTL carrier based in Bismarck, N.D., uses a mobile app from Blackbay. Drivers use the app to scan barcodes at pickups and deliver- ies and capture electronic signatures. The app integrates with CrossCountry's back-office systems to provide customers with electronic POD receipts in focus: PAPERLESS PROOF OF DELIVERY Manifest destiny Technology takes the paper out of POD BY AARON HUFF

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