Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/821508
commercial carrier journal | may 2017 61 D rivers for Pottle's Transportation use in-cab devices and applications from Omnitracs for routine work in the cab, such as electronic logging and messaging. About 18 months ago, management at the Ban- gor, Maine-based fleet gave drivers the option to install an app on their personal devices, providing them with visibility to dispatch assignments, payroll settlements, safety records and more. "e app eliminates the need for drivers to go to the truck to get information," says Chelsea Pottle Demmons, vice president of the 160-truck fleet. Pottle's gets drivers home every weekend. ose who don't use the app might come back to headquarters on Saturday or Sunday to get in their trucks and see their preplanned assignments. With the app, drivers can get the same communications at home to determine when they need to start their next trip. Pottle's is using a privately branded mobile app from Mc- Leod Soware that connects to live information from the fleet's LoadMaster enterprise system, also from McLeod. Demmonds estimates that half of Pottle's drivers use the app regularly. Keeping drivers connected has become an important strategy for motor carriers, not only to increase efficiency but also to enhance driver satisfaction. Fleets have many options to deploy mobile apps that simplify driver workflow, increase efficiencies and remove frustration points from both the workday and the trucking lifestyle in general. e options generally fall into two categories – enterprise apps and companion apps – although the lines can be blurry, as technology suppliers rarely operate in silos. Scaling the mobile enterprise Enterprise mobile apps are designed to give drivers a single sign- on experience to the full range of a carrier's workflow, inside or outside the cab. Covenant Transport (CCJ Top 250, No. 41) deployed such an app in October 2015. Management opted to use Pegasus TransTech's Transflo product that offers a number of features to simplify driver workflow. e app also allows carriers to include their own custom features. From his office window, Doug Schrier has a view of the equip- ment yard at Covenant Transportation Group in Chattanooga, Tenn., where about 150 trailers are parked in rows. As trucks move through the yard, it's obvious which drivers use the CTG Mobile app. ose who don't have it pass by slowly in search of assigned trailer numbers to pick up. Drivers may spend up to 15 minutes looking, says Schrier, vice president of continuous improvement and project management for CTG. Drivers who use the app go immediately to their assigned trailer in the yard to hook up. ey have seen its exact Bangor, Maine-based Pottle's Transportation uses a privately branded mobile app from McLeod Software that connects to live information from the fleet's LoadMaster enterprise system. Fleets deploy mobile strategies to engage drivers inside and outside the cab BY AARON HUFF