Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/835233
74 commercial carrier journal | june 2017 TECHNOLOGY: AUTOMATING DRIVER PAY allow drivers to view their live payroll information to know what trips will be included in their next check. e app will integrate with Venezia's TMW.Suite back-of- fice soware system that automatically calculates mileages and tracks loading, unloading and detention events for driver pay. Another step that Venezia would like to automate is cap- turing arrival and departure events at shipping and receiving locations. Drivers currently capture these events by pushing "macro" keys on the fleet's onboard communications system. Configuring TMS systems Every motor carrier has its own unique setup for driver pay. Some pay hourly, some are mileage-based, and some may offer some combination of the two. Others may have elaborate schemes that pay drivers for performance and workflow activities. Some even pay for activities that may not be considered productive or generate revenue, such as equipment inspections, attending safe- ty meetings and other routine duties. Driver pay and settlements are woven intricately with the billing process, which is one of the core functions of transporta- tion management software systems. The variety of pay programs in the trucking industry makes it necessary for software developers to have flexible configuration options to create an automated process for cash flow processes. To set up an automated driver pay pro- gram and billing process in McLeod So- ware's LoadMaster TMS, motor carriers can use the FlowLogix visual workflow module. e module has templates and a tool to design custom flow charts, says Matt Davis, McLeod's senior FlowLogix developer. e automated process typically starts with the electronic capture of a POD receipt, along with other required documents for loading, unloading and detention events that may be subject to ac- cessorial charges. More fleets today are using mobile apps to capture these images, Davis says. FlowLogix compares the documents and data captured by a driver to each shipper's or customer's billing process. It also compares the captured data to the payroll and expense reimbursement process that is set up in the system's driver master files. As part of the process, FlowLogix can identify any excep- tions and trigger an automatic email to a driver, customer or other party to capture missing data or documents. If all of the workflow is complete, the system automatically will generate an invoice and driver settlement. e module also can be used to set up custom driver pay programs, including guaranteed pay. If a driver meets a set of performance criteria but fails to meet a weekly minimum for pay because of unforeseen circumstances such as weather or delays, FlowLogix can be used to configure a payroll process to increase the driver's pay to a certain amount, Davis says. Ray West, senior vice president and general manager of TMW Systems' soware product platforms, says that both activity-based and hourly driver pay programs are becoming more common among fleets that traditionally have used mileage-based pay. For hourly pay, TMW Systems can capture drivers' start and stop times using their login information for location-enabled mobile devices and applications. e company's TMS platforms include TMW.Suite, Innovative and TruckMate. ese platforms track a driver's progress against his planned load assignments to confirm that the work has been completed and to automate pay, West says. Accessorial pay such as detention charges or tarping for flatbed carriers can be set up in the customer's master files and verified by mobile data capture to automate payroll. TMW's e Dawg is an alerting system that can monitor key performance indica- tors for billing and payroll, such as hours, mileage, dwell time and on-duty and off-du- ty time. Fleets can use e Dawg to set up scorecards and KPIs for performance-based pay, guaranteed pay, incentives and other programs. ey also can create custom spreadsheets and import them into a TMW platform to automate payroll and settlement processes, West says. McLeod Software's Driver Scorecard module pulls data from a variety of sources to assist with driver pay programs. TMW Systems' IES Mobile gives drivers visibility to information in the enterprise, including payroll and hours-of-service duty status.