Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/936627
n P A R T N E R S O L U T I O N S / N A T I O N A L C A R R I E R E X C H A N G E comes to position fixes, across all kinds of terrain and situations. The NCX ELD also has a six-axis accelerometer, so it can detect and analyze vehicle motion even when there are no satellite signals available at all, such as in tunnels. The ELD includes an internal reserve power supply as well, to ensure smooth data saving and shutdown in the event of power loss. But beyond all of these technical features, the biggest benefit of the NCX ELD for most of its users is financial – because there is no recurring monthly cost to operate the NCX ELD. Unlike other devices that come with costly monthly fees, NCX d s not charge a fee and, in addition, you have full access to NCX's free fleet management platform. In short, not only do NCX ELDs pay for themselves, but the larger a fleet you have, the more money you save each month using NCX ELDs over ones with monthly fees. Q What are the fees involved in using the NCX platform? A There aren't any fees to use the platform to manage your fleets and loads. If you want to use NCX to manage your business, track your trucks, schedule and dispatch your loads, issue tracking numbers, create and send invoices, handle your ELDs, it's free and will remain free. Q How do owner-operators fit into the system? A That's an excellent question, because when we say the words "fleet management," a lot of owner- operators lose interest, thinking that because they don't own a fleet, NCX isn't something they need. But NCX can help. Owner-operators can use the NCX ELD alone, or with any of the other fleet management and dispatch functions of the platform, and there is no recurring monthly fee. The fleet management portion of NCX is optimized for use by one or more dispatchers who use the NCX web app on a computer, to monitor and dispatch one or more trucks whose drivers are running the NCX mobile app. So, think about it – for those owner-operators who have a family member filling the dispatcher role, NCX can be an amazingly useful tool to help increase their overall efficiency and at the same time, present a very professional face to customers, with clean, neatly generated invoices and free tracking numbers. For those owner-operators who are running solo, the fleet management, dispatch, tracking and invoicing tools provided by NCX require a few more steps to take advantage of, as they have to act as both driver and dispatcher in the system. However, later this year, we plan to launch a new NCX app optimized for solo owner- operators. The app will enable solo owner- operators to perform all the NCX functions they need the most, such as invoicing, issuing tracking numbers and interacting with their ELD, while hiding away the other sections (like fleet management) that they don't need. Solo owner-operators don't need to hesitate, though — they can use the current NCX platform and then migrate over to the new app when it's available. Q How do Drivers use NCX? A NCX was designed to be easy for drivers to use, making sure all load details, contact info and temperature settings are located in one handy place. The app has two parts: one for interacting with an NCX ELD, and the other for reviewing and interacting with loads that the dispatcher has assigned them to haul. During the pickup and delivery process, drivers simply press a button to send a haul status update. We even have automatic updates that get sent out, to smooth the process. For a pickup, a driver would tap a button to indicate when they're en route, then again when checked in and picked up. For deliveries, those updates are "checked in" and "delivered." After delivering a load, the driver is prompted to capture copies of the proof of delivery — the signed bill of lading — using the built-in document scanner in the NCX app. The dispatcher (and anyone they shared a tracking number with for that load) instantly have access to the scanned documents. Then, they just proceed on to the next load. Because the drivers have all the necessary details on the load already in their hand, exactly as provided by their dispatcher, they rarely need to call in and ask for more information. Q Will this program make my dispatcher's life easier and more productive? A By switching over to electronic dispatching instead of endless Owner: Becky Thelen Hofer Company: Hofer Ag Logistics LLC Location: Huron, South Dakota Business: Livestock and refrigerated transport in the lower 48 states "NCX has allowed us to streamline our back-office management and paperwork flow. It has also eliminated many distractions for drivers. We are able to communicate all necessary information to our drivers through the app and do not have to have customers or brokers distracting them with check calls."