As an operator of a trucking company, you are probably using a Transportation Management System (TMS) such as TMW or McLeod. These systems allow your operations team to effectively plan and manage their freight enabling you to better meet your customer’s expectations and grow your business.
You recognize the importance of a TMS, without it your internal operations wouldn’t have the tools they need to be as successful as possible, but what about the most important piece of your operations staff… your drivers?
Are your drivers able to easily access information to the loads your internal staff has spent so much time planning and optimizing?
The industry term you will hear thrown around a lot for solving this problem is called “driver workflow” and essentially it is providing your drivers screen in which they can see and interact with the planned loads in your TMS system.
A proper driver workflow application will allow your dispatch team to send load information to your drivers and well as provide step-by-step instructions on how to deliver said loads.
But where do you find driver workflow applications and what are some features that you should be looking for in choosing the one that is right for you?
Most modern MobileComm / ELD providers are providing driver workflow interface in the software used on their devices. When choosing an MobileComm / ELD, look something that fits your eye on both features and driver usability.
If you already have invested in a telematics provider, there are also several add-on options on the market that allow you to add the driver workflow experience to a driver’s cell phone in the form of an app instead of completely re-investing in new hardware.
Now that you know what driver workflow is and how to acquire it, here are a few core features we would recommend looking for on any driver workflow application you are considering buying:
- An easy-to-use interface for your drivers
- Real-time load status updates communicated directly back to your TMS
- Built in two-way instant messaging for fast communication with your drivers
- Ability to instantly change load information such as commodities, trailer number, & piece count
- Auto-arrival / departure functionality
If you are still looking for more information on driver workflow applications, give us a call, we have a strong background working with most of the top MobileComm / ELD providers in the industry as well as our own driver workflow app known as VIA® Mobile. We would be happy to give you some advice on a solution that would be best for you.
We hope you enjoyed this blog, if you want to learn more about Tranztec or VIA, we would love to hear from you through our instant chat, social media, contact page, or phone.
You can also keep up to date on everything Tranztec by subscribing to our newsletter.