Access to live data is more critical now than ever before as carriers navigate an unstable global market that is also pressured by inflation. Waiting for data that may end up containing a human error costs time and money. For companies with freight to move at a moment’s notice, waiting isn’t an option.
The sooner carrier staff can get data, the quicker and more confidently they can make logistics and route planning decisions. The question becomes: How can carriers receive data instantly, and accurately, from drivers over the road?
With the recent launch of DDC Sync, an enterprise solution from DDC FPO, that process is painless. DDC Sync connects carriers and drivers with its web portal built for terminal staff and a mobile app designed for drivers. Using this platform, terminal management and administrators get near real-time data visibility for load planning, dock operations and route optimization to move freight quicker.
DDC Sync allows drivers to use a mobile app with intuitive smart capture to instantly take high-quality images of bills of lading (BOLs) that are then processed with the driver’s terminal staff or operation staff of DDC. The platform helps carriers receive data almost a business day earlier than past processes.
While other applications require the driver to manually key the data, resulting in the possibility of human error, DDC Sync’s smart optical character recognition technology (OCR) reads, auto-enhances, crops and submits BOL data for processing with just a picture.
Carrier operations can rest assured that no matter what the signal is like, important data won’t disappear. The mobile app is designed to overcome daily technology challenges that drivers face, including data transmission in dead zones.
An image taken in an area with a poor signal gets stored offline and is re-uploaded in the background for transmission when the signal is restored. DDC’s OCR engine is built into the mobile app, so even if a driver takes a low-quality photo without a signal, they will be alerted right away if it needs to be retaken.
“What we didn’t want was for a driver to be halfway down the road and to be pinged if there was a rejection. They’ve got to scramble for paperwork. They won’t deal with it until they get to their next stop. We wanted that instant rejection so the driver doesn’t get frustrated,” Richard Greening, Global Technical Director at DDC, said.
Terminal staff members aren’t the only ones that benefit from the platform. The mobile app’s gamification feature ensures proper adoption and engagement from the drivers, helping to teach them how to effectively use the app. Drivers can enjoy friendly competition by joining a dispatcher’s team and earning badges based on a variety of tasks, including the quality of their images.
“With the clients we’ve rolled it out to so far, it’s kind of been a bit of a breath of fresh air amongst all the stress of last year. It really is turning something that is a labor-intensive and cost-effective chore into something more interesting and fun,” Greening said.
With driver turnover being a continuous issue across the industry, having a tool that allows carriers to get the data they need while at the same time boosting driver satisfaction is a way to increase both efficiency and driver retention.