The introduction of electronic logging devices (ELD) to the freight industry has led to many other companies creating complementary products using the data these devices collect. Bolt System is one of those companies.
Bolt, a fleet management and freight tracking software company with an 18-year track record, is introducing a driver app called Tandem Workflow that utilizes ELD data and connects to Bolt’s freight tracking system to give fleets more insight into driver activities and drivers more control over delivery concerns while simultaneously cutting the paperwork burden.
The product is being shown this week at the National Private Truck Council’s (NPTC) 2019 Annual Education Management Conference and Exhibition, at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Tandem Workflow connects with Bolt’s freight tracking, which monitors and tracks freight down to the stock keeping unit (SKU) level, and provides the driver information including navigation, load pickup and delivery details, detention time, proof-of-delivery documentation through its document scanning system, and even weather at the destination.
The Bolt system, which runs on smartphones and tablets, allows for immediate invoicing and gives drivers the ability to add comments to deliveries and rate those deliveries on a five-star basis.
Profiles can be built regarding individual product handling requirements and load/unload processes to improve efficiency. Information can be collected at each pickup or delivery location to identify trend information that can be essential when sales reps are negotiating transportation contracts, the company said.
Jerry Robertson, chief technology officer, told FreightWaves that the inclusion of detention time is designed to eliminate debates as to whether the driver was on location or not.
Using connected telematics solutions enables en route updates, allowing for dock personnel to prepare for loading or unloading to eliminate wait times. The ELD feeds hours-of-service information in the fleet dashboard so fleets know key information such as available drive hours as well as number of stops remaining.
Robertson also said that more integrations are likely. The system currently integrates with refrigeration sensors. The Tandem Workflow app is only available when a fleet purchases the Bolt freight tracking system as the two systems work together.
“We’re watching freight, we don’t care if its three or four drivers hauling it,” Robertson said. The idea, though, was to bring more visibility and efficiency to the process.
When a customer dispatches a load to a driver, the driver sees the destination on their device as well as a map of the route and estimated time of arrival. Weather and traffic alerts can be checked. For customers with fuel preferences, a driver can hit the fuel symbol on the app and find the closest preferred fueling station.
Fleets can also message their drivers through the app.
“Our new app is very robust with features,” Robertson said. “The name of the game is productivity and giving drivers tools that make their job easier.”
Tandem Workflow, which is a Software-as-a-Service product and requires a monthly subscription, is in final testing and should be available in May.