Hello all,
I’ve recently retired from a large corporation where I was involved in trucking and warehouse waiting time measurements (I managed the IT systems). We always used our own figures so that we could control when waiting time started. i.e. the driver had to complete the document arrival process before the clock started ticking and the waiting time service level agreement kicked in.
Now that I am retired I have been asked by a local trucking company to write an independent App that their drivers can use to log their own arrival and departure times. I’m in the early stages of the design and I thought I would ask the forum members for their feedback. This is my outline plan
- Driver arrives at security gate post or equivalent.
- Driver opens the smart phone app and logs in. The app offers two options (a) Arrive me or (b) Depart me. (if there are any live arrival records).
- Drivers selects (a) “Arrive me” and the system prompts for a location or Company name. The data is logged to a central database with the geo-location/co-ordinates of the phone. (used for audit). An email is sent to the company saying the driver has arrived and is waiting.
- Paperwork checked and driver sent to waiting area.
- Truck is loaded or unloaded.
- Driver completes exit process, logs onto smart phone app and selects (b) Depart me.
Each week the driver can review a list of waiting times and data can be download into Excel for their companies use. (See why below).
So, could I ask for any feedback on such things as…
Should the app collect more data about the loads to help validate the overall time spent on the job?
Would drivers be happy to switch on locations services on their phones?
Would drivers have access to email addresses for the company they were visiting?
Would drivers be able to cheat a system like this?
I would also like to offer anyone a chance to get involved with this App as I have not been in a truck for a very long time and do not know what other modern facilities are now out there.
The Power of Documentation
Perhaps you’re aware of the power of documentation and creating a “paper trail.” Doctors do it, attorneys do it, even trucking companies do it. Evidence matters.
Records must be kept on some things. Records should be kept on other things.
Manufacturers of quality products issue warranties; consumers are encouraged to retain their receipts and warranty info, should they need it at a later time to replace or repair an item. We personally retain documents on certain things that we pay for with time or money, especially large ticket items.
