Reducing freight delivery time - Fleet Factors - Product/Service Evaluation

Concrete Producer, The, Jan, 2004

The new HOS rules will also have a big impact on shippers that do live loading and unloading. Since drivers will be "on the clock" while they are waiting to load or unload, it will be critical that they're processed quickly. If trailer pools are used, loaded trailers will need to be ready for drivers to pick up immediately.

If drivers are delayed at docks or jobsites, they may run out of hours and will be forced to wait 10 hours before proceeding. This will delay shipments unless the shipper is willing to pay the additional cost of bringing in another driver and/or track to take the shipment.

Under the new roles, a driver who runs out of hours at a shipper's facility cannot leave the property until the rest period is completed. That will create problems with congestion and flayed nerves in shipper parking lots. And shippers can expect to pay higher freight rates to cover some of the additional costs incurred by carriers.

Carriers have identified live load and unload appointments as a key area where the HOS rules could have the most impact. This implies that shippers using some form of automated dock scheduling (ADS) system will have a clear advantage over those that don't. ADS allows a shipper to optimize loading and avoid delaying drivers.

Producers heavily involved in dock shipping may want to invest in a more proactive approach. CarrierPoint, a Norcross, Ga.-based logistics software supplier, offers a dock door scheduling tool which can help mitigate the new HOS ruling impact.

DockMaster is a Web-based application that manages dock appointments in real time. Shippers can go online to schedule pickups and deliveries by their selected carriers, routing them to a pre-assigned loading or unloading door. Truckload and less-than-truckload carriers, in turn, can go online to schedule dock appointments without having to make long phone calls.

Most shippers and consignees say their schedulers currently spend at least 40% of their time on the phone scheduling and managing appointments. Shippers and carriers using DockMaster can collaborate to minimize dock waiting times and keep drivers moving. Performance reporting and customized business rules allow both parties to optimize schedules to suit specific needs at each location. An appointment book for a location can be configured in minutes using that location's business rules.

Using the software carriers can build a delivery route online that best maximizes the use of their equipment while still adhering to the load requirements of the shipper and consignee. They can also schedule single or multi-stop appointments without having to find contacts on the phone at each location.

To learn more about DockMaster, a Windows-based automation truck delivery, shipping, and receiving program, visit CarrierPoint's Web site at www.carrierpoint.com, or phone 800-551-8815.