Load tracking (also known as freight visibility) is something that your broker and 3PL partners likely talk to you about a lot. It may also be a source of frustration for you, especially if you’re an owner-operator or small to mid-sized trucking company that works with many different brokers and 3PLs.
In this blog, we break down why visibility is important, not only for brokers and 3PLs but also for shippers and you and your trucking business.
Why Load Tracking Matters to Brokers and How It Can Help Your Trucking Business
Having real-time information on the location of freight allows brokers to provide better service to shippers. If there’s a delay for some reason, the broker knows immediately and is empowered to address the delay and communicate the adjusted ETA to the shipper immediately. When brokers can better serve their shipper customers, that can translate into more loads with the shipper and more freight for your trucking business.
The reason why shippers want to know where their freight is located at all times is that it allows them to provide accurate ETAs to consumers — and that’s big. Greater customer satisfaction drives success for everyone, including you. Real-time load tracking also enables receivers to better manage dock schedules and human resources. And you can bet that if you’re a trucker who uses technology that makes the operations of shippers and receivers more efficient, it reflects positively on you.
The Link Between Visibility and Driver Detention
Visibility is directly related to detention, which is another reason why load tracking is so important for owner-operators and smaller trucking companies. If you use a digital load tracking solution like the Trucker Tools free driver app, you create a digital trail that documents your detention time. Digital proof of your dwell time makes it that much easier to bill and get paid for detention time.
When you use Trucker Tools’ free driver app with brokers/3PLs who use Trucker Tools’ load tracking platform, the broker/3PL can set up Detention Alerts to reduce your dwell at loading docks. Here’s how it works: if you’re detained at a loading dock beyond the allotted time of two or three hours, the broker automatically receives a notification that you’ve been detained longer than expected. This encourages the broker to try to resolve the delay with the shipper or receiver.
Using a reliable digital load tracking solution such as the one included in Trucker Tools’ free driver app also can help reduce detention time at shipper and receiver facilities. When shippers and receivers have access to real-time load tracking data and accurate ETAs for trucks, they know exactly how many trucks will arrive and when. With this information, shippers can manage their dock resources more effectively and be prepared for loading and unloading, which ultimately may help reduce your dwell time.
Transparent Load Tracking Provides Peace of Mind
One thing that makes Trucker Tools’ load tracking different from most of the load tracking apps in use today is that you always know when load tracking is on and who is receiving location information. When load tracking is on, you automatically receive a notification on your smartphone. The notification includes who is receiving your location information and the details on the associated load. Trucker Tools understands that truckers need privacy, too, which is why we’ve made our load tracking tool completely transparent for truckers.
Knowing that the Trucker Tools free driver app will never track your location without your knowledge can give you the peace of mind you need. Instead of worrying about whether your location is being tracked after the load has been delivered, you can focus on booking that next load and making more money.
Ready to download the Trucker Tools driver app, which includes transparent load tracking and 17+ other highly sought-after features and tools? Visit https://www.truckertools.com/carriers/ now.
