How many times in your life have you wished you could be in two places at once? We’re willing to bet one of those times was when your shipment didn’t go as planned and you wished you could be there in person to resolve the issue. While we don’t have the secret to being in two places at once, we do utilize several effective third-party tracking solutions to make you feel as though you’re right there with your package. Here’s a quick overview of two of the most common.
Trucker Tools
Trucker Tools is a third-party app by Overdrive. Creating load tracks and building your own loads are just a couple of the features included in the app. The app is also capable of notifying the shipper when a driver enters a geofence, but you can manually request updates whenever you desire as well. Additionally, the app can anticipate when a load will be late. And with the ability to communicate with drivers through the app, you can also get updates that way. Plus, the data provided about facilities and traffic helps for route planning, which is one of the things that can help minimize detention time (for more information on how you can minimize detention time, check out our article here). The caveat is that it requires the driver to download the app in order for tracking to work. Fortunately, our RTS team is well-trained to walk drivers through this process, and the app lets you see if the driver has downloaded the app or not, so you can be sure that they’ve initiated tracking. Not only that, but also if a driver stops tracking in the middle of the load, they will receive a notification telling them to resume tracking, and RTS will be informed that they’ve paused tracking, too. If you request an RTS load be set up with Trucker Tools, we’ll utilize it to ensure that you are always well-informed about your loads.
For more information about Trucker Tools, check out their website: https://www.truckertools.com/home/
FourKites
Like Trucker Tools, FourKites is a third-party app that we use here for numerous shipments. FourKites has many similar functions, such as communication with the driver through the app and website, traffic updates, and ETA predictions. One of its additional features is the option to filter your loads, allowing for personalized organization and seamless reading of load statuses. They also have more accessible customer service hours than Trucker Tools—they have 24-hour service Monday through Friday, whereas Trucker Tools support only operates between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m EST. But it’s not without its drawbacks—the only way for shippers or RTS to receive updates during the load is if the driver chooses to send them from the app. And the app can be confusing for drivers because it’s called CarrierLink by FourKites, where as the platform for shippers is just called FourKites. However, despite these small inconveniences, FourKites is a useful tool for increasing visibility and RTS is happy to use it to ease the shipment process for our customers.
You can learn more about FourKites from their website: https://www.fourkites.com/
If you wish to take advantage of one of these tracking options, please reach out to us and we can set up a custom solution for your supply chain.