Big easy connectivity: Trimble, partners unbox new technology

Trimble’s modular approach to building out solutions will make adoption easier, he maintained, and two of its latest solutions, the Trimble TMS Order and Capacity modules, are available now for TMW.Suite and Innovative customers. The Order module powers automation through Smart Workflow and partner integrations, eliminates re-entry and order intake errors, and “transforms operational chaos into clarity and control,” Cain insisted.

He also spotlighted new artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities that enable an “AI-driven supply chain” featuring an Order Agent that models dwell and arrival times to maximize efficiency. “Wouldn’t it be easier if … every freight load awarded to you is automatically entered into the system, so you don’t have to waste time manually creating orders? That would allow the order person to focus on more important things, like strengthening customer relationships and making sure equipment is scheduled the way you need it.”

See also: Trimble introduces AI-powered, cloud-native TMS

Finally, Cain introduced Fleet Hub, which is the company’s newest technology that connects the office to drivers’ in-cab experience leveraging a cloud-based user interface to provide real-time visibility for GPS, hours of service, weather, and pay, improving delivery speed and efficiency.

“It’s a gamechanger for us,” he said. “It gives you predictive dwell times for drivers at different stops. We’re seeing 30-40% gains in speed. Before, it would take 10-15 minutes for a driver to get their workflow in the morning when they logged in and did their DVR. That takes 3-5 seconds now. That speeds up that driver’s opportunity. And you couple that with Smart Workflow, which is a tailored system that enables drivers to do exactly what they need to do.

“When that driver comes in, or gets to a stop, they know exactly what they need to do before they get out of the truck, making their life simpler, streamlining workflow from order to cash, and most importantly, making drivers happier.”

Fully integrated financials

Jodi Orr, Triumph customer success manager for shipper payments, discussed her company’s new partnership with Trimble Freight Audit that creates a fully integrated freight audit and payment solution.

Triumph is a financial and technology specialist that focuses on the transportation industry, offering payments, factoring, intelligence, and banking solutions for shippers, brokers, factors, and carriers. The company processes over $100 billion in annual payments and pays over 280,000 carriers in its network, giving it a unique understanding of today’s operational challenges.

“From a financial standpoint, it’s a more complex market than we’ve seen maybe ever, and certainly a long time,” she said. “Shippers are navigating challenges like fragmented data and manual freight audit and pay processes among other issues—and rising costs alongside all of that. That results in delayed payments, late fees, and disruptions within the overall supply chain.

“That’s why this partnership is so important. It mitigates financial risk and further supply chain disruptions.”

The partnership delivers quick-pay capabilities and late-payment protection within a seamless platform, providing working-capital improvements and effectively eliminating late fees and service disruptions, Orr maintained. Benefits for carriers include on-demand payment visibility, improved flexibility and stability, and reduced collection efforts and administrative inquiries.

See also: Trimble unveils fleet management innovations

Triumph also can help shippers and carriers mitigate identity theft and cargo fraud.

“One of the biggest things we do is bank account verification and making sure the funds shippers send us to pay their carriers are going to the bank account they’re intended to go,” Orr said. “That’s an extensive part of our onboarding process and something we’re continually doing for our customers.”

Uncompromised communications

Motorcity Systems launched Motorcity Network, a new service designed to unify the fragmented logistics ecosystem through secure, real-time data sharing. Built on Motorcity’s scalable, multi-tenant architecture, the new capability empowers carriers, shippers, brokers, and managed transportation providers to connect and expand—without compromising control or security.

“This is a framework we’ve developed for our customers and their partners to enter a mutually agreed upon data-sharing relationship on our platform, with a very simple process for onboarding that allows [affiliated businesses, customers, brokers, and other third-party companies] to connect and share data securely,” Motorcity CEO Kenneth Van Heel explained.

The Motorcity Network already is “getting a lot of traction,” Van Heel added.

The system addresses the challenge of enabling companies in an inherently interconnected, yet operationally siloed supply chain to form dynamic data-sharing agreements—similar to social platforms—within the Motorcity environment. Each participant defines what data is shared and with whom, and can modify or exit relationships instantly.

Carriers gain granular control over data sharing with partners, reducing manual updates and improving service levels. Whether enhancing visibility for dedicated customers or streamlining broker-carrier workflows, Motorcity Network delivers real-time communication, fewer errors, and stronger customer relationships within one easy-to-use interface, the company reported. “Motorcity Network is a framework for the future of freight,” Bob Stemple, Motorcity president, said in a news release. “It builds on our deep integration capabilities and communication tools to create a living, breathing network where visibility and trust drive performance.”

Streamlined repair processes

Executives with Corcentric, a software development company that aims to reduce total cost of ownership through end-to-end-fleet solutions, revealed a new integration with TMT Fleet Maintenance that simplifies the repair process.

“Trimble TMT is the first [transportation software platform] to integrate with us,” said Frank Bussone, Corcentric vice president of technology and data analytics. “And, basically, we take all the repair orders and invoices and channel them through the Corcentric program, directly into TMT, and this eliminates hands-on data entry. It’s a seamless pull-through process where we capture all the details of the repair orders, VMRS [Vehicle Maintenance Reporting Standards] codes—all nine digits—parts cost, labor costs, descriptions, and comments, all auto populated.”

In addition to providing fleet customers with data-based analytics insights, Corcentric oversees a fleet procurement GPO (group purchasing organization) that boasts 3,100 fleet members and 124 suppliers and processes more than $3 billion in repair-order invoices annually. GPO participants receive repair orders directly from supplier members, and non-GPO participants still can benefit from the service if they join Corcentric’s Fleet Boost program, Bussone said.

“If the truck breaks down or goes in a shop, regardless of the location throughout North America, the fleet issues a PO, the shop does the repair, and then we’ll ingest the invoice and the repair order from the shop and push it directly through to TMT,” Bussone explained. “By doing this, we’re eliminating the human verification, the printing, the manual entry, and AP routing, and allowing TMT Trimble customers to enjoy the benefits of having that automatically occur.”