Earlier this year, Schneider piloted new estimated-time-of-arrival (ETA) technology intended to provide more accurate arrival times to customers.
In addition to providing the improved ETA data through existing channels, Schneider is introducing a new tracking application programming interface (API) that leverages the improved data. With the company’s ETAi technology powering automatic updates of estimated load arrivals, and an API serving up near real-time visibility, shippers gain an important edge, the company claimed.
More accurate ETA information also enables Schneider and its customers to make adjustments that keep supply chains moving at peak efficiency.
“We know that visibility is one of the top concerns for shippers,” said Shaleen Devgun, Schneider’s executive vice president and chief information officer. “When we studied it across the transportation industry, we were surprised by the level of ETA inaccuracy that has become commonplace. We recognized an opportunity to leverage our proprietary data science and advanced analytics engines to provide more accurate, automated ETA information to our customers.
“With ETAi and the rollout of our tracking API, customers and drivers are in lock-step from the first mile to arrival.”
Because ETAi leverages a multitude of data points not available to data aggregators, along with proprietary data science, Schneider maintains it has seen up to 39% more accuracy than tracking aggregators are able to provide.
Furthermore, with the new tracking API, shippers have a new channel to obtain ETAi data on demand and pull it into their own systems and tools.
Schneider says the benefit isn’t limited to shippers. A pilot group of more than 4,000 Schneider drivers realized productivity improvements leading to more miles driven per day. With 79% of the fleet now utilizing ETAi, Schneider has seen a 26% improvement in its ETAs compared to the prior method. ETAs are automatically updated without driver intervention, eliminating the need to stop driving to update arrival times when a trip is impacted by traffic, weather or other situations.
Schneider’s Van Truckload company drivers are already equipped with ETAi technology, and the company says it is rapidly adding the technology to other service offerings. Deployment to its entire fleet is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.
Visit schneider.com for more information.