(Graphic courtesy Alex Williamson, The Economist)FourKites, a provider of freight tracking technology, introduced FourKites CarrierLink, a free mobile app and tracking service for small to mid-size brokers.
Four Kites is a cross-platform tracking service that aggregates data from major fleet technology providers like Omnitracs, PeopleNet, and 30 others in the trucking industry. FourKites CarrierLink is free for brokers to track up to 2,500 truckloads a month.
FourKites notes that beyond 2,500 truckloads per month, per-load charges will apply and that FourKites’ aggregated ELD/GPS data service is not included in the free CarrierLink initiative.
“We’re offering a top-of-the-line and robust software program for free to encourage the greatest number of users to experience FourKites’ innovative platform,” CEO Matt Elenjickal said. “Empowering small brokers with tracking and logistics tools normally only afforded by large firms is going to allow the entire industry to become more competitive.”
To implement FourKites CarrierLink, a freight broker can sign up through the company’s website at https://www.fourkites.com/brokers. FourKites will then notify drivers of the load assignment and start tracking every 15 minutes until the load is delivered.
For now, FourKites CarrierLink is available for Android smartphones only. An app for Apple iPhones is in the works.
FourKites CarrierLink offers several operational benefits to freight brokers including geo-fencing and automatic alerts that let brokers know critical updates, such as when a load is within five miles of a delivery point.
“If you’re a broker paying anything at all for load tracking using a driver’s smartphone, you’re paying too much,” said Mr. Elenjickal.
