ALK Technologies announced Thursday, March 8, that it has partnered with Integrated Decision Support Corp. to provide over-the-road fuel purchase optimization directly through its PC*Miler routing and mileage software. This new functionality will be demonstrated at the Truckload Carriers Association Annual Convention at the Bellagio Resort in Las Vegas, Nev., March 11-13, in ALK’s booth No. 212.
IDSC provides planning and execution solutions, including fuel optimization, specifically for truckload carriers. PC*Miler offers routing and mileage calculation to motor carriers, shippers and logistics providers throughout North America. The IDSC partnership will enable PC*Miler users to incorporate cost-effective over-the-road fuel purchases into driving directions without exiting the application.
PC*Miler users will be able to access IDSC’s extensive fuel-pricing database to generate the most efficient route with detailed fuel-buying instructions along the way. Details include where to make fuel purchases, as well as how much to buy at any given location. The application also considers negotiated discounts a customer can enter on a retail-minus or cost-plus basis. Discounts can be entered by fuel chain or by individual fuel stop.
“ALK has been working with IDSC for many years, and we respect their expertise in fuel optimization,” says Ed Siciliano, vice president of sales and marketing for Princeton, N.J.-based ALK Technologies. “By directly integrating their fuel data with PC*Miler, we are providing true value for our joint customers and a compelling solution for new clients.”
Some PC*Miler customers subscribe separately to IDSC’s Fuel Advice Web based service to access the same optimized data; the new partnership enables ALK customers to save a step in the routing process and access IDSC optimization directly through PC*Miler. Similarly, payment also can be made directly through ALK. IDSC integration will be available in PC*Miler 21, which will be released this spring. For more information on this new PC*Miler fuel optimization functionality, go to www.fueladvice.com.
“We are pleased to partner with another industry leader like ALK Technologies,” says Dr. Rick Murphy, chief executive officer of Richardson, Texas-based IDSC. “This is an intuitive fit that offers added efficiency for carriers working on razor-thin profit margins. High, volatile fuel prices mean wider price differentials from one outlet to another. Carriers will be able to take advantage of those differences in the most efficient manner by accessing IDSC directly through PC*Miler in their own specific operating environments.”
