With more than 20,000 loads per day in the C.H.Robinson network, time spent searching and booking a load can now be greatly reduced with a new web-based dispatch system from T-Chek. The focus for the Groove system is to give smaller carriers the features of a big dispatch system without the cost, the company says.
For several years, mid-sized and large carriers have enjoyed productivity gains, tighter controls, and real-time visibility to data through technology and integration to 3PL’s and 3rd party vendors. Groove is designed for the 5 to 50 truck fleet and fleets that only require basic load management functions.
Groove was built using the SaaS (Software as a Service) model. The application is hosted by T-Chek and the carrier accesses it via the Internet. This eliminates the need for carriers to install, support, and run the application on their computer, reducing their investment on computers too, the company says.
The first release of Groove, scheduled for the first quarter of 2009, will have integration into C.H. Robinson loads, T-Chek’s fuel cards, and Express codes. The system is designed so other services can be easily added, such as mobile communications, fuel tax, permits, etc.
“We also wanted to simplify the user experience,” says Jim Angel, director of business development for T-Chek. “Groove’s user interface is designed for basic load, equipement and driver management, invocing, and reporting. The user interface is very intuitive supporting a very low learning curve. Users will be up and running within hours, not days or weeks.”
When using Groove, the carrier will have the ability to see and track their loads. With that ease and ability, the carrier will have ample time to post available equipment on www.CHRWTrucks.com. Then, once a load is selected from CHRWTrucks, all the data automatically loads to Groove’s loadboard for equipment and driver assignment. While on a C.H. Robinson load, Groove users will gain efficiencies by automatically recording pick ups, status updates, and deliveries within CHRW’s proprietary transportation management system. There’s no need to take time to call a C.H.Robinson branch because Groove does it for them, he says.
Groove users will also be able to manage their T-Chek fuel card within the Groove application. They will be able to view and manage fuel cards, view recent transactions, advance cash, and more. Groove will automatically send updates to T-Chek’s fuel card system based on events within the system. For example when a load is created and dispatched, Groove will automatically send information to T-Chek to activate the fuel card, assign the power unit to the load, and assign the load number so purchases made on the fuel card can be assigned to that load. Fuel stop information will also allow the user to update the trucks position by the last location they fueled.
For more information, contact T-Chek’s Director of Business Development Jim Angel at 866-948-2435
