McLeod Software — a provider of dispatch, accounting and operations fleet management software — today, May 19, introduced the latest versions of its LoadMaster IX and PowerBroker II solutions. The company says the V9.2 offerings incorporate more than 100 new features and enhancements.
“With these latest versions of our products, we continue our commitment to constant product development and responsiveness to customer needs,” says Tom McLeod, president and chief executive officer of McLeod Software, based in Birmingham, Ala. “Our newest solutions once again take software for carriers and brokers beyond what is currently available. The advanced functions offered in this release represent thousands of hours of development time and provide many key efficiencies our customers need in their demanding daily operations.”
The company says the biannual release focuses on making information more visible and useful to customers via the addition of informative screen options, enhanced reporting and greater vendor connectivity, and that three additional new offerings soon will be announced in conjunction with the V9.2 release.
According to McLeod Software, among more than a dozen new LoadMaster reports available with the V9.2 release are four based on the American Trucking Associations Establishing Benchmarks standards that allow customers to analyze their operations by comparing them in a meaningful and accurate way to carriers that contribute to the ATA standards: tractor miles per day, freight claim ratio, driver turnover rates and fuel cost per mile.
Another useful new feature for LoadMaster users, according to the company, is a Timeline view of the Order Planning screen that shows current and historical tractor assignments, along with events, messages and PTA (Planned Time of Availability) for each driver; users can control the time period and amount of data presented, and can toggle to the original planning view without leaving the screen. Timeline Dispatch can be valuable in improving utilization for operations having multiple preassignments for a single tractor, McLeod Software says.
PowerBroker II V9.2 now includes a more robust and detailed integration with the insurance monitoring services to help brokers stay on top of carriers’ insurance statuses, according to the company. Carrier Qualification Verification Checks is an expanded functionality designed to provide updated information on carrier types, permits and restrictions through interfaces with one or more of three carrier insurance monitoring services: Registry Monitoring Insurance Services Inc. (RMIS), Transcore CarrierWatch and Carrier411. Also, three new optional verification checks – U.S. Department of Transportation Safety Rating, Carrier Authority and Workers’ Compensation — can be set by the user to display warnings or prohibit dispatch of a load to a carrier.
The company says the new release comprises many other enhancements that expand the capabilities of both LoadMaster and PowerBroker users in such areas as EDI, mileage options, mobile communications, fuel surcharge, telemarketing and vendor interfaces.
