Technology news and briefs for the week of Oct. 31:
Transportation experts join new Industry Advisory Council
Self-driving company Aurora has formed an Industry Advisory Council, a group of advisors made up of transportation and logistics stakeholders with decades of collective experience across trucking, transportation, and government. The Council will offer its expertise as Aurora develops and commercializes its self-driving technology and will advise on the company’s product offerings and go-to-market and regulatory strategies to help deliver value to all stakeholders in the logistics and transportation ecosystem across drivers, fleet owners, and local and federal governments.The members include Andrew H. Card, former White House Chief of Staff and secretary of transportation; Richard Stocking, former president & CEO of Swift Transportation and CEO & principal of DPX Consulting; Craig Dickman, former president, CEO and director of Paper Transport and founder and chairman of Breakthrough Fuel and managing director of TitletownTech; John Esparza, President and CEO of the Texas Trucking Association; John Larkin, former managing director of transportation and logistics at Stifel and strategic advisor and advisory board chair of Clarendon Capital; and Steve Viscelli, author of The Big Rig: Trucking and the Decline of the American Dream and faculty fellow and lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania.
“It’s important for carriers and drivers to have a voice in how this technology is developed and utilized and Aurora is committed to doing this right with the best people, technology, and business partners," Stocking said.
The company's Aurora Driver is being designed to enable driverless operation of any vehicle platform from Class 8 trucks to passenger vehicles. Partnered with Paccar, Volvo, Toyota, and Uber, Aurora plans to launch its autonomous commercial trucking business, Aurora Horizon, by late 2023.
Fast-Weigh scale ticketing and dispatch platform releases AR and payments module
TAC Insight has released its Accounts Receivable & Payments module for its Fast-Weigh platform. With the new AR & Payments module, users now have complete AR and credit management along with secure PCI-compliant debit card, credit card, and ACH transactions through BASYS Processing.Producers can allow their customers to pay invoices, save and manage payment methods, and view their invoice and payment history. Alternatively, direct payment links can be sent directly to customers via email or SMS text message, allowing them to pay invoices or individual cash tickets conveniently from any device — no login necessary.
End-users can track and manage customer balances, handle adjustments, email statements, and process refunds from a simple, web-based platform accessible from anywhere. With the included Customer Balance Dashboard, Fast-Weigh users can easily track outstanding balances at 30, 60, 90, and 120-day increments. From the dashboard, payment information can be entered and applied to customer invoices quickly and without having to juggle multiple software and payment services.
Fast-Weigh AR & Payments includes a full lineup of reports tracking all Fast-Weigh transaction data including payments, refunds, adjustments, and more.
Rand McNally rolls out upgrade to its navigation devices
Rand McNally in November will roll out an over-the-air upgrade to its Rand Navigation software, which involves a full map update and extensive improvements to the routing and interface for all latest model Rand McNally TND and OverDryve tablet devices.The update comes 18 months after the company launched its new Rand Navigation platform. Although there have been interim updates, this upgrade includes enhancements that go well beyond updated maps and points of interest.
A full-map update includes revisions to highway and roads, travel center and truck services, truck-specific and general points of interest, as well as rest areas, scales, weigh stations and more. The OS update boosts the number of satellites used for improved GPS positioning on the Rand Navigation map base. As a result, location and routing are even more accurate. Rand McNally team also upgraded the user experience with larger and brighter text, more visible points of interest, and double back arrows. The upgraded software includes more "estimated time of arrival" options, as well as local time and county name for real-time, down the road weather alerts. Among other items, the technical team optimized connected services such as real-time weather and fuel prices, reducing data usage.
J.B. Hunt integrates its 360 platform with SAP
J.B. Hunt Transportation Services has integrated its J.B. Hunt 360° with the SAP ERP application. The integration with SAP ERP will enable businesses that use SAP solutions to access J.B. Hunt 360’s freight-matching marketplace to secure capacity for shipments. In just a few clicks, a load can be scheduled for delivery through a qualified carrier in J.B. Hunt 360, providing access to nearly one million trucks throughout the U.S without leaving the SAP system. Shipment information such as load documentation and invoices will also be stored in the system for easy access.The integration will automate many manual tasks, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. Businesses using SAP technology will have access to Shipper 360 by J.B. Hunt, a shipper-focused platform of J.B. Hunt 360, for detailed tracking and visibility into shipments. They can also create alerts for arrivals, delays, and deliveries using Shipper 360, allowing them to focus on other tasks while having access to information when they need it.
