Easing the compliance burden for fleet managers, trucking dispatch software and more

00:00 In this week’s CCJ Tech Shorts, a DOT regulatory compliance consulting and training service has partnered with an AI-powered fleet risk management software provider to help ease the compliance burden for fleet managers. We’ll also take a look at Truckbase’s 30 ELD integrations, EROAD’s recent partnership and Ampcontrol’s EV certification.

00:33 Trucksafe Consulting, a full-service DOT regulatory compliance consulting and training service, has expanded with the launch of a new comprehensive suite of DOT managed services that aims to take the weight of regulatory compliance and fleet safety off fleet managers’ shoulders.

Trucksafe Managed Services provides driver onboarding, file retention, proactive maintenance tracking, background screenings and CSA score monitoring with the aim to reduce administrative burden by handling DOT compliance tasks, enhance safety through proactive monitoring and support, and improve efficiency and reduce costs associated with fines and penalties.

This expanded offering is part of Trucksafe’s partnership with Haul, an AI-powered fleet risk management software provider.

Haul’s AI-powered software seamlessly integrates with Trucksafe’s expert consulting and training services to anticipate and address potential compliance issues before they balloon into systemic problems. This proactive approach not only minimizes regulatory and highway-accident exposure but also optimizes fleet efficiency and performance, saving fleets thousands of dollars in annual operating costs.

01:44 Truckbase, a trucking dispatch software system designed specifically for truckload carriers, has successfully integrated over 30 ELD providers.

Although ELD is primarily about compliance, marrying ELD information with detailed load data and documents provides tools to automate dispatch workflows and impress customers. But comparing ELD options and TMS options simultaneously can be burdensome for small fleet owners, and as a result, most are not taking full advantage of their ELD by tying into their dispatch software.

Truckbase Founder and CEO Bryan Jones said “Our mission has always been to help small carriers to out-compete megacarriers on quality through turnkey technology. Most small fleets don’t have time to worry about which ELDs integrate with your software. It should just work.”

These ELD integrations enable Truckbase to surface critical truck tracking data directly into its trucking dispatch software and customer notifications settings, helping smaller carriers to compete.

02:48 Fleet performance management provider EROAD and the Bulk Construction Materials Initiative or BCMI, which provides cloud-based software for ready-mix concrete and bulk materials, have joined forces with the integration of EROAD's Drive application with BCMI's dispatch system, supporting business-critical insights and improved efficiency and transparency for ready-mix fleets.

Drivers, back-office teams and fleet managers benefit from greater visibility of the status and location of assets, loads and materials for users across the ready-mix supply chain, supporting opportunities for better communication, streamlined workflows and overall fleet management.

EROAD's Drive app can be installed on Android-based tablets that exist in the cabs of ready-mix concrete trucks that use CoreHub, EROAD's telematics gateway device. Job ticketing details — with supporting information — are sent from BCMI's dispatch platform to drivers' tablets running EROAD's app. Subsequently, auto-status updates and log-in details are transmitted between BCMI and EROAD for logging and analysis. Text messages can be sent to and received from the Drive app, displayed on drivers' in-cab tablets and visible from BCMI's dispatch system.

This integration improves efficiency by reducing the need for drivers to engage with multiple hardware and software systems and eliminating the need for double entries in disparate applications. It also enhances driver communication and streamlines job workflow by enabling dispatchers to send messages directly to drivers’ tablets to keep them informed of critical updates about their assets and loads. And it unlocks access for users to relevant data insights from both EROAD and BCMI platforms without having to toggle between systems.

04:38 Ampcontrol, a cloud-based software that connects to charging networks, electric vehicles and fleet systems, is the first-ever electric vehicle company to receive the UL 60730-1 certification for safe, dynamic load and energy management of electric vehicle (EV) chargers. UL has recognized Ampcontrol’s software for any EV charger, including DC chargers for heavy-duty truck charging sites.

This allows companies to use Ampcontrol to manage the power threshold on a group of EV charging stations across transformers, circuit breakers or panels.

The EV charging industry has faced several challenges when installing larger EV charging sites for fleet operators. For many charging stations or high-power chargers (DCFC), the project owners often need to wait several years for their grid upgrades. Grid upgrades are complex requests for utilities and are often delayed due to equipment delivery times or grid line upgrades. With the UL 60730-1 certification, companies can use Ampcontrol’s software to oversubscribe electric equipment and install more chargers without grid upgrades.