1. Introduction of Driver Breaks:
Break rules for drivers are different across different states and employers. With the introduction of Breaks, Company’s have the ability to define driver break rules for different jurisdictions. This feature does not perform ELD (Electronic Logging Device), but allows the dispatcher to plan the routes around the breaks.
1.1 Benefits
-
Automatic computation of driver breaks on route based on the shift time.
-
Visualize driver breaks during planning and dispatching of routes.
1.2 Functionality
Planners or Dispatchers have the ability to define applicable break rules across different jurisdictions and associated them with a Route profile.
- Based on the defined break rules on a route, driver breaks are computed and added to the routes based on the shift time.
- Visualize the applied driver breaks on the route during planning and dispatching of route
2. Document Scan using nudeliverIt application
Using this feature, Member Admins, Dispatchers have the ability to define the required set of documents or images to be captured at the time of pickup or delivery. Enable drivers to capture scanned documents such as invoices, prescriptions, checks, etc during the stop execution process using the nuDeliverIt Application.
2.1 Benefits
-
Make the delivery operations more sustainable and environmentally friendly by fully digitizing delivery documentation and eliminating paper based processes.
-
Scanning the documents during pickup or delivery can help to ensure that sensitive information is protected and secure.
-
Eliminate paper based processes that result in lost or incorrect documentation
2.2 Functionality
- Configure the required documents or images to be captured at the point of pickup or delivery on the Stop Profile.
- Drivers can capture the required documents as either images or scanned documents during delivery process using their phone camera and automatically upload them as png or pdf files to portal. Document scanning functionality will be available in the upcoming 7.4 version of the app.
- View and download Scanned PDF documents in Stop Details screen.
3.Enhancements and New features in Strategic Planning
In the latest version of Strategic Planning, new features have been added to help planners create route plans to match customer demands and vehicle/driver availability. Graphical visualizations and comparison tools have been added to determine the best plan and make any modifications before publishing.
3.1 Plan Visualization
-
Redesigned Compare Plans and Plan Metrics: The graphical comparison of routing plans allows for an efficient and cost-effective selection of Plans by considering factors such as week, day, distance, duration, and cost through visual representation of data.
-
Planners can compare and evaluate Plan Metrics by viewing both chart and table representations.
-
Create Custom Filters in Strategic Planning for Tailored Viewing of Demands and Stops Based on the Planner's Requirements.
-
Monitor the progress of the plan's optimization request through a Progress Bar, allowing Planners to view the request completion status.
-
Run History tab in Strategic Planning allows planners to view the historical records of optimization request statuses of Plans.
3.2 New Features Improvements
- Reducing underutilized routes or vehicles helps to optimize transportation operations, minimize costs, and increase productivity through defining a minimum utilization percentage in terms of shift time and capacities for vehicles.
- Introduction of Operating Hours in Demand allows Planners to define the business's working hours, in addition to the existing service window used for determining the logistics pickup or delivery hours. This helps to align logistics operations with the business's operating hours and ensure delivery timeframes are met.
- The strategic planning optimization prioritizes the service window defined by the planner when determining routes, and if the best routes cannot be found, it will broaden its criteria by increasing the service window within the established Operating Hours in order to plan the demand stops.
- Approved Strategic Plans will be automatically published and take effect on the specified date. The system will then automatically generate all of the Strategic Planning routes and stops associated with the plan, based on the specified frequency.
- Strategic plan routes instances are automatically updated with actual customer stops that match the defined criteria, replacing the placeholder demand stops.
- On publishing a new plan on its effective date, previously published plans are automatically archived.
4.Improved Route Status Visibility
The route statuses have been updated for improved distinction between planning and execution stages.
Table below lists the new statuses and their definitions and usage:
| Route Status | Definition and Usage |
| Draft | Draft Routes are created manually on the platform with or without stops. Draft routes can be moved to either in In Review or Planned or Dispatched to a driver. |
| In Review | Applicable only for route generated from Strategic Planning. Dispatchers have the ability to switch Draft routes to In Review status and thereby remove any placeholder stops from the route. |
| Planned | Previously known as Draft (RWB) and Created (Assign Loads). Dispatchers can finalize the routing by updating routes in Draft or In Review status to Planned status. |
| Dispatched | Previously known as Confirmed or Assigned |
| At Origin | New status introduced to identify when driver confirms his arrival to the Route Origin. |
| Initiated | New status to identify routes where driver has initiated Route Check In at Route Origin. |
| In Progress | Once driver departs from the Route Origin, route will display In Progress status. |
| BP Assigned | Routes assigned to a Business Partner or Carrier, previously in Reserved status. |
5.Auto Dispatch Routes
Auto dispatch feature automates the process of assigning delivery routes to drivers. Auto dispatch allows dispatchers to optimize their delivery processes, reduce manual labor, and ensure that drivers are dispatched prior to route start. By automating the dispatch process, company’s can increase efficiency, improve accuracy, enhance flexibility, better utilize their resources, and reduce costs. With auto dispatch, delivery processes become more streamlined, and drivers are able to start their routes more quickly and with less stress.
5.1 Benefits
-
Auto Dispatch feature eliminates manual processes and reduces the time it takes to assign routes to drivers.
-
Automating the dispatch process can lower labor costs and improve operational efficiency, resulting in cost savings for the organization.
5.2 Functionality
-
Dispatchers or Planners can enable the Auto Dispatch feature in the Route Profile and also set the amount of time prior to the route's start time that it should be dispatched to the driver.
-
Planned routes are automatically assigned to drivers before the route start time.
6.Billing Improvements
Billers now have additional ways to configure Service Zones in Billing Contracts, which include Postal Code, City and State, besides the previously available method of using maps.
-
Billers are now allowed to modify Contract Rates and recalculate the charges using the updated rates, even for previously billed stops or routes.
7.Route Workbench Enhancements
-
A new Export to excel functionality is introduced in Route Workbench for dispatchers or Planners to export the planned routes. This functionality allows the planned routes to be either dispatched to drivers or uploaded into an external transportation software.
-
Routes are now color coded for easier identification of the routes lines on the Map section.
-
Stop markers on the map section are grouped to simplify the view and make it easier to understand. When clicking on a marker group, the map will zoom in to show the stops markers in a selected location.
-
Dispatchers have the capability to choose routes for up to 6 days when using the Auto Assign or Assign to Route features for assigning stops to routes.
-
Delivery constraint violations in routes are highlighted to prompt dispatchers to make necessary modifications.
8.Stop Operating Hours and Time Constraints
The introduction of new operating hours and time constraint fields allows businesses to define their working hours and delivery time policies.
8.1 Benefits
-
By specifying working hours and delivery time policies, businesses can ensure that deliveries are made within the desired timeframe and avoid scheduling conflicts.
8.2 Functionality
-
Define Operating Hours and Time constraints for a pickup or delivery on the stop profile and stops.
-
Time Constraints can be defined as either Strict, Preferred or Unrestricted.
-
Visualize and plan the pickup and delivery based on their existing Service Window or Operating Hours and Time Constraints.
9.Appointment Scheduling Enhancements
-
In previous release of Appointment Scheduling we introduced Ready to Schedule and Not Required statuses. With the new update to Appointment Scheduling now Dispatcher can schedule a stop whose appointment status is Pending Receive.
-
“Mark as Received" function enables Receivers to update stops with ‘Pending Receive’ Appointment status to Ready to Schedule to ready to schedule, allowing them to be dispatched to drivers.
10.Outbound API Enhancements
-
Carton Scanning date and time are introduced of the outbound event API for external systems to verify the time of carton scan.
11.Other Enhancements
-
Source type of stops and routes, whether they were created manually or through another source, is displayed to portal users. This allows users to view and filter stops and routes based on their source type. The source types are defined as follows:
| Route Source Type | Created Using |
| User | RWB/Stops List |
| Integration | API and Excel Upload |
| Strat Routes | Strategic Planning |
| Recurring | Recurring Routes |
| Route Guide | Route Guide |
| Optimization | Route Create Template |
| Stop source type | Created Using |
|
User |
Portal |
|
App |
App |
|
Integration |
API and Excel upload |
|
Route Guide |
Route Guide |
|
Placeholder Stop |
Strategic Planning |
|
Recurring |
Recurring Stops |
|
Customer Portal |
Customer Portal |
|
Static Route Stops |
Static Route Stops |