Fuel for Thought
Help Yourself and Others At The Same Time
Sometimes we do things to help ourselves, other times we do things to help others. Then there are those rare times where we can do both things at the same time. Improving our business takes many forms. It can be the little things that make a big impact. As drivers one of those little things is directions. Many times it can start out as a little thing, like a right turn instead of a left, but turn into a big ordeal to find a place to turn around and get back on track to make your appointment time.
I mentioned in a previous blog about a great new app that I believe will help a lot of drivers, especially expediters. That app is Dock411. I was able to sit down with Eric Weidl of Dock411 at the Expedite Expo and discuss their app. They are constantly looking for ways to improve the app and really listen to driver feedback. I found the app prior to the Expo from a facebook post from Women in Trucking (WIT). I started using it and also supplying feedback about the app to the developers.
As expediters, many times we find ourselves at large manufacturing plants, making nighttime pickups and deliveries and not always going to the same places. This is when you realize that the address you have, which may be accurate for office visits, does not work well for finding the docks, since the docks could be off of a different street. Or there are several gates for you to choose from and there are no signs directing you. The photo above is a prime example, the address is Denso Rd, but the dock entrance is on Clark Rd.
Dock411 seeks to help with these issues. As the name implies Dock Info(411).
The way it works is you type in the address you are going to, if it is in their database, it will give the info about the dock location. But it does much more.
Some of the details include:
- Inside Dock or Outside Dock
- Maneuverability
- Overnight Parking Allowed or Not
- Restroom Facilities
- Friendliness
- Cleanliness
- Pet Friendly
- Hazards like Low Wires or Tight Turns
- There is even a section for Lumper Service and Washout.
For the women drivers out there, there is even a section for Women in Trucking.
Each section also allows for drivers to make notes to give other drivers a little more info about the location.
If you type in an address that is not there, once you visit that location, you can add it. Then it will be there if you return and need the info again and it will also help other drivers by giving real world on-the-ground information.
While info added by drivers to the app goes live instantly, it is also reviewed for accuracy by Dock411.
The more drivers who use it, the better it will become.
How will this improve your business? Getting lost costs time, time is the one thing you never get back, make the most of it and complete your job faster with better information than just a GPS address for the wrong side of a factory.
Help other drivers and yourself at the same time, get the app. Use the app.
See you down the road,
Greg