Technology news and briefs for the week of Jan. 8, 2023:
Partnership allows bulk bid requests via text
TextLocate and Greenscreens.ai have formed a partnership to provide the functionality to send bid requests in bulk straight to a carrier’s mobile device. This integration aims to enhance carrier communication and bidding strategies for 3PLs and brokerages by decreasing the time to send bid requests.
With one click, a text message is sent to the carrier followed by a link containing the bid request information. Once submitted, bids are automatically displayed within Greenscreens.ai’s dashboard.
Bid requests are made the same way they always have been in greenscreens, but with the integration, TextLocate will send a text message to a driver or dispatcher’s mobile number as 90% of text messages are opened within three minutes: the fastest method to communicate directly with a driver or dispatcher.
The text message includes initial load information. The link below the message opens to Greenscreen’s mobile-friendly website, allowing a simple method to respond, and the data is captured and available in Greenscreens.
Garmin launches LTE-enabled dash cam
Garmin has launched its first LTE-enabled dash cam that gives drivers access to a live exterior view of their trucks.
The Garmin Dash Cam Live is an always-connected camera that records high-definition 1440p video with a 140-degree field of view, featuring Garmin Clarity HDR optics that aims to provide crisp detail day and night.
The camera is always on, automatically recording and saving video of incidents, tagging time, date and location with built-in GPS.
Drivers can use the Garmin Drive app to access an on-demand view of everything within sight of the Dash Cam Live in their vehicle with the purchase of an LTE subscription. The app also provides access to video clips that are saved automatically and stored for 24 hours in the secure, online Vault.
Drivers can save video stop/start recording, take still pictures and more, all while keeping their hands on the wheel, through voice commands. Drivers will also enjoy greater peace of mind through receiving theft alerts and other incident alerts when parked and away from the vehicle. It also offers in-car alerts such as forward collision, lane departure and speed camera notifications to help encourage safer driving and increase situational awareness.
Users must purchase a monthly Vault subscription plan, starting at $9.99 per month, in the Garmin Drive app to use all connected features, including live view, location tracking, theft alerts and parking guard notifications as well as the ability to extend the storage duration of video clips for up to 30 days.
e2open selects Hubtek as preferred tech provider
Workforce and process optimization provider Hubtek is now the preferred technology provider for Carrier Rating Automation and Carrier SpotMarket Automation in the e2open Carrier Marketplace.
The connected supply chain software platform e2open’s Transportation Management for shippers aligns with Hubtek’s TABi Connect, allowing shippers to instantly extract available rates from providers before the freight reaches the spot market – a more efficient process than the traditional spot bidding process.
“The natural synergy of these two platforms, e2open Carrier Marketplace’s eConnect+ and Hubtek TABiConnect, achieves a touchless quoting experience for both shippers and transportation providers,” said Scott Hadley, Hubtek vice president of partnerships and strategy. “Speed-to-market is accelerated, and access to freight is increased significantly with this partnership, serving the needs of more discerning and technologically centric shippers.”
With a robust set of controls within TABiConnect, transportation providers can build quoting algorithms that uniquely match their business strategies and their customers’ needs. Through e2open’s platform and Carrier Marketplace, shippers can secure capacity and rates efficiently, while carriers can capture freight volume through easily automated processes.
Integration automates handling of LTL shipments
Freight management software provider for less-than-truckload (LTL) fleets Carrier Logistics Inc. (CLI) has completed development work to fully integrate with software company SMC³’s LTL APIs. The new integration will benefit customers using CLI’s FACTS freight management software by automating the handling of LTL shipments with other capacity providers.
Through the integration with FACTS, CLI customers can use the SMC³ LTL APIs solution to connect and communicate in near real-time with LTL carriers in the SMC³ network. It allows them to electronically find carriers with capacity, schedules and equipment that meet their shippers’ needs; receive quotes from multiple carriers to find the provider who offers the right mix of cost and service; dispatch orders to capacity providers; receive automated track and trace updates on in-transit shipments; and view and download digital documents, including weight certification, proof of delivery, bills of lading and other critical shipment information.
FACTS includes online customer shipping tools, dispatch and driver management, a rate engine, cross dock management and a full back-office suite that gives transportation professionals tools to operate cost-effectively while providing improved freight visibility.
Wejo Group and Microsoft extend collaboration
Wejo Group Limited, which offers cloud and software solutions for connected, electric and autonomous vehicle data, has extended its collaboration with Microsoft through the adoption of the Microsoft Connected Fleets reference architecture.
Wejo will be part of an ecosystem of Microsoft partners addressing the fleet management market by helping fleet management independent software providers (ISVs), system integrators (SIs), and fleet managers go beyond limited data sets and basic dashboards to integrate fleet data into core business processes and derive actionable insights for improved business outcomes.
Microsoft Connected Fleets reference architecture enables an ecosystem of partners and partner solutions for fleet management by simplifying specialized analytics, value extraction from vehicle data and streamlining integration with business systems. The reference architecture enhances and will streamline access to Wejo’s connected vehicle data (CVD). Wejo’s CVD is delivered in near real-time, directly from its OEM partners.
ISVs, SIs, and fleet managers will benefit by accessing Wejo’s CVD more efficiently; facilitating faster integrations with customer-specific requirements; enabling integration of fleet management functions with business applications for field services; simplifying the delivery of advanced analytics; accelerating time to insights; and delivering fleet management capabilities without needing to retrofit hardware.
Geotab joins AT&T climate initiative
Geotab is combining its telematics solutions with AT&T’s IoT platforms to help drive emissions reductions in the transportation sector.
Geotab is participating in AT&T’s Connected Climate Initiative, a collaborative that works on connectivity-based solutions to reduce greenhouse emissions by 1 gigaton by 2035.
Geotab’s data-driven insights enable customers to make informed decisions for better fleet management and sustainability outcomes. Its solutions include the Green Fleet Dashboard, a tool for improving a fleet’s fuel economy and reducing emissions, and the EV Suitability Assessment, which offers recommendations for making the transition to electric vehicles as seamless as possible.
The Green Fleet Dashboard enables tracking and management of fuel consumption and idling trends, optimizes routes and coaches drivers on fuel efficiency with a connected fleet platform can simplify tasks and provide real-time performance insights to manage costs and reduce emissions. Its real-time data offering helps identify which fleet vehicles would be prime for transitioning to alternative fuel.
Geotab’s telematics pairs with AT&T’s IoT platforms and nationwide data network to help any business or government entity look holistically at their fleet of vehicles and allow users to make assessments from a single analytics-based platform in an effort to help customers reach their carbon reduction goals.