Productivity tools come in all shapes and sizes. Many people start their workday with a to-do list. While nothing precisely follows the plan, having a structure to prioritize daily tasks certainly helps.
To-do lists are not just for executives and managers. Everyone, from the C-suite to the truck cab, can benefit from prioritizing and sequencing their workday to achieve desired results.
Drivers must complete various non-driving tasks to ensure safe, on-time, error-free deliveries. Giving them the best technology tools can significantly reduce turnover and increase productivity, helping your business improve the bottom line and keep drivers on the road.
Ryder System Inc., a Miami, Fla.-based transportation and logistics company, created numerous innovations that improve driver job satisfaction and productivity using a custom driver app platform from Eleos Technologies. Below is a summary of how Ryder uses the platform to improve driver communications and operational efficiencies, resulting in increased profitability and a better bottom line.
Improving Driver Communication & Efficiencies with a Custom App
1. Custom Driver Workflows: Ryder’s custom driver app’s flexibility allows it to comply with unique customer specifications. Ryder created 23 workflows for customer sectors like automotive, food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, etc., that give drivers precise instructions for meeting pickup and delivery requirements and capturing data and documents.
Bobby Rogers, Application Delivery Lead at Ryder, highlights the app’s customization features, “We can send individual drivers a customized message. We also do quite a bit of driver surveys, in addition to using our app for day-to-day trip execution, delivery, signature capture, and freight delivery.”
The adaptability of the Eleos platform allows Ryder to create different app versions tailored for each of its customers as needed, whether they are dry vans, flatbeds, or refrigerated trucks. This ability for customization ensures that the app works seamlessly in all environments.
The app has essential trip execution, delivery, signature capture, and freight delivery features. Instant messaging, which allows users to communicate with drivers and gather survey feedback, adds additional value. Ryder has also incorporated custom driver safety messages, HR notifications, and targeted reminders to help drivers complete essential tasks.
The custom workflows significantly reduce errors and improve customer service levels. Drivers appreciate Ryder’s attention to detail, which gets them back on the road faster, allowing them to increase paid driving hours and pick up more loads to better their – and the company’s – overall profitability.
2. Barcode Scanning: Ryder’s custom app has robust barcode scanning capabilities that help drivers meet diverse customer needs. The app has three levels of integrated barcode scanning.
- The basic level captures items unloaded at customer locations. This information flows into a transportation management system (TMS) so the back office has accurate delivery details.
- The second level adds reporting and documentation for cargo damages, including photo capture and PDF creation. This documented information can be shared with the customer to provide evidence for cargo claims.
- The third level records over, short, and damaged (OS&D) details. This allows drivers to compare scanned items against an electronic file provided by the customer and give immediate feedback on unexpected or missing items. This capability has greatly enhanced the accuracy and reliability of deliveries. It also helps its customers get paid by their customers by ensuring proof of delivery.
For Ryder, digitizing these processes gets drivers back on the road quicker and delivers information to customers faster and more accurately. Additionally, because the barcode scanner allows for immediate documenting of damages, it helps prevent fraud and unnecessary costs, which can be extraordinary considering cargo losses (including theft, fraud, damage and loss claims) exceed $50 billion each year, according to the National Cargo Security Council (NCSC).
“Barcode capture, at the end of the day, has helped our customers with their claims process to be able to show their customer that the item was in fact delivered. And many of our customers only get paid when they have proof of delivery,” Rogers stated.
Therefore, the barcode scanner enables quicker payment processing for customers and they, in turn, can pay Ryder quicker for deliveries. It’s a win-win.
3. Setting To-Dos: Ryder uses a To-Do feature to send bi-weekly safety training tasks and videos to drivers through its custom app. The feature prompts drivers to respond and tracks training completions so the office can follow up with anyone who has fallen behind, ensuring HQ knows who is up-to-date and who needs a nudge to complete the training.
The to-do feature has delivered significant improvements in communication, flexibility, delivery efficiencies, safety compliance, and driver satisfaction. Drivers can access their to-do lists on their mobile devices, whether in or out of the cab, allowing them to stay up-to-date and on the road accepting loads regardless of their location.
Ryder’s HR department uses the same feature to manage tasks like signing up for company benefits, signing policy manuals, and participating in leadership programs. When Ryder has new surveys for drivers, they appear on the list to gather feedback on their interactions with customers and managers, further enhancing communication and relationships.
The To-Do feature is an indispensable tool for Ryder, improving drivers’ and back-office staff’s efficiency and job satisfaction. All of these features are available on drivers’ personal devices, so they can interact anytime or anywhere – in or out of the cab.
Continuous App Innovation = Better Communication, Happier Drivers & Cost Savings
The custom workflows, barcode scanning capabilities, and a To-Do list of Ryder’s custom driver app, developed with Eleos Technologies, significantly enhance driver performance and satisfaction.
- Custom workflows reduce errors, improve service levels, and allow drivers to complete tasks with greater accuracy and less frustration.
- The app’s barcode scanning capabilities streamline previously manual processes, enabling the fleet and drivers to resolve discrepancies quickly.
- The To-Do list feature enhances communication and compliance by directly pushing safety training tasks and other objectives to drivers’ mobile devices.
Together, these features improve drivers’ ability to perform their jobs efficiently and boost overall job satisfaction by making daily tasks more manageable and reducing administrative burdens.
Because our platform is so customizable, Ryder can make its app do “just about anything you want to. It’s limited only by your imagination,” Rogers noted.
Discover how Eleos can transform driver communications and the work experience to benefit your customers and your bottom line. Contact us for a personalized demo today!
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