New Mapping Tool Helps Brokers “See” Their Loads

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One of the most useful tools a broker can have at his or her fingertips is a map application designed specifically for the trucking industry. That’s why DAT Keypoint recently integrated ALK® maps, powered by PC*MILER, into our TMS.

DAT Keypoint has always provided useful data and allowed you to customize it to fit the way you work. But sometimes the best way to figure out what data means is to visualize it. Now at the press of a button in Keypoint, you can see where a load is going, when it will arrive, and where you should look for capacity.

Here are just three ways you can benefit from the integration of ALK maps with Keypoint:

1. See the route for a load and optimize it.

In our example below, we’ve selected a load in the Order Entry screen going from from Springfield, MO, to Gary, IN. You can use the Route Options button at the right to customize the route for everything from hazardous materials to fewer tolls.

2. Use check-call information to give your customers more accurate ETAs.

The load in the order above is now on a truck and moving. The load is currently in Bourbon, MO, and headed for Gary, IN, with an ETA of 5:54 hours from now. This real-time information helps you keep your customers happy, by giving them regular updates on exactly where their valuable freight is and when it will arrive at its destination.

3. Plot all loads on one screen to help you plan needed capacity.

From the Operations Dispatch Control screen, you can ask to see all your loads on one map, color-coded by where they’ll be picked up and delivered. In the example below, it’s clear most of the freight is being picked up in the central part of the country, in Missouri and Dallas, TX. Seven loads are bound for Chicago and four for New York. By looking at the patterns, you can easily see where you need to look next for capacity.