While not an official title in the logistics industry, shipper of choice is nonetheless an important designation for companies. It means you’re able to not only attract but retain reliable carriers by establishing policies and processes that demonstrate in concrete ways that the relationship is mutually beneficial.
This can manifest itself in several ways, including by providing consistent volume carriers can rely on; having fast, transparent payment processing; clearly communicating freight forecasts; data sharing and load visibility; and a drop trailer program.
All of this is important, but the overall driver experience can make or break the carrier relationship. If drivers are reluctant or unwilling to service a warehouse or manufacturing facility for whatever reason, it quickly becomes known to their managers. This can lead to higher freight rates, or in the worst case, dropped service.
Being a shipper of choice is especially relevant during tight freight markets, when capacity is scarce. Companies that have poor carrier relationships during this time often struggle to find truck capacity, resulting in significantly heightened costs and, in the worst case, the inability to deliver reliably to customers, potentially causing irreparable damage to the overall business. Tight freight markets tend to happen every couple of years, with the most recent being during 2020-2022 as a result of COVID and the ensuing bottlenecks.
Historically, shippers have improved the driver experience through driver lounges, vending machines and TVs. However, these amenities don’t make up for a poor driver experience driven by inefficient manual processes that lead to delays at check-in and checkout, poor communication, lack of real-time updates, and inflexible delivery windows.
This is especially true with recent changes in the transportation industry. In particular, the compression of the supply chain caused by leaders like Amazon, which necessitates faster and more on-time delivery and demographic changes, brings digital-first experiences to the forefront.
Drivers are the backbone of freight transportation, yet these types of issues make certain facilities unattractive to carriers. The good news is that automation is transforming the driver experience, reducing delays, streamlining operations, and improving transparency.
Shippers that invest in technology for improved driver experiences, such as faster check-in, digital documentation, and seamless payment processing, can earn carrier preference points, lower freight rates, and more reliable capacity when it counts.
The Impact of Automation on Driver Check-In
Traditional check-in processes are often manual, requiring paper logs, long wait times, and unnecessary interactions. While some drivers may prefer to go old school and deal directly with gate personnel, most want to get in and out and on to the next stop.
Automated gate kiosks allow drivers to scan a QR code and get processed quickly without leaving their trucks — an important safety aspect, especially in a busy yard. This cuts down significantly on wait times and backups. By creating a self-service check-in/checkout process, facilities can standardize gate processes, ensuring more efficient yard operations.
The ability to digitize documents such as the bill of lading (BOL) and proof of delivery (POD) eliminates the need for excessive paperwork, reducing wait times at the dock.
Faster check-in/checkout also means drivers spend less time idling, reducing carbon emissions and aiding with sustainability programs. Drivers spend more time on the road, improving overall productivity and HOS commitments, making your facility a preferred destination.
Enhancing Payment and Documentation Processes for Driver Efficiency
One of the biggest pain points for carriers and drivers is payment delays due to slow paperwork processing. By digitizing BOLs and PODs, shippers ensure faster document verification and quicker payment cycles.
Automated payment workflows mean rapid processing and far less hassle. All the necessary digital documents are already in the system for upload to the invoicing and payment system. This builds driver trust, satisfaction, and loyalty through transparency and rapid fund transfer to their accounts.
In a future state, one could envision automated payment clearance for carriers (or even other suppliers) based on a series of completed automated steps, with important steps being the signed POS (proof of shipment) and POD (proof of delivery), each obtained through digital yard workflows.
This can improve efficiency, reduce fraud and improve business relationships with carriers (and other suppliers). Layering on supply chain finance solutions that can offer carriers and suppliers optionality for how they would like to get paid takes this even a step further.
Automated systems that instantly update shipment status reduce back-and-forth communication and improve supply chain visibility. Drivers can quickly check their phone to see if they’ve been assigned a different dock or stop.
Another innovation is the ability to allow drivers to precheck at a facility. This can be beneficial if a particular dock they’re assigned to is backed up. Precheck not only allows the driver to breeze through to their gate, but they can be notified in advance to come at a later time if there’s a backup.
When shippers enable faster, transparent payment cycles and provide options that speed up yard and dock processing, carriers are more likely to prioritize their loads, ensuring better service and availability.
Creating a Driver-Friendly Experience Through Digital Communication and Transparency
Real-time communication is key to reducing driver frustration. Automated systems can provide drivers with instant notifications about load status, gate assignments, and dock availability via mobile apps or text alerts.
Digital self-service portals allow drivers to update their status, submit documents, and receive route instructions without needing to wait in line. This removes a huge frustration for drivers that are held up by outdated manual processes and poor communication.
When a company prioritizes clear, proactive communication, drivers feel respected and valued. This leads to stronger carrier relationships, more reliable freight movement and ultimately shipper of choice status.
How FreightRoll Enables a Best-in-Class Driver Experience
FreightRoll is an AI-enabled yard orchestration platform designed to streamline and digitize driver workflows. It eliminates inefficiencies, reduces manual tasks, and enhances safety and transparency by providing a touchless, self-service experience designed with drivers in mind.
With FreightRoll’s digitalGUARD, drivers gain gate access without the need for human interaction, reducing wait times and team workloads. They simply scan their phones at the gate, complete their check-in and receive instructions on how to proceed.
FreightRoll’s digitalBOL ensures seamless chain of custody tracking. It helps facilitate the transition to paperless operations while improving compliance and efficiency. Users can interact with the documents via tablet, mobile device, or PC, creating a digital paper trail for audit and compliance purposes. Facilities can create digital workflows, reducing errors and speeding up dispute resolution.
FreightRoll’s digitalCOMMS allows for post-check-in driver orchestration throughout the yard that interfaces with their chosen device. Such communications can include dock assignment, yard spot assignment, loading started, loading complete, documentation ready, inspection instructions and several other options.
A natively built browser-based experience, FreightRoll meets all the authentication and workflow requirements of an integrated app without the download hassle. This enables passive onboarding of truck drivers (who hate being asked to download apps) and ensures ease of use for all drivers.
FreightRoll’s innovative yard execution system streamlines the driver experience, reducing wait times and improving transparency. This helps them secure better freight rates and strengthen carrier partnerships, locking in capacity and ultimately improving customer satisfaction. To learn more, contact FreightRoll today.
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