Spireon released what it calls the trucking industry’s first automated detention optimization system. The Detention Optimization Module is part of its FleetLocate Asset & Trailer Intelligence solution.

The Detention Optimization Module features flexible reports enabling trucking companies to see instantly where their trailers are located, how long those trailers have been detained at specific locations, whether the trailers are empty or loaded, which customer locations have exceeded their detention grace periods, as well as daily views of billable detention hours.

Trucking companies have the option to run reports filtered by inactive time at landmarks customer locations or by user-defined grace periods set up for each customer.

The module also allows trucking companies to receive alerts when a customer location exceeds its grace period, as well as share these alerts with customers. This enables customers to see which of their locations are incurring detention billing so they can address and modify the behavior.

“Detention time costs the trucking industry more than $3 billion annually in lost time and productivity,” said Spireon CEO Marc Brungger. “It’s also costing drivers lost revenue, forcing them to waste hours at customer locations instead of on the road.”

The benefits of the module extend beyond more efficient and accurate detention billing,” according to Roni Taylor, vice president of product optimization.

“With increased visibility into detention, trucking companies will be able to motivate customers to unload their trailers first, reward customers who remain under their grace periods with more favorable rates, negotiate more favorable contracts, avoid billing conflicts with verifiable detention data, maximize trailer pools, and get their trailers and drivers back on the road faster.”