TruckingMall Takes Operations to the Internet

TruckingMall Corp. will join the mobile communication and application competition with the debut of its new services at the International Truck Show in Las Vegas.

The company will be the second major communications contender to rely on the Internet on both the dispatch and driver sides of trucking operations. The first was Gearworks Inc. of Eagan, Minn., with a product called etrace.
TruckingMall will introduce applications called DriverLink and Trucktrace, two sides of an overall system for truck dispatch operations.
DriverLink consists of a Internet-ready Palm VII handheld computer with a GPS attachment that mounts on the dash near the windshield and plugs into the Palm. The Palm VII connects to the Internet wirelessly, receives messages from dispatch and transmits GPS information and other data, such as proof-of-delivery. The Palm VII can capture and transmit signatures.
According to TruckingMall, messages sent to or from trucks outside coverage areas are stored, then sent automatically when the truck returns to coverage.
Trucktrace software runs on TruckingMall servers and is accessed by trucking customers over the Internet. Using a web browser, dispatchers can locate and communicate with remote drivers. The software also sees to many operational functions.
Trucktrace provides quotes to customers, electronic bills of lading, electronic invoicing, proof of delivery with signature capture, GPS tracking and tracing, automatic load schedules, mileage reports, and a shipper’s web portal for delivery status and history.
TruckingMall offers Trucktrace as an Application Service Provider (ASP). The software runs on TruckingMall’s server, not on computers in the trucking company office. All data in and out of the server travels via the Internet. TruckingMall says its ASP operation is reliable and secure. Data from different trucking customers is entirely separate and unavailable to unauthorized eyes.
TruckingMall says Trucktrace and DriverLink will be made available without capital outlay on the part of fleet customers.