More than 1,700 Old Dominion Freight Line drivers are being equipped with Symbol Technology Inc.'s PDT 7500 rugged handheld computers, which will be used throughout each driver's pickup and delivery route.

Old Dominion Freight Line Inc., transporting primarily LTL shipments, is now using Symbol's handheld computers and two-dimensional scanning technology. The Symbol computer, which can withstand extreme weather conditions as well as rough handling, allows the driver to collect and communicate -- through wireless wide area network communications -- timely information important to managing the route and customer orders no matter where the driver may be.
Route information is downloaded at the start of a work-shift to the Symbol handheld computer; a PDF417 bar code containing shipper information is generated and scanned by the computer to identify those pickups not wirelessly received. That information, along with each customer's delivery, payment or customer exception (keyed in by the driver) is communicated to the headquarters' main server database. This allows Old Dominion Freight Line to accurately track and manage each customer's delivery throughout its system.
Barry Craver, senior application development manager for Old Dominion Freight Line, said, "Information allows us to maximize customer service, and the Symbol handheld computer is the best device for capturing that information. We like the fact that it's rugged, can take multiple drops to concrete, and has great battery life, more than a full day's shift."