Tailwind Management Systems Inc., Vancouver, B.C., Canada, announced that its dispatch software now offers the ability to send and receive messages
and automatic updates to and from drivers using any e-mail capable cellphone or wireless device.
"We have made two-way messaging available to anyone with an e-mail capable cellphone," said Keith Retallack, Tailwind marketing manager. "There are many different things this form of messaging can accomplish. Dispatchers can do load-assignments with the click of a button and the software
will send out a message to the driver by automatically filling in the blanks of a template with the location and pickup details pulled from the dispatch system.
For example, dispatchers can send plain text messages that say, 'How long are you going to be?' Or, 'Have you picked up that shipment yet?' or 'What time do you think you'll be back?'
"Drivers, on the other hand, can easily send notification of each pickup and drop-off that will automatically update the office dispatch software. That means they can capture the location of the vehicle at that time and update the systems equipment status board too."
Keith stated that there are a number of other innovations just around the corner like a Management Control Center module that instantly shows the status of key performance indicators of the carrier at any time.
Tailwind Management Systems has sales agents in Connecticut, Ontario and California and installations across North America. Tailwind provides software systems for LTL, full-load trucking and freight brokerage companies.
For more information on Tailwind, go to www.tailwindsys.com.