How automation and digitalisation are changing road logistics

As technology improves, it changes our expectations about the way we conduct business. This transformation is occurring in our personal lives, with the latest digital innovations offering us immediacy and self-service like never before. As technology innovates our lives, it is also changing the way we manage road logistics.

Managing road logistics can take up a lot of your organisation’s resources. You need to coordinate multiple vendors, plan the best routes and rely on imperfect processes to know where your shipments are at any time. Done traditionally, this process involves countless phone calls to compare quotes, endless search for paperwork and a general loss of productivity while your team perform these tasks.

These challenges are being solved through digitalisation and automation. With these technologies, companies are conducting safer, more efficient and less costly road logistics. By incorporating these technologies into your logistics system, you can overcome these common challenges and give your company a competitive edge.

eTrucknow is a digital road logistics platform by Kuehne+Nagel that harnesses end-to-end automation to provide you with an intuitive and reliable way to manage your road transport. eTrucknow offers an integrated solution, meaning that your business can rely on a qualified fleet of truckers instead of managing your own fleet, while gaining full visibility of your shipments. Seamlessly integrated into your organisation, this fleet of prequalified and vetted drivers provides you with full distribution coverage across Asia Pacific.

Digitalisation

Logistics has entered the digital age and is no longer reliant on non-computerised systems. Every process can be monitored, recorded and arranged through technology. Digitalisation enables eTrucknow to provide you with complete visibility of your supply chain. Through granular, real-time data you always know where your shipments are, whether the route has changed, and when your customers can expect the shipment to arrive.

Furthermore, by using a digital platform for all quotes, invoices and proof of delivery documents, you reduce administrative tasks and remove the need for paperwork. Digitalisation also facilitates cooperation between actors in your supply chain, enabling you to efficiently coordinate your vendors and suppliers.

In the digital age, data is a valuable resource. With digitalisation, you can use optimise your routes and plan your shipments using critical data points such as average driving speed, driving time and the hours of service of your drivers. Once your shipments are in transit, you can track the vehicles with GPS to get a complete overview of your operations, from pick up to destination. These benefits combine to create a more efficient, accurate and responsive system for managing your road logistics.

Automation

Automation is all about speeding up your business processes while reducing human error. For example, eTrucknow lets you automate your booking workflow based on lane type, commodity or order type. Using this streamlined process you can quickly and easily make bookings, simplifying the complexity of booking road shipments. If you’re unsure what type of truck you need, eTrucknow can suggest one based on your order details.

eTrucknow uses artificial intelligence to bridge the gap between supply and demand for fleet operators. Simply provide your shipping details to instantly receive the most competitive quote, based on a comparison process that references multiple data points. As a user, this process is simple, providing you an exhaustive overview with minimum effort. Carriers also benefit from this job matching feature, allowing them to unlock further revenue by matching empty hauls with shipping jobs.

Automation also saves you time. Rather than watch live updates, you can set up alert notifications to inform you when your shipment meets certain milestones. Automated alerts and updates ensure that you can inform your customers where their shipments are, improving customer experience through real-time insights.

The benefits of digitalisation and automation don’t just help you in the short-term but will pay dividends for years to come, empowering you to confidently develop your business without distractions. Give your business the advantages that digitisation and automation bring to road logistics.

Be prepared and stay in control with eTrucknow. Find out more here or schedule a demo with us.