Current situation
In 2021, a lot of hauliers will re-examine how they currently communicate with their drivers. A portion of hauliers use island wide walkie talkies like i418 and i365 or i375. Some companies use phone call and Whatsapp/Wechat for their communication.
A lot of communication is voice and picture based as drivers prefer to talk directly to controllers and companies also need picture evidence for their cargo and containers.
For hauliers entering PSA, there is also the requirement to use eCTS on iPad, HCS or MDT to communicate with the PSA Cranes. Sometimes web browsers are also required for portnet data input. PortNet App can also be found on iOS and Android.
In this article we will look at the top problems for Singapore Hauliers and how Smart Walkie’s solution can improve the daily operations of hauliers and their drivers.
1) Drivers having too many devices to carry, maintain and charge
As driver’s jobs become more digitized, drivers also have to carry more devices. The current devices that the drivers could carry might be up to four devices. These include own personal phone, island wide walkie talkie, iPad/MDT for PSA related operations and camera for photo taking.
Drivers will be carrying their own smartphone usually. But they might not prefer to use their own phone for work. Commonly an Island-Wide walkie talkie is used. When they need to communicate, they have to pick up their talkie to PTT (push to talk).
For Hauliers entering PSA, there is also a need to communicate with PSA via approved apps like eCTS, HCS and MDT. These are hard requirements that are needed. However in 2021, there is now more flexibility to run these apps on common mobile platforms like Android.
With multiple devices, comes the issue of cost and mental load. iPads that are mounted in the cabin incur high maintenance costsg as their battery are exposed to prolonged sun and heat. Drivers also have to keep track of their devices and a loss of device means additional replacement cost which everyone finds an unpleasant experience.
Increasingly some customers of hauliers are also asking them to install their apps to facilitate Delivery orders and DOs. These are usually Android apps so it is required that drivers have an Android smartphone.
With a smartphone or smart walkie talkie, it is possible to combine all these usage into one device.
An all in one unified reliable rugged smart walkie talkie like BV5900.
Replace Phone - Use it like a normal phone, you can make phone calls and video calls with the device.
Replace Talkie - It is PTT integrated and has a PTT button at the side which allows you to use it like a normal walkie talkie.
Smartphone Android Apps - With Android OS 10 and TalkieLock, you can remotely install required apps and disable non-work apps like YouTube.
Next Day Device Replacement: - BV5900 is rugged so it is more durable and ideal for harsh outdoor environments where hauliers face on a daily basis. However device failure does happen. Our Plans (Extended L3 Warranty Service) come with accidental damage coverage (screen cracks/water damage), next day device replacement and free 2 way courier service so your business operations are not affected.
2) Drivers cannot take pictures or videos
Picture taking is a common activity among drivers and their controllers. Pictures are important to be taken as there might be disputes on containers conditions. Evidence is essential to avoid unnecessary damage compensations. Pictures also help the colleagues back in the office to easily see the situation and adjust the plan accordingly.
Currently Pictures or videos might be sent via WhatsApp or Wechat if the driver has a smartphone.
VoicePing sends a copy of picture to your email
Pictures and videos can be taken using VoicePing app. The photos taken in the app are auto date, location & time-stamped so you can easily verify and tabulate the data for admin purposes.
You can complement it with our auto-forwarding of picture feature. When auto-forwarding is switched on, every picture received is automatically sent to your assigned email. This results in easy storage and retrieval. You can view the pictures on your computer and easily forward it to someone else.
3) I cannot reach my driver
Sometimes you might be trying to call someone via Phone or Walkie and there is no response or you cannot get through.
On Island Wide walkie talkies, if a user is talking to another person, you will not be able to reach them and there will be a busy tone.
As a controller, it is annoying and wastes your time if drivers are talking to each other and you can’t reach them when you need to disseminate information to them.
You can Page a user to interrupt an existing conversation
On VoicePing Walkie Talkie App, you can see if the user is available to listen to you or if your PTT has not been played. If they are online but talking to someone else, you will only see one ticks instead of two ticks.
For drivers that do not use walkie talkies, the page feature can also be useful. When a driver doesn’t reply back, it might be that he didn’t hear it or he could be busy. This will result in delay of job assignments and operations due to the communication breakdown.
Page also continuous ring their phone until they reply to you
Using VoicePing’s Paging feature, it will send a Continuous Paging & vibrating alert to your recipient phones when you send them a page. This will ensure that they reply to you as the alert will ring continuously unless they reply back.
4) Driver might be distracted from the road and crash the vehicle
If a driver is simply replying to the controller, it is quite easy to just press the PTT button to reply. However if he has to select someone to speak to, it is a potentially dangerous situation. Drivers might be distracted from the road and crash the vehicle if they have to look at the screen. It might mean costly vehicle repairs and damaged goods which is unpleasant for the company.
Use Keypad to Change Channels or do Voice/Video Calls
Using SW180's numeric keypad, changing communication channels is very convenient and can be done without looking at the walkie talkie. You simply key in the numeric ID of the PTT Target and press *. The phone will read out the new target and you can verify that it is the correct person to talk to before pressing PTT.
In addition, VoicePing also has Phone and Voice Calling so you might even want to skip PTT and move to Voice or Video Calls.
Even safer will be to have drivers to use earpieces. With our Bluetooth PTT button or Bluetooth Integrated Headset, you can now PTT without touching the phone. For non urgent messages, you can replay when it is convenient and safe.
Summary
In summary, these are some of the main problems that you might be currently facing as a traffic controller or operations manager when you are managing a fleet of drivers.
Do contact us to discuss further on how we can solve your problems and simplify your work processes yet achieving maximum operational efficiency.