Transportation.com, an Internet transportation marketplace, has launched www.transportation.com, a site which offers a selection of transportation management and logistics consulting services. Transportation.com is a joint venture between Yellow Corp. and the venture capital firms TL Ventures and EnerTech Capital Partners. More than one thousand companies have registered for Transportation.com services since the launch in June.

“We expect those numbers to grow significantly as we add more value-added services to our portfolio,” said Jim Ritchie, president and chief executive officer for Transportation.com.

Services available on Transportation.com are varied. Shipment management offers shippers access to pre-negotiated low rates. Shippers can request a quote, select a carrier and create a bill of lading. Load matching is a real-time tool, linking the shipment postings of manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers with the available equipment postings of carriers. Its features include auto match, online bills of lading documents, credit reporting services from Dun and Bradstreet and access to carrier safety reports.

The equipment auctions feature is an online auction service enabling carriers and private fleet operators to buy or sell used transportation equipment in either a public or private auction environment. Bidders can see bidding activity in real time to make their offers. Carriers can post equipment on the site, maximizing the time their trucks stay in service.

Transportation.com also offers consulting services focused on helping the small- to medium-sized businesses on network value assessment, business process development, performance management, change and program management. The site’s business centre services provide information related to the transportation industry, including tips such as improving business via the Internet, weather and traffic information, and industry news and trends.

Kenworth navigation system reduces out of route miles

With the Kenworth on-board satellite navigation system, fleet managers and dispatchers have a new tool that will help direct drivers to the right destinations, and ensure on-time deliveries and lower fuel bills, thanks to fewer out-of-route miles.

The system is available on all Kenworth on-highway conventional models, and the Alpine DVD-based system provides visual as well as verbal directions to delivery points throughout the United States and select points in Canada. The driver or passenger can view the swivel-mounted, flat-panel display offering push-button selection controls. The system has a natural-sounding voice for verbal directions, a close-up mode which shows details such as what lane to proceed in, miles to destination and arrival time features, a GPS clock which adjusts itself to correct time, and a programmable address book which will recall destinations.

ProMiles mileage guide is married to dispatch software

ProMiles Canada Inc. has integrated its ProMiles 99 Mileage Guide with CustomLink Inc. Dispatch Software. The integration will provide mileage calculations, route optimization, and graphic colour maps to CustomLink’s Link-LTL and Link-Broker software packages.

CustomLink software is a transportation information system (written in 32-bit Visual Fox Pro for Windows/NT) developed by transportation professionals to simplify and automate day-to-day business operations and to establish a solid link with clients.

“The customer is always the winner when software programs are integrated, providing greater value and functionality to the end user,” says Peter Petruzzellis, president of ProMiles Canada Inc.

Getting Sirius about in-cab entertainment for drivers

The first Sirius-1 satellite has been launched into orbit, and with it commences a new technology which will help reduce the boredom of long-distance hauls.

By the end of 2000, Sirius Satellite Radio will have three orbiting space satellites for radio broadcasting to all moving vehicles, bringing a whole new world of music, news and sports for truckers to enjoy. Sirius will broadcast 100 channels of music and entertainment programming to drivers. Sirius has formed alliances with Ford, BMW, and DaimlerChrysler for the factory installation of Sirius receivers in new vehicles. The original equipment receivers will span 16 different vehicle lines, including Freightliner and Sterling heavy-duty trucks.

In addition, the major electronics manufacturers are producing radio receivers with satellite chips in them for OEM and aftermarket installation.

FleetCommander system improves productivity

ALK Associates has introduced FleetCommander, a fleet optimization system designed to improve productivity, enhance customer service and cut operating expenses. FleetCommander provides a graphical view of trucks anywhere in North America by combining data from a variety of fleet management and mobile communications systems with ALK’s PC Miler highway mapping and routing software.

It shows driver managers where trucks are, when they’ll arrive, and if they’re late, early, out of route, or available for a new load. It will also help reduce out of route miles, providing real-time exception alerts, and enhances customer service with dependable arrival time projections. Dynamic load planning based on current truck locations can be achieved, limiting downtime and empty miles. Truck locations are updated and ETA and out-of-route figures calculated every 20 minutes or on a user-determined schedule.

FleetCommander will also maintain shipment histories for all completed trips, and produces sortable reports that can be used for route and load analyses, pricing and market development.

TIP FastLane launched as trailer reservation resource

Transport International Pool (TIP) has introduced TIP FastLane, a real-time, web-based over-the-road trailer reservation resource in the trucking industry. Customers who want to rent trailers can point their browsers to www.tiptrailers.com and click on TIP FastLane to reserve equipment online and get real-time confirmation.

“A major goal at TIP is to leverage the speed of e-commerce to help improve our customers’ bottom line. A web-based OTR trailer reservation system puts more control and flexibility in our customers’ hands, allowing them to reserve trailers in less time than conventional methods,” said Chris Hines, president, TIP North America.

With TIP FastLane, customers can instantly reserve equipment throughout North America, specifying type and location. TIP FastLane works in conjunction with the company’s online customer service feature called Premier Services, free to all TIP customers. It provides round-the-clock password-protected access to comprehensive account information including current invoices, billing history, lease information, and specifications of all units currently on lease from TIP. There is also instant access to a sales inventory of over-the-road trailers, intermodal transportation equipment and storage and cartage equipment.