TMW Unveils New Trucking Solutions at User Confab
October 11, 2011 Alex Woodie
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Trucking software developer TMW Systems made three product announcements at its recent TransForum 2011 user conference. Among the new solutions are a new Android version of its driver communication system, a new Web-based driver recruiting and hiring application, and a new integration point between one of its IBM i-based dispatching applications and Qualcomm‘s Hours-of-Service (QHOS) program. QHOS is an electronic on-board recorder that automatically tracks how many hours a driver has logged on the road. The software transmits this data to the dispatch center using the cellular communication system from Qualcomm Enterprise Services that’s widely used in the trucking industry. The data collected by QHOS is now accessible within TMW’s IBM i-based Innovative IES application, thereby helping IES users ensure a higher level of safety and compliance with the hours of service regulations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The integration will also enable fleet managers to better plan their loads by quickly showing them–through color coding in IES screens–how many hours a driver has accumulated and how many she has available. “Qualcomm’s long-standing expertise in creating and communicating real-time information gives Innovative IES an added component that is critical to fleet safety and FMCSA compliance,” states Innovative vice president and general manager Ray West. The QHOS integration will be available with IES release 9.3, which is scheduled for GA in November. Smaller TMW customers that can’t justify the expense of outfitting their fleets with the sophisticated Qualcomm communication system will benefit from the availability of D2Link on Google‘s popular Android mobile operating system. D2Link is a mobile data solution that trucking companies can use to communicate with their drivers for items like trip status, schedules, load instructions, forms, and to provide shipment track-and-trace capabilities. The software offers an alternative to fixed in-cab communications systems, and is typically accessed via a laptop or a smartphone. The software is now available as a native Android 2.1 application. It offers a slick, high-resolution interface, TMW says, and also includes a new mapping feature that shows current vehicle locations and trip destinations. The third product announcement concerns TMW DriverManagement, a new Web-based application that helps automate administrative tasks, such as driver recruiting, validation, hiring, and onboarding. TMW says DriverManagement will help customers address the immediate need to increase the hiring capacity of recruiting departments while ensuring that all regulations are followed in the hiring process. The software is based on TMW’s Web framework and utilizes the document management and workflow capabilities of its TMW-Synergize software. While the U.S. trucking industry hasn’t recovered to its pre-recession levels, the industry is in growth mode, according to TMW president and CEO David Wangler. “Our customers have demonstrated an increasingly positive outlook for revenue growth this year with steady capacity additions,” Wangler says. TMW’sthree-day TransForum show reportedly set a record for attendance with 1,600 participants and 55 exhibitors. “Their willingness to send key staffers for continuing education on new product capabilities is also a strong sign of their interest in greater productivity and preparation for growth,” Wangler says.
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