Paragon Software Systems Inc. highlighted its route planning software, which the company says can help transportation planners harness data gathered to comply with the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate to drive greater operational efficiency. Reporting functionality available in Paragon’s route planning software can be used to analyze data, including Hours of Service (HoS) information, truck utilization and on-time delivery performance, to identify areas for improvement which will help transportation operations plan more effectively and counter feared productivity losses arising from compliance with the rule, the company says.
“Many transport operations across the U.S. have been reluctant to have electronic logs installed in truck cabs because of the investment required, but also because of the feared drop in capacity and productivity,” said William Salter, chief executive officer and president of Paragon Software Systems. “In fact, we are already talking to a number of our customers about how they can use the data captured to refine their transportation plans and make better use of the available driver resources. The reporting functionality in our route planning software is tremendously beneficial to transportation managers trying to find new ways of keeping costs low while meeting customer service levels and regulatory requirements.”
According to the company, Paragon’s route planning software interfaces with a wide range of vehicle tracking and ELD systems via the Paragon Route Execution module. This allows customers the freedom to choose their preferred electronic log vendor, or multiple log vendors if more than one type of device is used across the operation. It manages transportation plans in real-time, allowing transportation managers to see where trucks are on the road and how the day’s plan is progressing at any given time. By integrating with vehicle tracking systems, Route Execution can alert management to any vehicles that are running late or early so that they can make alternative arrangements, such as diverting another nearby vehicle to make a scheduled pickup or contacting the customer to inform them of late running. Paragon’s route planning software can also help planners create more precise truck distribution routes, which will help operators more easily comply with the HoS regulations.
