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EUROGATE Intermodal (EGIM) currently handles the daily transshipment of containers in Hamburg's port with the help of around 35 independent operators who have their own vehicles. EGIM provides these operators with transfer orders. Up to a few months ago, radio, telephone and paper were the tools still used to coordinate containers and drivers. But this is now a thing of the past: together, EUROGATE-IT and EGIM have developed a program that facilitates the entire time-consuming process efficiently using a smartphone.
The new system is called TRoad and it significantly simplifies the processes for EGIM employees, truckers and customers. When the EGIM controller assigns orders, a notification is sent to the app on the driver's smartphone showing the new order. The order can then be accepted and processed. Should the container get damaged, the trucker can take a photo of the damage and it is automatically sent to the controller. The driver can also use the app to provide the controller in the office with information about container numbers, waiting times and news. Annual leave, days off and other administrative tasks can also be handled using a calendar function. The EGIM controller can then see on his or her system that a particular driver is not available for upcoming routes. The days of manual order processing and mountains of paper in the office are over.
The drivers are more motivated and consequently look forward to more orders. The removal of the radio system in the Waltershof office has reduced the noise level considerably and the controllers can focus on other tasks because they have less work to do on each order. The old, paper-based planning schedule has been abolished, reducing the amount of paper that the controller uses by about 90%.
The customers are satisfied as they are automatically notified and constantly receive rapid and accurate information about the status of a route. The operator also has the option of automatically communicating his or her own schedule for the day while still in the truck.
The joint EGIM-IT project ran over 11 months from start to finish and came into effect on 1 April.
