Software
Second of Three Parts
Transformative Technology: Laying the Foundation for High Tech Tools in Today’s Modern Hauler
Today’s technology solutions available for the driver can transform his hauling experience from a manual, paper-based routine to a fully automated, efficient workflow.
Steven Kaufman
In part one of this series (Waste Advantage Magazine, October 2010), we covered the key components of an automated waste management system and some of the transformative benefits that could be obtained by its installation. Part two of this series will hone in on the various technologies available for the truck; specifically, what tools are out there and how they can dramatically improve the driver experience.
Managing Optimization
The goal of every hauler is to pick up 100 percent of the trash 100 percent of the time. If haulers miss this goal regularly, they are usually beset with runbacks and customer complaints, adversely affecting profitability and eroding morale. To guard against this, haulers have relied on their routing/billing software to manage route sequencing and optimization, as well as the customer service representative to manage any issues that arise while the route is being run.
This is a “point-of-sale” model that depends on the driver manually relaying route information to the office. With no eyes or ears in the field to corroborate the driver’s account of what is taking place, the office has no choice but to rely solely on what they are being told or what drivers write down on their route sheets.
Adding on-board technology dramatically changes that paradigm. It introduces a new and powerful element to the workflow which we’ll call “point of service.” In this scenario, the on-board technology sends objective, detailed information to the office on exactly what is taking place in the field, from pickups to vehicle metrics. Suddenly, everyone in the organization has full and complete access to route activity, almost as if they were in the cab with the driver.
Equally as important, the driver is now fully empowered to manage what is taking place on his route. Involving him in the workflow and acknowledging his critical role in customer service is a win-win for both the rank-and-file and the supervisory staff.
Initial reactions from some drivers may be muted as they perceive technology as “big brother on board.” However, experience has shown that if the system is easy to use, the time-savings and convenience it offers quickly overcomes these objections and drivers soon embrace the system as much easier to use than a route sheet.
Vehicle Technology Overview
The central component of the system is the on-board computer, or OBC. This device receives the route exactly as sequenced in the routing/billing software and acts as the electronic route sheet, replacing the paper route sheet. Drivers use the OBC to capture all pickup activity, including skips and extra trash collected. Digital and analog inputs tie into signals generated by the truck body, enabling the computer to record front fork/sideloader arm activity and GPS coordinates for each lift.
The OBC also captures all driver offline time, including scheduled breaks, trips to the landfill and fueling station, and “accidental” breaks that are impeding his progress (e.g., traffic jam). The unit is generally text-messaging capable, using preset messages and an onscreen keyboard to allow the driver to add comments (e.g., “damaged container”) to any customer record.
Follow-on options for the on-board computer can greatly expand its core functionality. Instead of acting solely as an electronic route sheet, the OBC becomes a data clearinghouse, presenting a rich, detailed look at all route factors. These options can include:
Digital cameras. These generally come in three types: (1) back-up cameras that display the live scene behind the vehicle, (2) service verification cameras that allow the driver to take a photo of the customer pickup and (3) monitoring cameras that continually record the in-cab and out-of-windshield view.
Weight Scales. Integrated scales can store the weight of each container with the customer record.
RFID. A reader scans an RFID tag affixed to a residential cart or a commercial container, pulling up the relevant customer record and automatically recording the pickup.
Jbus (also known as CAN bus or Vehicle Diagnostics). Reads the factory-generated engine fault codes, giving an instant view of the vehicle’s health, fuel consumption profile and greenhouse gas emissions.
Advanced technologies. VoIP and body telematics can eliminate cell phones and radios and provide the driver and the office with up-to-the-minute information on the operational status of the packer body.
Thanks to advancements in the cellular data network, the OBC can continuously send to the office all of the data it has collected, giving staff a real-time view of the point-of-service activity.
Power in the Cab: The Benefits of On-Board Technology
With the basic functionality of in-cab technology defined, what benefits can each component bring to the driver? The most obvious is the elimination of in-cab paperwork. Drivers are no longer burdened with the need to write down what happened on the route. Everything is entered electronically, including paper-slip items like landfill and fuel tickets. In this way, nearly every aspect of the collection process is automated.
The OBC also encourages drivers to follow the sequenced order of the route if that is company policy. In concert with turn-by-turn directions, the OBC can get to the driver through all of his stops in the shortest amount of drive time possible. This keeps truck and driver costs to a minimum and helps eliminate any driver guesswork about the way his route should be executed in the field.
The OBC also gives the driver a neutral, objective way to show management that he is performing his job, helping to mitigate the “us vs. them” controversy that can sometimes characterize labor management discussions. Through well-designed reporting, all parties can assess performance based on factual, not anecdotal, information.
Perhaps one of the most transformative benefits of the on-board computer is the opportunity it gives the driver to instantly communicate when something is out of the norm. Whatever the topic—weight, safety or material collected—the driver is now in the best position to report on anything that is breaking the optimization of the route and impeding profitability and efficiency. This makes the driver a central stakeholder in the success of the route.
Cameras are generally used by the driver to provide digital proof of the exceptions he encounters on the route. This can be extras that he picks up or photos of why he couldn’t render service (e.g., no setout, blocked container, locked gate). He may also use the camera to record any safety issues he sees, photograph pre-existing damage to roads or landscape, or document any container damage. Cameras give the driver a fast, easy way to let the customer service agents know the actual field conditions that he encounters.
Additionally, backup cameras add a critical safety element, giving the driver “eyes” that could avoid tragic consequences. Monitoring cameras offer absolute proof of conditions at the time of an accident. Was the driver texting or was he driving safely?
Current on-board scales require the driver to interact with the scale meter after each weigh event. Introducing an on-board computer eliminates that extra step because the weight is automatically captured and stored with the customer record.
RFID technology reduces the amount of driver-initiated input into the OBC because pickups are being recorded automatically when the computer recognizes the customer name read from the tag. RFID gives the driver the same benefits of objectivity and optimization previously described, with the added bonus of reducing his interaction with the unit to exceptions and breaks. This further enhances his in-field productivity.
Finally, because of the amount of time they spend in their truck, most drivers can tell when a maintenance issue is affecting the vehicle’s performance. Reporting on Jbus engine and transmission error codes augments the driver’s input, giving him a second reliable source for anything relating to the health of his vehicle.
Roll-Off Tools for the Driver
The OBC user interface can have two versions: one that tracks residential and commercial pickups and a second that tracks roll-off work orders. The former presents the customer event as a single step whereby the driver marks a pickup or a skip with a single button press.
The latter presents the work order as a series of steps (for example, Start Work Order, Arrive at Customer, Depart Customer, Arrive Landfill), each of which has its own separate Done/Skip button. This allows the driver to track his progress through each work order segment, providing an easy way to report on the exceptions he encounters with any part of the work order. This kind of detailed, real-time reporting allows the driver to better manage his roll-off workload, leading to verifiable increases in the pulls/hour ratio, as well as alerting the driver to potential issues the next time he services the client.
In addition, adding roll-off functionality increases driver collaboration with the office—a critical component to improving the hectic, ad-hoc nature of roll-off work order dispatching. By levering real-time communication and on-screen reporting, the driver becomes the point person in raising roll-off efficiency and increasing service flexibility.
Closing the Gaps
In this article, we have explored some of the in-cab technology designed to eliminate paperwork and streamline the driver’s workflow. The overriding goal is to increase accountability of both the driver and the staff who manages him. Since the on-board system can deliver the objectivity needed to accurately assess performance, it follows that it can play a key role in assuring that everyone involved in the trash collection process is doing their part with maximum efficiency.
The technology can also reduce runbacks—taking valuable time for today’s routes to pick up the trash that couldn’t be collected yesterday. Eliminating the expense and logistical headache of runbacks is low-hanging return on investment fruit, easily justifying the expense of the system.
Safety is also a critical benefit realized by the on-board system. If drivers know that they are being monitored, they are more likely to conform with established safety and administrative protocols. Furthermore, they will have in-cab proof of any safety issues that arise. In one real-world example, a hauler used his on-board system to show that a school bus had hit the truck, not the other way around. This resulted in a dismissal of the citation against the driver and a reversal in how the insurance claim was being handled by the hauler’s carrier.
Finally, on-board technology also helps the driver close any gaps he sees as he progresses through his route—those things that hurt profitability and detract from his desire to get through the route. With on-board systems, the driver is fully sanctioned to play an equal role in the success of his route, tackling and resolving issues based on knowledge, not assumption. This levels the playing field and creates more of a driver/manager partnership, as well as improves customer service levels and creates a daily route workflow that is smooth, effortless and efficient—goals to which all waste haulers strive.
Steven Kaufman is the founder and Senior Vice President of Routeware, Inc. (Beaverton, OR). He has more than 25 years of experience in product development, manufacturing and operations, half of which have been spent in the solid waste industry. He has worked for Intel and Wang Laboratories in the U.S. and Europe, as well as other technology and engineering firms. He can be reached at (503) 906-8588, via e-mail at [email protected] or visit the Web site at www.routeware.com.