Connected logistics startup LoadDocs is tackling one of the trucking industry's most vexing daily challenges: completing paperwork on the road.
By combining its proprietary system for capturing and transmitting images with smartphone connectivity, LoadDocs enables drivers to send proof of delivery and other essential documents directly from the the cab of their trucks back to the home office as an alternative to snail mail or faxing paperwork from truck stops.
"It's a simple formula," said LoadDocs Chief Operating Officer Brian Belcher. "Speeding up the paper flow will speed up the cash flow."
With the LoadDocs app, all a driver needs to do is take a picture of a document, assisted by guides on the camera screen to help with framing. LoadDocs' technology takes care of the rest by automatically cropping, rotating and adjusting image colors to produce an as-good-as- original electronic copy. "Customers are not going to pay unless the document is legible," Belcher said.
In addition to digitally sending documents, drivers can attach photos, retrieve date and time details, and add location information. Pacific Gas & Electric's network of carriers, for instance, is using LoadDocs to document not only that a piece of equipment has been delivered, but to also include a photo and location of the materials for complete visibility.
LoadDocs is designed to manage a wide range of common industry forms, including: bills of lading, weight certificates, toll receipts, inspection reports and expense reports. "Having such records available online and on-demand will be increasingly important as fleets are required to provide supporting documents to back up now-mandatory electronic logging devices, along with other food safety supply chain rules," said Belcher. Expediting invoices is another key function.
"LoadDocs helps fleets go from ‘delivered' to ‘invoiced' in minutes," Belcher said. "We've designed LoadDocs to remove one of the pain points of the trucking industry. As companies explore what the system can do for them, they'll discover lots of ways to speed up workflow and increase efficiency."
Drivers often make deliveries to places with limited or no cell coverage. LoadDocs is designed to capture and store images the driver takes; when it detects a stronger signal, it automatically transmits the documents to the home office.
At the fleet office, managers can use the system's optical-character-recognition technology to capture data from the electronic documents for reports. They no longer have to type information on a piece of paper into a computer system, and they no longer have to handle or store massive amounts of paper. "Through artificial intelligence, LoadDocs can learn about the documents and data that the back-office is expecting to further automate the process over time," said Belcher.
LoadDocs is compatible across any Android and iOS device. It has also recently launched a partnership with PeopleNet, a leading provider of fleet mobility hardware. Fleets using PeopleNet's in-cab Electronic Logging Device can install the LoadDocs app on the hardware.
In addition to hardware partnerships, LoadDocs has also partnered with the leading transportation management systems to support integrations so the documents are accessible from wherever they are needed.
According to Belcher, LoadDocs also has flexibility in its license model. "LoadDocs is quick and easy to get started with no long-term contracts," he said. "Fleets can pay monthly for their usage to align their costs as they grow with the application."
