U.S. Express Puts TIMM Communications to the Test
U.S. Express signed agreements with TIMM Communications, Kansas City, Mo., for several services using TIMM’s network of electronic kiosks set up at more than 300 truck stops around the country.
The Chattanooga, Tenn.-based carrier set up e-mail accounts and electronic pay settlements for its drivers so they may receive immediate information about their pay settlements through Driver Net, the core system in use at TIMM’s electronic kiosks.
Driver pay details are available to the driver as soon as the payroll is issued. Owner Operators also will receive detailed settlements, cutting down the time it takes to receive the information manually.
Scan Net transmits documents, such as time-sensitive proof-of-delivery forms, in color between one of the TIMM kiosks and the carrier. U.S. Express is testing the system at two of its locations for 90 days.
Drivers get a printed receipt showing the document was successfully scanned and transmitted.
“Scanning is very important to our company from a bottom-line point of view,” said Max Fuller, co-chairman of U.S. Express. “We can minimize the turnaround time of these delivery notices from three weeks to hours.”
TIMM says Scan Net will also give carriers the ability to issue invoices the same day of delivery — and that can mean drivers get paid faster.
The system is not available yet, but a TIMM spokesperson said the rollout schedule will be set following the test.
U.S. Express also established an electronic communications link between itself and its more than 7,000 drivers using the truck stop kiosks and a TIMM program called Private Fleet Network.
PFN is a secure communication system providing a direct line into the carrier’s own system. The driver enters a password and is linked directly to U.S. Express.
The communications can be customized by the carrier, according to TIMM. The fleet may want load postings, batch message retrieval, routing and directions, company data messages and personal communications.
