For a truck driver, one of the biggest annoyances they face on a daily basis is having to drive “empty miles.” This is when a driver is essentially moving a truck from one part of the country to another for a pickup but does not have a load. Since there isn’t an active load, the driver (or the company he or she works for) will have to pay for those miles. A 2016 report by the American Transportation Research Institute states that on average more than 20% of the miles a truck driver travels each year are empty miles.
Additionally, trucking rates are down as competition rises, so loads are often booked mere minutes after they are posted. Since drivers are scrambling to get every load they can, this adds to the strain of empty loads. Not only is this a financial problem, but the environmental impact can be troubling too.
A Solution is on the Horizon
Luckily, there may be a resolution of this problem in sight. Convoy, is an automated freight brokerage platform, launched by former Amazon veterans. Now, they have a new product that aims to put an end to empty miles. Their new product is called Automatic Reloads. Essentially, this tool allows truck drivers to book a “bundle” of jobs at once–or several jobs that all connect. There will be fewer miles driven empty and less work on the part of the driver when it comes to booking.
What are the Benefits of Convoy’s Automatic Reloads?
The benefits of this platform are there for manufacturers and distributors too, as smaller or shorter jobs that may have been harder to find drivers for will be filled with drivers who book a bundle. Convoy has access to a high density of jobs, and they have created a unique algorithm that makes it simple for a driver or team of drivers to book multiple jobs at once instead of relying on the old standby of “one job at a time.”
Overall, this looks to be a win-win-win situation for everyone involved. In many ways, drivers are the biggest winners. Not only will it eliminate empty miles, but it will make it easier to plan routes and routines days or even weeks in advance. As this program begins gaining traction, hopefully, the annoyance of empty miles is something that is left in the dust. Technology is transforming trucking and for those who are willing to embrace it, the changes can be incredibly beneficial.