TruckMate 2022.3 New Features: Operations

Originally, the TTC Import tool was designed and developed using .NET Framework version 5.0. However, Microsoft recently deprecated support for this version.

Now, TTC Import correctly runs on .NET Framework version 6.0.

The .NET assemblies distributed with TruckMate have been updated to version 4.6.

To improve tracking when orders are sent to drivers, these changes have been made to the database:

In addition, a new column has been added to the terminal plan grid in Customer Service’s LTL tab. It shows whether a load offer was sent for a specific move.

These changes improve how mobile communications warnings appear in the freight bill grid in Dispatch and Multi Mode Dispatch.

In D2Link, drivers can now scan trace numbers directly to a specific freight bill after they have picked up the associated items.

To support this feature, a new TraceList foreign type option has been added in the Communications Macro Definition Tool.

To set up the feature:

A new Duty Cycle Remain Hours field was added to the SendDriverHOSAvailableHours function in the TruckMate API. The value describes how many hours a driver has left in their remaining cycle.

Now, for example, a vendor can use this field to report the remaining hours left.

A Remaining Hours column now appears in the Dispatch and Multi Mode Dispatch driver grids.

Now, when using PeopleNet, all embedded macros are populated when sending the forward Decision Tree Form (DTF).

To support this change, Use if FB Populated is no longer available for Choice components. A freight bill no longer needs to be present to populate embedded macros.

Significant feature changes have been made to the Trip Templates window in Dispatch. Details will be available in a future online help update.

Four new options were added to the Quick Filter DateTime settings.

In addition, all other DateTime labels have been renamed for clarity.

Now, you can use trip schedules with any start zone without loading at a door.

Previously, when creating linehaul trip schedules, the trip required a loaded/loaded-to-go status before it could be activated. This meant linehaul moves were limited to terminal-based movements. You could not run linehaul trips from zone to terminals, or direct from zone to zone (serviced by different terminals).

A new Enable Manifest checkbox has been added to the Line-Haul Options tab in Multi Mode Dispatch’s Trip Schedules window. It is selected by default.

Behavior is as indicated:

If you are upgrading from an earlier version of TruckMate, you should see no change to your trip schedules unless you deselect Enable Manifest.

The Max Pallets column was added to the Trailers grid in Dispatch and Multi Mode Dispatch. This new column shows the maximum number of pallets the trailer can hold.

This value is specified in the Max Pallets field on the Basic Info tab in Trailer Profiles.

The Last Location Date column was added to the Power Units grid in Dispatch and Multi Mode Dispatch. This new column shows the last location update date for the power unit.

Updates appear because of a status change, reposition or location ping.

Now, you have more flexibility in how split bills can move once they are created. You can split a freight bill in Customer Service, Multi Mode Dispatch, and ConnectedDock.

Previously, when a split bill was created, its terminal plan was locked, since it was assumed it would take the same route as the parent. It could only be unlocked by removing the lock in the terminal plan.

Now:

Unlocked split bills can be re-routed to get them to their end destination. They can move using a different load plan option, or they can be routed to a non-planned terminal zone (if security settings allow). The split bills are independent and can be moved on different routes.

Once the split bills arrive in the same terminal and are merged together, they will be completed. On the parent bill, a terminal plan line item is created to represent the path from the terminal where the split occurred to the terminal where the merge occurred. In the system, this new record is marked as completed. This allows the freight bill to appear in the current terminal, ready to be moved again.

For statuses with a code behavior of Terminal (e.g., PAUSE, STOPOFF, TERMINAL), a new Stop Off option has been added to the Additional Rules tab.

Previously, when a Terminal status was used at a Pick, Drop, or Pick and Drop stop, TruckMate performed differently depending on the type of stop and whether Default for Category was selected in Codes Maintenance:

Since each code behavior could only have one designated Default for Category value, this limited the types of scenarios that TruckMate could handle.

The new Stop Off option allows TruckMate to apply this existing logic on a Terminal-by-Terminal status code in Dispatch and Multi Mode Dispatch:

Regardless of the Stop Off state, TruckMate applies the Terminal status to the trip.

Although you will not see any changes in your existing Terminal status codes and the way they behave, you now have an option to change the behavior as necessary.

A trap is a temporary storage location for freight using resources that can house freight (trailers, straight trucks and containers). Traps allow for loading, unloading, and parking into the yard.

Previously, when loading or unloading a trip at a terminal in Multi Mode Dispatch, you had two ways to convert it into a trap:

Now, you can no longer select Convert Trailer to Trap when a trip is unloading at a door. Instead, you must convert the resource into a trap using Finished Unloading.

When a trip is converted into a trap at the door, the trap remains at the door instead of being moved to the yard. This ensures a single consistent conversion method that is identical to the one used in ConnectedDock.

If the resource/trip is in the yard at the time of conversion, the record is created correctly.

Only bills that are still partially loaded to the trap remain in the trap.

The Yard grid now allows multiple trips to hold the same resource ID. This handles scenarios in which a resource was preplanned to multiple trips departing the terminal at the same time.

Previously, while a resource was being used as a trap, you could add the same resource to a trip in the same terminal, start loading items to it and dispatch it without breaking the trap. This could lead to data issues since the trailer was being treated as if it was in two places at the same time.

Now, in Multi Mode Dispatch, when you have a trap in a terminal and attempt to assign the same resource to a trip at that same terminal, a message displays.

If you choose No, the resource is not matched to the trip. The trap remains active.

If you choose Yes:

The trip must be loaded/loaded-to-go before it can be dispatched. This will occur when the resource is matched from:

If the resource is matched to the trip in a different terminal, it can still be matched to allow you to preplan the resource for a future trip. However, you cannot dispatch this trip while the trap still exists in the original terminal.

If you attempt to match a trapped resource in the Trip Legs grid, a message displays.

Previously, multi-leg trips could be created even when terminals in the trip did not exist within a predefined load plan.

Now, TruckMate checks to ensure that all parts of a multi-leg trip contain an appropriate plan.

If all parts do not contain an appropriate plan, depending on the Enable Routing Validation when Matching FB setting value in Security Configuration, one of three things happens:

If the route plan is not defined, the Trip Operation Planning window remains active, and the plan is not executed.

If the route plan is defined, the plan is executed. The Dispatch or Multi Mode Dispatch window opens. In it, you can review your work.

Previously, if you tried to perform a merge or a split with a non-terminal zone, an error occurred.

Now, when a merge or split occurs with a non-terminal zone, TruckMate inserts a record into the terminal plan for the terminal zone that is associated with the non-terminal zone. This allows the system to verify that the move is supported by a load plan and/or that the user has permission to run out-of-route trips.

With this update, you now have the flexibility to use non-terminal zones exclusively, if you want.

In this example, two trips are set to run through a non-terminal zone (S4W 1B4).

This zone is serviced by the terminal zone SKTERM. When processed, TruckMate automatically inserts SKTERM into the terminal plan.

As of TruckMate 2022.3, the Honeywell CT60 XP is certified for use with ConnectedDock.

The certification was done with Android 10. As of now, this is the most recently-supported Android version for use with ConnectedDock.