Using Trimble Places with TruckMate
First available in TruckMate 2024.1
Trimble Maps has replaced the ContentTools API with Places, a standardized location management API.
This topic describes how to use Trimble Places iwth TruckMate. With it, you have access to all currently-verified places available in the API, as well as to any custom places you create with private content that is associated with your account. The integration allows for address synchronization and dwell time display in dispatch applications.
Enabling Trimble Places
Application Configurator
These options enable the feature.
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MILESERV.EXE >
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Trimble Maps API Key
Stores the API key(s) provided by Trimble Maps. -
Use Trimble Places
When set to True, Trimble Maps functionality is enabled. By default, the option value is False.
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PROFILE.EXE > Trimble Maps Address Synchronization
When set to True, address synchronization is enabled between TruckMate and Trimble Places.If Use Trimble Places is true, keeping this setting at the default (False) does not affect address searching in Customer and Vendor Profiles and Customer Service.
TruckMate Service Host
When running, the Trimble Maps Places service makes scheduled calls to the Places API for any address data that has been updated in Trimble Maps. If updates are found, the service pulls them into TruckMate using REST calls.
After adding the service, you can set the schedule in the Trimble Maps Places Properties window.
TruckMate database
Each Trimble Place has a custom place ID. The Places API stores it in the TRIMBLE_PLACE_ID column, which is in the CLIENT_CT subtable on the CLIENT table.
If a customer’s address is not linked to the Places API, the TRIMBLE_PLACE_ID column is populated with the CLIENT_ID value. TruckMate uses this value to read the average dwell time from the MAPS_API_DATA table.
Address data in Customer and Vendor Profiles
When address synchronization is enabled, the Places API looks up all available verified and non-verified places when you start entering an address.
The Places API adds or updates its address data in these cases:
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When you choose an existing address from the drop-down list that is a non-verified place
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When you enter an address manually on the Street Level window and click Validate & Geocode
The Places API treats these addresses as custom places and adds or updates them in its repository.
If a customer record is deleted, TruckMate checks if a corresponding custom place exists in the database. If it does, it is deleted, and a call is made to the Places API to delete it from its custom places repository.
Viewing average facility dwell times
Dwell time is the total amount of time that a driver is at a facility. It includes time spent loading and unloading, as well as any slack or detention time.
You can see average dwell time information for some (not all) verified places in some TruckMate applications, as shown below.
Average dwell time value is reset to zero in these cases:
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When you choose a verified or non-verified place that does not have dwell time information recorded
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When you enter an address manually
Validating addresses in Batch Geocoding Utility
With address synchronization enabled, you can perform a batch address validation for some or all customers in your database. TruckMate makes a REST call to sync the client address data with the Places API data. Errors are recorded in C:\Program Data\TruckMate\valutil.log.
Troubleshooting
When you enable Trimble Places for the first time via the Use Trimble Places Application Configurator option, you may see this message when saving a customer profile.
This means that the login company name already exists as the Place Set Name on the Trimble Places API. To resolve this, rename the company in the TruckMate database.