Developers of two of the industry's key software tools have developed an interface to help operators save money and improve efficiency through better planning of drivers' shifts.
With a large number of blue-chip firms already using software from Paragon for routing and scheduling and Road Tech's Tachomaster digitach application, it means that users can now import reliable tachograph data about recorded drivers' hours directly into the Paragon software.
This will enable firms to improve the way they allocate work to drivers, with workloads automatically levelled. It will also ensure compliance with the Working Time Directive (WTD) and maximise driver productivity.
Derek Beevor, MD of Road Tech, explains: "What you had before was a big disparity between what each driver worked. You look at a list of drivers and there's some already past their 48-hour [WTD] limit and others only on 20 hours.
"Before you didn't have the data to plan effectively. Now all a user does is click a button to get a live update from Tachomaster's servers, which allocates the longest job to the driver with the most hours available."
Will Salter, MD at Paragon, adds: "We are always looking to provide our users with flexible solutions and this is a very powerful thing for our clients to be able to do."
In addition, for companies using Paragon's Fleet Controller application, vehicle tracking histories will be accessible for free through the Tachomaster screens, enabling users to see vehicle trails where a violation or unexpected break occurred.
Beevor believes that co-operation like this will become the norm among software providers: "Collaboration is the way forward – it's what the internet was invented for."
