Tanker drivers get boost with upgrades
United Kingdom-based Universal Tanker Group, which specialises in waste services, is reporting a positive response from drivers since upgrading from PDAs to tablets for electronic signature collection during waste transfer and deliveries.
Using Mandata’s new Manifest app, drivers now can collect signatures, organise jobs and communicate using larger tablet screens, which the company says makes the process easier and more efficient, from job order to invoice.
With 46 vacuum tankers operating from 10 depots located throughout the UK, Universal Tanker uses Mandata’s transport management system (TMS) for general planning and monitoring across the business and now, says the company, all its drivers have upgraded to the user-friendly Manifest app, in tablet form.
“The TMS system already serves as a great management tool,” said Matthew Tanfield, operations manager. “For order acceptance, delivery planning, driver communications and job control, it turned out to play a key part in us achieving FORS accreditation.
“However, we were looking to improve things on the proof of delivery and invoicing side of things to make things easier for the drivers and customers alike, so the Manifest tablet-based app proved to be the perfect solution.”
Each delivery must, by law, have a clear line of traceability and timed evidence to prove when a load has been delivered or transferred, Mr Tanfield added.
Achieving this in former times, and then tying up the paperwork to enable prompt invoicing, previously was a challenge, but now every consignment has an electronic signature and audit trail that keeps the process compliant and speeds up invoicing, while virtually eliminating paperwork.
He said: “The new app is not only easier to use but takes some of the pressure off drivers,” Tanfield said. “Once they have that signature and it’s automatically fed into our TMS system, they can get on to the next job and not need to worry about gathering up bundles of paperwork for the accounts department. Nowadays we send all invoices on Monday and Tuesday of each week, based on the previous week’s deliveries.”
In addition to the auto-admin function for sending signatures and delivery details to the TMS, the Manifest app eliminates paper trails and lost delivery notes while keeping customers and office staff informed in real-time, which Mr Tanfield said helps save time, improve efficiency and enable Universal Tanker Group to provide a reliable and legal service.
Cloud or server-based, Mandata’s TMS is a single, integrated system that enables planning and monitoring, and control over all types of transport, including general haulage, pallets carriers, bulk, waste and temperature controlled. The system is modular, which means it can be adapted and added to suit individual transport needs.
With 25 years of experience in the waste sector, Universal Tanker Group provides a cross section of services from sewage treatment plant, effluent and septic tank emptying to welfare unit servicing, tank hire and freshwater delivery.
Using Mandata’s new Manifest app, drivers now can collect signatures, organise jobs and communicate using larger tablet screens, which the company says makes the process easier and more efficient, from job order to invoice.
With 46 vacuum tankers operating from 10 depots located throughout the UK, Universal Tanker uses Mandata’s transport management system (TMS) for general planning and monitoring across the business and now, says the company, all its drivers have upgraded to the user-friendly Manifest app, in tablet form.
“The TMS system already serves as a great management tool,” said Matthew Tanfield, operations manager. “For order acceptance, delivery planning, driver communications and job control, it turned out to play a key part in us achieving FORS accreditation.
“However, we were looking to improve things on the proof of delivery and invoicing side of things to make things easier for the drivers and customers alike, so the Manifest tablet-based app proved to be the perfect solution.”
Each delivery must, by law, have a clear line of traceability and timed evidence to prove when a load has been delivered or transferred, Mr Tanfield added.
Achieving this in former times, and then tying up the paperwork to enable prompt invoicing, previously was a challenge, but now every consignment has an electronic signature and audit trail that keeps the process compliant and speeds up invoicing, while virtually eliminating paperwork.
He said: “The new app is not only easier to use but takes some of the pressure off drivers,” Tanfield said. “Once they have that signature and it’s automatically fed into our TMS system, they can get on to the next job and not need to worry about gathering up bundles of paperwork for the accounts department. Nowadays we send all invoices on Monday and Tuesday of each week, based on the previous week’s deliveries.”
In addition to the auto-admin function for sending signatures and delivery details to the TMS, the Manifest app eliminates paper trails and lost delivery notes while keeping customers and office staff informed in real-time, which Mr Tanfield said helps save time, improve efficiency and enable Universal Tanker Group to provide a reliable and legal service.
Cloud or server-based, Mandata’s TMS is a single, integrated system that enables planning and monitoring, and control over all types of transport, including general haulage, pallets carriers, bulk, waste and temperature controlled. The system is modular, which means it can be adapted and added to suit individual transport needs.
With 25 years of experience in the waste sector, Universal Tanker Group provides a cross section of services from sewage treatment plant, effluent and septic tank emptying to welfare unit servicing, tank hire and freshwater delivery.
