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Linehaul Trips

Linehaul trips move freight between major depots and are an important part of freight companies’ operations. While trips may be directly from depot A to B, many trips have multiple segments between intermediate destinations to deliver or pickup freight, or to swap full trailers. Taking a Western Australian example, a trip from Perth to Albany may benefit by passing through Bunbury and Manjimup on the route. Now there are several segments, Perth ➡ Bunbury, Bunbury ➡ Manjimup, and Manjimup ➡ Albany, each segment with its own distances and consignments.

ConNote has powerful tools to manage linehaul trips and consignments together for freight organisation, supporting these complex data entry requirements. There is both a desktop interface for detailed data entry by office staff, and a mobile app for a quick overview and limited on the fly changes by drivers.

Creating a Trip with ConNote

When creating a trip in ConNote, staff are able to define multiple segments along the route. Each segment allows data entry for where it’s from and to, how long it is, which vehicles are in use, and the consignments being carried. Precise data setup allows the system to become the central point of truth for transport information, increasing operational efficiency across the business. Any changes to the data update across the system, allowing both data entry staff and drivers to see the information, ensuring up to date management.

While the bulk of the setup is done on the desktop system in the office, linehaul drivers have access to the ConNote mobile app to get information on the trip, and to make adjustments without having to contact head office.

The following information is available to linehaul drivers, directly from the app:

• All trips assigned to the current driver to complete 
• The segments on the trip, including its arrival and departure times, depots, and vehicles assigned. This gives an overview of the route and steps required
• The full trip manifest, with every consignment being transported, which trailer it is on, and what items compose the consignment 

Drivers can also make specific modifications to the data, including:

• Recording demurrage when offloading consignments for accurate charging to clients
• Defining which dollies are in use for better operational organisation
• Marking the trip as having departed or arrived at a depot to prepare the system for the next stage of the process
• Setting up a basic reverse trip during late night deliveries, when the office is closed

Managing complex linehaul movements shouldn't require constant phone calls between drivers and the office. ConNote brings trip planning, manifests, segments, vehicles and driver updates together in one system, giving your team better visibility from the depot to the road.

Want to see how ConNote could work for your operation? Request a demonstration and we'll show you how trips and segments can be managed from planning through to completion.