Dispatch & Logistics

Overview

This section includes the day-to-day functions being used by the dispatcher. It includes planning loads, checking in drivers, updating load status, drivers, tractors and/or trailer location and ETA. It also includes the capability of creating customer orders and updating ‘unavailable’ schedules of drivers and equipment, such as driver annual vacation and repair maintenance.

Typically the dispatcher will have a number of the following screens open at the same time. As the event occurs, he/she will immediately ‘flip’ to the appropriate screen and start using it.

Dispatch Planning

This function can be used for monitoring the status of loads, drivers, tractors and trailers. The dispatcher has the choice of displaying ‘open’ loads only or all loads between a date range. For open loads, the dispatch will also have the options of including loads that have been planned but not yet confirmed with drivers, only the loads that have not yet been dispatched, or all loads that are not yet completed, regardless if they have been dispatched or not.

The dispatch screen includes four distinct sections: loads, drivers, tractors and trailers. Each section can be sorted by different criteria by clicking the headings at the top, such as by shipper, consignee, next call-in date-time and zone, etc. These sections can be limited or shortened by specifying different search criteria.

The same screen is also used by the dispatcher to check-in drivers for duty, pre-plan, plan and confirm (or un-confirm) drivers with loads, tractors and/or trailers.

Driver Call-in

This screen is designed to update the status of drivers together with their tractors and trailers, as well as to indicate the next time that the driver is expected to call in to update his status and location.

As soon as the driver is entered the system updates the screen automatically with the driver’s current load as well as the loads that may have been pre-planned, planned or confirmed by the dispatcher. Usually with minimum typing, the dispatcher can click on the screen to update the driver, tractor, and trailer status, current location, ETA and the driver’s next expected call-in date/time.

The system maintains the audit trail of these transactions, which are time sensitive. The system relies on these most recent events to derive the current information about the load, driver, tractor and trailer. The audit trail is also used to calculate statistical data for future analysis and control. Furthermore, the user can review or recreate all historical events by load, driver, tractor and trailer.

Customer Orders

This function is specially designed for creating customer orders easily and efficiently. Typically with minimal use of the keyboard, the user can search for customers, and just using mouse selections, can create the order with all the pertinent information.

This function allows more than one PO# and/or Bill of Lading# per order, and the system will cross check to see if the same PO# or B/L# has been previously used by the same ‘order by’ customer. The system will validate if the customer is allowed to be used as the invoice to, shipper or consignee by validating the classification(s) of the customer. For example, if the customer is classified as both shipper and consignee, this customer can be used as shipper or consignee; if the customer is classified as consignee only, then it cannot be used as a shipper in the customer order screen.

Inquiry and Reporting

There are a number of inquiry and search functions, and reports that include a snap shot of every driver, tractor and trailer with their current location (and duration) and destination, and expected next call-in date/time. There are also several statistical reports available, including empty miles report calculated between the time the driver checks-in for duty and the time he/she returns to the depot, and the duration of stay for each trailer that has been dropped at a customer location.

DISPATCH Receivables

These functions are designed for creating freight billings from the loads, updating customer accounts receivable, entering customer payments and generating all appropriate general ledger entries from these transactions.

Freight Billing and Other Customer Invoices

The user enters the load number to be invoiced and based on the customer’s contract the system will calculate the invoice line items for the load. The user can override the entries with other adjustments.

To assist the data entry process, the driver and the load details are also displayed at the same time. As an option, the user can also create a ‘secondary’ invoice for the same load to the same or a different customer. Invoices can be printed out one at a time or accumulated into a consolidated statement.

In addition to freight billing, the user can also create customer invoices unrelated to any loads simply by using GL account numbers. The system will internally distinguish these invoices and post to the GL accordingly.

Invoice Posting

Part of this function is to provide the user with a report of all the invoices being posted to the general ledger. The financial module is used to define how the invoices and detail line items are being mapped to the different GL accounts.

A GL batch is created with all outstanding invoices dated on or prior to the batch date (typically today’s date). If an error is uncovered after the posting, accounting can delete the GL batch (as long as the GL period has not yet been closed), modify the invoice (provided it has not been paid and the AR period is still open), and re-journalize the batch.

Freight billing and non-freight billing invoices are posted under separate batches and GL source codes.

Receipt and Adjustment, and Posting

This function is used to clear the customer account or individual invoices. All outstanding or unpaid invoices are listed on the same screen automatically for that account. To pay off the invoice, the user must ‘click’ on the invoice line. To change the amount paid, the user can override with a new amount.

Adjustments can be grouped by the nature of the adjustment and the GL account is defined in the financial section.

Similar to the invoice posting, a report is printed for all the posted entries of that batch. If any mistake is uncovered after the posting, the batch can be deleted (as long as the GL period is still open) and the receipt can be modified (as long the AR period is still open) and reposted to the general ledger.

Accounts Receivable Inquiry and Drill Down

This function is used to look up the customer account by date range. In one section it displays all the invoices and if applicable, the receipt(s) that is used to pay for that invoice. The other section will have all the receipts and adjustments, and if applicable, the list of invoices that have been paid by that receipt.

The user can drill down to the detail invoice and receipt by simply clicking on the invoice number or receipt number.

Driver Settlement and Accounts Payable

Summary

This module is used to calculate driver pay based on various parameters related to the freight billing. It is also used to consolidate all payments by driver pay period (distinguished from the GL accounting period), calculate owner operator deductions, and transfer payments to accounts payable and post to the general ledger.

Driver Settlement and Pay Period Summary

When the user enters the load number, the system will calculate the amount to be paid based on the customer invoice previously created for that load. The user has the option of overriding the entry with other adjustments.

The pay rate is based on the type of driver and the pay rate tables that have been setup for that pay category. These may differ from one driver service company to another.

The driver pay for the pay period is summarized for each driver and separately reported based on driver (company drivers), truck (owner operator) or supplier (driver service drivers). For owner operators, the user must also go through the process of calculating deductions for that period for each truck. These deductions are setup in the deduction tables under Administration, either as global parameters or separately (or override) for each truck.

Driver Settlement Reports

EMDECS has designed many different types of reports specifically for company drivers, owner operators and sub-contractor drivers (or driver service). Detailed reports are available as well as summary reports by driver pay period.

Transfer Driver Pay to Payable

Settlements to non-company drivers are paid from the accounts payable module. This function is to transfer, by driver pay period, to the associated supplier of that truck or the driver service company of the sub-contractor driver.

The driver pay period must be closed before the system will allow the transfer.

Driver Settlement GL Posting

The mappings of driver pay details to different GL accounts are defined in the financial module. Each type of driver is journalized under a separate batch and source code. EMDECS provides GL settlement reports by transaction, by account in detail or summary. It is posted by driver pay period and will include all deductions.

The user must close the driver pay period and the owner operator payments must be transferred to payable in order to generate the GL journal batch for the pay period.

If mistakes need to be corrected after the posting, the batch has to be first deleted (as long as the GL period is still open) and then reposted to the general ledger.

Miscellaneous Supplier Invoice

This function is for entering invoices that are not related to driver pay, such as rent, utilities, etc. The GL account number is used for entering the detail line items.

Supplier Payment/Adjustment and Cheque Run

Manual payment and the creation of manual cheques are available in EMDECS. After entering a supplier code, the system will display all unpaid invoices for that supplier. The user can select which invoice to pay by clicking on the invoice line and for partial payment the user can type over the original invoice amount with a new amount. A single cheque can be issued or printed from the same screen.

The user has the option of generating a payment list and editing it before printing out the batch of cheques. Cheques can be issued from different banks with different sequence of cheque numbers.

In clearing cheques, the user will also specify which chequing account number is to be cleared. The system provides the listing of cleared cheques by statement date as well as a list of outstanding cheques issued up to a given date.

Payment Posting

Similar to the driver pay posting, a report is printed for all posted entries of that payment batch. If any mistake is uncovered after the posting, the batch can be deleted (as long as the GL period is still open) and the payment can be modified (as long the AP period is still open) and reposted to the general ledger.

Accounts Payable Inquiry and Drill Down

This function is used to look up the supplier account by date range. It displays all the invoices paid (and paid by date/cheque) or unpaid (and amount outstanding), and all payments and invoices applied to by that payment.

The user can drill down to the detail invoice and the payment details by simply clicking on the invoice number or payment number.

Dispatch & Construction Site Management

Overview

Because we have an easy way to modify EMDECS, adding specific functions for different customer types, it has been possible to create an add-on to dispatch to allow for the management of equipment and employees working construction sites. The following screens are self-explanitory and demonstrate some of the capabilities of this module.

Equipment & Employee Records

and then describe the various activities/requirements for the job.

This lets you see in an instant, where everything and everybody is and how long they've been there. Another popup window shows what is available in your idle inventory, and you can also move equipment, and so on.