TRACKING AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20150088708A1
• Filed: 11/20/2014
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Trucktrax, LLC
• Original Assignee: Trucktrax, LLC
• Inventors: Fain, Steven A., Mansell, Brian E., Whalley, John M., Eugenides, Jan G., Leatham, David M.
• Application Number:
  US14/549,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20150088708A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/125 Finance or payroll
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries

Abstract

A mobile device application and integrated software system for managing a fleet of delivery trucks and drivers, providing automated timekeeping, messaging, ticketing and billing is provided. At the completion of a delivery, electronic tickets including all time and location based billing may be conveyed wirelessly to a customer. Status, performance, and exceptions to predetermined data may be provided using computing devices, such as mobile devices, real time to allow a dispatcher to efficiently and effectively manage the truck fleet.

Claims

1. A method for automated management of construction materials delivery drivers hours of service using a configured interactive mobile computing device, the method comprising:

acquiring, by the configured interactive mobile computing device, driver location, date, time, and driver identification data; and

transmitting the driver location, date, time, and driver identification data to a remote application for validation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a validation routine that includes;

comparing the driver identification data with existing records of drivers,

determining if the configured interactive mobile computing device is located within a pre-configured geozone associated with a driver corresponding to the driver identification data, and

determining if the date and time data are within an acceptable time window when compared to an electronic schedule for the driver corresponding to the driver identification data.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the remote application is a remote payroll system and the configured interactive mobile computing device functions as an electronic time clock that is configured to transmit time card data to the remote payroll system.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

enabling the driver to login for duty if the configured interactive mobile computing device is located within the pre-configured geozone associated with the driver and if the date and time data are within the acceptable time window.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

preventing the driver from logging in for duty if the configured interactive mobile computing device is not located within the pre-configured geozone associated with the driver or if the date and time data are not within the acceptable time window.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a communication link to an internal system of a vehicle assigned to a driver corresponding to the driver identification data; and

acquiring data from of the internal system of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising;

combining driver identification data with the data from the internal system of the vehicle to report compliance with FMSCA Hours of Service and performance metrics.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

reporting compliance with FMSCA Hours of Service and performance metrics.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring driver identification data includes obtaining login information from a driver via a user-interface of the configured interactive mobile computing device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

verifying the login information from the driver by comparing the login information with existing records of drivers; and

upon verification, displaying cumulative hours of service information to the driver.

11. A method for automated management of construction materials delivery drivers hours of service using a configured interactive mobile computing device, the method comprising:

acquiring, by the configured interactive mobile computing device, driver location, date, time, and driver identification data;

transmitting the driver location, date, time, and driver identification data to a remote application for validation;

performing a validation routine that includes;

comparing the driver identification data with existing records of drivers,

determining if the configured interactive mobile computing device is located within a pre-configured geozone associated with a driver corresponding to the driver identification data, and

determining if the date and time data are within an acceptable time window when compared to an electronic schedule for the driver corresponding to the driver identification data; and

enabling the driver to login for duty if the configured interactive mobile computing device is located within the pre-configured geozone associated with the driver and if the date and time data are within the acceptable time window.