View real-time driver ETAs and exceptions, lock in quotes, and more — new from Convoy

With Convoy, shippers get real-time visibility throughout the shipment lifecycle — at a speed and level of detail unattainable with even some TMS and visibility platforms. Through Convoy’s online platform, shippers can pull an instant quote that reflects real-time market conditions, track a load in real time on a map, retrieve a digital BOL, access insights on demand, and more. 

Today, we launched three new features that take this real-time visibility one level deeper while helping shippers save time:

• An improved Shipments dashboard that gives real-time visibility into driver ETAs and exceptions with reason codes, eliminating the need for load update emails
• A tool that locks in instant quotes for up to 24 hours and lets you tender in your own TMS
• A new locations filter within the Insights dashboard that allows you to drill into operational and performance metrics by facility

You’d be hard pressed to find this end-to-end visibility anywhere else, and it’s all because our shipper platform is built on top of the most tech-connected network in the nation. It’s how we deliver to-the-minute tracking on 95 percent of loads. 

Watch this video to hear Conrad, one of Convoy’s product managers, tell you more about what’s new.

See driver ETAs and exceptions with reason codes in real time

There are many ways to track a truck’s location: a provider’s own mobile app, a phone’s location services, ELDs, TMS platforms, and even more. And since not all providers require that drivers use any one of these tracking methods, they also offer another option — drivers can call in and leave their location update with a person, who manually records the information. 

We have to wonder: Is this real-time tracking? Is it true visibility? Tracking across platforms and people makes for inconsistent and inaccurate tracking data. And today, visibility isn’t just about where the truck is — it’s about what the truck is doing, and if there’s an issue, what your provider is doing about it. 

At Convoy, tracking is centralized around our GPS-enabled app, which is how carriers engage with us. This is how you can track Convoy shipments in real time on a map. It’s how you can extend that real-time visibility to your customers and facilities with shareable tracking links.

And starting today, you can get real-time visibility into driver-late exceptions. You’ll not just be able to pinpoint where your truck is on a map, but why it’s late (mechanical breakdown, delay from previous stop, and beyond) and what your dedicated customer experience team at Convoy is doing to resolve it.

Updates are available here as soon as Convoy receives them, so both your team and ours are on the same page. This means no more emails asking for load updates. And if you’d also like to automatically receive these notifications, send us an email at load-status-reports@convoy.com, and we’ll get you set up.

But wait, there’s more! The other feature we’re launching today is an improved Shipments dashboard, now providing detailed ETAs for all of your Convoy shipments. When you can see in real time, you can plan ahead. Check out the Status column to see what’s new. 

Alright, ready for the next feature?

Lock in instant quotes for up to 24 hours and tender in your own TMS

Many shippers use email to gather and compare spot quotes from multiple providers, then, when it comes time to tender loads, they’ll use their TMS or another system. We wanted to make this process a little easier. 

Say you’re in the process of collecting quotes. You start with Convoy and get an instant quote with guaranteed coverage, but you want to see what other providers are pricing the lane at. Since you’re not quite ready to book, simply choose “Save for Later” to lock in that quote for up to 24 hours.

When you’re ready to book, you can come back to the Convoy website to tender your saved quote or snag the quote ID number, which you’d then use to tender the load through your own TMS. You can customize the quote ID number to follow your own naming convention, too. 

Drill into operational and performance metrics by facility

Now, you can see operational and performance metrics by facility, using the new locations filter within your Insights dashboard. Those metrics include shipment volume, rate per mile, spend across spot and contract shipments, Convoy’s on-time pickup and delivery, accessorial spend, dwell time, and more.

Analyze facility performance to maintain positive ratings and reviews from carriers in the Convoy app. Forward-thinking shippers use facility insights to become a shipper of choice and improve access to reliable capacity in any market. An important stat: 84 percent of Convoy carriers “often” or “always” look at reviews before booking a load at a facility they aren’t familiar with.  

The ability to capture these metrics, along with carrier ratings and reviews, is just another benefit of our shipper platform being built on top of the most tech-connected network in the nation.

These features are available now 

New to Convoy? Let’s talk. 

Already ship with Convoy? Log in to view these real-time visibility features or request access to your account today.