At MyTrucking we know there are lots of benefits to our software. But it’s even better when we hear about them from the people who use it! We headed across to our neighbours – Sharpes Farm Feed – for a chat with Lisa and Zeb. MyTrucking is helping transport operators, like Sharpes, work smarter with software.
Sharpes Farm Feed (Sharpes) is a leading producer of farm feed based in Carterton, Wairarapa. They supply to stockists and farms throughout the North Island in New Zealand.
Last year, following an expansion of their fleet, Sharpes began using MyTrucking’s Driver App! This has significantly streamlined their dispatch process – making everything run smoother and improving communication (between the office and truck drivers).
Sharpes have two main trucks they use: Scania curtain sided truck (for bagged feed deliveries to merchants and farms) and a Hino bulk truck.
SPOTLIGHT: LISA – Office Administrator
Keeping track of feed
Lisa manages the accounts side of the business and looks after dispatch. She works closely with truck drivers at every stage of the dispatch process. She has been using MyTrucking’s web software for about five years and has found the new driver app a game-changer for the team.
Q: Prior to MyTrucking, what was your biggest challenge as a dispatcher?
LISA: “Once it’s on a truck we have no idea at what stage the delivery is at, as we use multiple trucking companies to deliver our bagged feed. It was very difficult to keep a track of where everything was! MyTrucking helps me see where our feed is. I don’t always have that capability with other trucking companies.
You can imagine the tonnage that goes out of here. There is a lot of feed to keep a track of. During calving season we dispatch around 4000 tonne and that is just our calf feed, plus we also have other feed going out as well. So it helps us immensely to see where our feed is.”
Q: How do you use MyTrucking as a dispatcher?
LISA: “There are two ways I use MyTrucking. Firstly, we use several companies so I use the Customer Portal to load jobs for feed deliveries to go out to our customers and merchants. Plus we also use the Customer Portal for companies who transport our raw materials (e.g. meat and bone to make our feed), so that they can organise their days. We keep in close contact with them as this can often change quickly.
Secondly, we have our own MyTrucking system where we can load our own jobs, which can be easily viewed on the Day Sheet. I can see what jobs have been completed and what time they were delivered.
The boys are very good at adding in notes. Zeb will take photos of dockets so I’ve got copies of weights for grain coming in and going out. The more photos he loads the easier it is for me at the end of the month.”
FUN FACT: Customer Portal is a dispatchers best friend!
The benefits of Customer Portal for Sharpes:
- Lisa can load jobs for other transporters that use MyTrucking and are delivering their stock feed.
- These transporters can invite Sharpes to their portal and Sharpes loads the jobs for them to accept into their MyTrucking.
- When Lisa is in the Customer Portal she can then easily switch between the different transporters (currently there are four they use).
- Lisa also uses the Customer Portal to view loads coming into Sharpes.
Outside of the Customer Portal, Lisa uses MyTrucking’s Day Sheet to manage Sharpes’ own trucks.
PICTURED: Zeb – Hino Bulk Truck Driver and Graham – Scania Curtain Side Truck Driver. Zeb and Graham help Lisa by taking photos and updating notes on their assigned jobs throughout the day.
Q: Any advice for dispatchers hesitant about using software?
LISA: “Don’t be! It’s so easy! Honestly. Leanne (Sharpes’ Sales and Customer Service Rep) has picked it up super quickly, after only ten minutes or so of me showing her how to use MyTrucking.
I just load a job and assign it to a truck. It alerts the boys that the job has been assigned to their truck and we’re away! It makes my life easier. I can also see how the boys are tracking during the day too.
They can add notes into their app when they deliver the feed. We only use some of the very basic features of MyTrucking, as we have a separate Invoicing system. So, you can really tailor this to your business and use MyTrucking however works best for you.”
“Also, don’t hesitate to ask questions. We don’t generally have a lot of problems but when we do our go-to at MyTrucking is Matt. He sorts us out straight away!”
PICTURED: Here Zeb is looking at his driver app and going through his jobs for the day. He needs to weigh the load he has just brought in from Masterton and compare it with the paperwork it came with.
SPOTLIGHT: ZEB – Truck Driver
“Way easier than paperwork“
Zeb is Sharpes’ bulk driver of the Hino truck. He’s out on the road every day – anywhere from the Wairarapa to Hawke’s Bay; dropping off loads to farms (including to silos on poultry, pig and dairy farms). He also picks up bulk loads of raw material and brings them back to Sharpes.
Zeb has been using MyTrucking for about nine years, at two different companies. He feels MyTrucking is “way easier than paperwork”.
Q: How do you use MyTrucking as a driver?
ZEB: “I use the driver app to see my work for the day and the week. And sometimes the next week is already in there. Our orders go to Lisa and she loads them into our day. MyTrucking helps me with planning out my day. It helps a lot. Especially with amounts and quantities and knowing where the different types of feed are to be put. I can see what I need to do before arriving on site.
If farmers want samples Lisa adds notes in, and I can access it all on my phone. It’s all in there. I’m on the phone so many times during the day. I just hit accept to light the job up”.
Q: What would you say to drivers hesitant about using software?
ZEB: “It’s easy. People can do it. It’s a funny thing in New Zealand a lot of drivers are older, not as many younger ones. For older people they don’t need to be afraid. It’s really operator friendly”.
Q: What’s the favourite MyTrucking feature at Sharpes?
LISA: “Probably for me the photo capability. It helps me massively when I’m trying to reconcile grain contracts at the end of the month, if there’s a load I can’t find, I can go back into Zeb’s notes or photos. It saves me a lot of time not having to go back through copious amounts of paperwork!
“I’d definitely encourage people to do a free trial of MyTrucking. We’re all a bit tech challenged, but we’re all using it! It’s pretty basic and pretty simple, and makes life so much easier.”
PICTURED: Zeb has weighed the load on the Sharpes weigh station and prints the docket. He then takes a photo of both dockets together, to compare, and then uploads to his assigned job in the driver app.
Glossary of terms mentioned:
- MyTrucking’s web software: A centralised platform for managing all aspects of transport operations (job management and scheduling, dispatch coordination, vehicle and driver assignment, invoicing and financial reporting).
- Driver App: The MyTrucking app allows drivers to view and manage their assigned jobs while on the road (eliminating the need for paper-based systems).
- Day Sheet: The main hub for managing and scheduling jobs in MyTrucking. It provides dispatchers and administrators with a comprehensive overview of current and future jobs.
- Customer Portal: An innovative online booking system designed to streamline the job request process between transport companies and their customers.
- Check out MyTrucking’s full list of Features.
Thank you Sharpes! It was great to learn how MyTrucking has helped empower your team. We love celebrating our customers.
