Module O Operations Manifest Trailer (T-CON) & Line ... · PDF fileModule O – Operations...

Module O – Operations – Manifest Trailer (T-CON) & Line Dispatch Management System

134 Copyright © 2000, DPS Software Systems, Inc. 924 E. Green St., Pasadena, CA 91106 134

Module O – Operations – Manifest Trailer (T-CON) & LineDispatch Management System

Introduction

The purpose of the Manifest Trailer and Line Dispatch Management Systemsoftware is to aid in the control and management of the movement of freight,equipment, drivers, and purchased transportation in the company's LINE HAULoperation and inter-terminal freight movement system and to provide theinformation necessary to facilitate it.

A LINE HAUL operation is defined as the movement of a unit of equipment: fromone company terminal to another; from a shipper direct to a consignee; or acombination thereof. The alphaTRUCK Manifest Trailer (T-CON) & LineDispatch Management System provides the necessary tools to manage thisoperation.

Some of the features of the Manifest Trailer (T-CON) software are as follows:

• Associates a shipment by freight bill number to a specific line haul trailerand a trailer manifest.

• Provides access to shipments on a trailer or manifest from the“C/Charges” lookup screen.

• Allows for the pulling of delivery receipts by an inbound terminal, using justthe manifest number.

• Allows for the printing of a Destination Trailer Unloading Report bymanifest number.

• Integrated with the Bill Status System (T/Trace display), which, in turn,provides better and timelier customer service information.

• Integrated with the EDI-214 system to provide EDI customers with currentshipment status information regarding the movement of their particularshipments.

Some of the specific features of the Line Dispatch Management System softwareare as follows:

• Maintains database of all Line Dispatches.• Allows up to nine LEGs in each dispatch with different equipment for each

LEG.• Handles single trailers, doubles or triples.• Adjusts all date/time stamps for proper time zone.• Provides for various statuses and ETA’s of all Line Dispatches.• Linked with trailer manifest system (TCON) that allows update of individual

freight bills and provides revenue for costing purposes.



• Updates Payables file and General Ledger for purchased transportationcosts.

• Creates line driver instruction form for use during line trip.• Provides information for Miles by State report used for fuel tax reporting.• Provides an easy lookup display feature of all line dispatches by various

parameters.• Updates location and status of company-owned equipment.• Allows modification of line dispatch after dispatch is completed and the

addition of any “extra” duties performed by the line driver.• Prints completed Line Dispatch Instruction form for use by payroll.• Multiple currency features.• Security by Metropolis Security Level or the PASS system.

Total control of all Line Dispatch operations can be achieved using this software.

The purpose of this manual is to provide the reader with instructions regardingthe setup and use of both the Manifest Trailer (T-CON) software and the Enter,Update, Dispatch & Arrive Line Drivers software. It will also examine the effectusing this system has on providing customer service information and on variousinbound terminal functions.

Manifest Trailer (T-CON)

The first step in the line dispatch process is the Manifest Trailer or T-CONoperation (T-CON is an industry term that stands for “Trailer Contents”). This isan optional step that, if completed, will aid in customer service and other systemfunctions by associating a specific shipment, by freight bill number, to a trailermanifest number, trailer and to a line haul dispatch instruction number.

The operational events that lead up to the T-CON process involve the loading ofan outbound line haul trailer. In a typical cross dock operation, a shipmentdocument will be used to move individual shipments from either a local city unitor a designated dock location, to the trailer being loaded. This shipmentdocument can be a “PBL” (photocopy of bill of lading, sometimes called a COSOor copy of shipping order), a skeleton freight bill, a pickup driver prepareddocument, or some other available document. At a break bulk facility, this couldbe an actual copy of the freight bill. Generally, there will also be some sort of anoutbound trailer loading form located near the back of the trailer being loaded.The purpose of this form ranges from listing each shipment in detail to containinga simple count of the number of shipments loaded. This and all of the aboveprocedures vary greatly from carrier to carrier. This loading form, if pre-numbered can actually serve as the source for the “Manifest Number” that isrequired when the T-CON process is begun as outlined in the below paragraphs.



To run the T-CON or Manifest Trailer program, enter the following selections fromthe Master System Menu, 4/2/4/1. For field personnel whose startup menu is the“Terminal Operations Menu”, enter 1. The options file “Program Name” for the T-CON program is ODTCON.

Confirm T-CON Settings

When the T-CON program is first executed, a small “Confirm T-CON Settings”screen is displayed on top of the main data entry screen. The purpose of thisscreen is to set the origin terminal and manifest number. See example below.

Terminal ID: The first data required for the confirmation screen is the originterminal’s standard three (3)-character abbreviation or terminal ID. The defaultdisplay will be the terminal ID of the location for the user who is doing the dataentry. Use the TAB key to display all of the possible choices.

Carrier SCAC Code: The default SCAC code for the carrier (i.e. your company) isalso displayed at this time for informational purposes only and is not changeableby the user.

Manifest Number: The last piece of data required for the header screen is themanifest number. This can be entered manually (and therefore manuallyassigned) or the computer can assign the “next” number. If you choose to assignmanually and do not have pre-numbered trailer loading forms, it is recommendedthat each location (freight terminal) using the T-CON system have available aconsecutive number stamp to help control the next number. As a batch ofdocuments is prepared for the T-CON process, the next manifest number wouldbe stamped on a batch header document. If computer assigned numbers areused, pressing the enter key in the Manifest Number field will display the nextnumber. This number should then be manually placed on the batch headerdocument.A note about computer assigned numbers. Two methods are available for theautomatic assignment of the next Manifest Number and the one that is used isdetermined by the options file (see program ODTCON option file layout inappendix A of this document). Option #9, “Use Trm Man#”, if set to “Y” (the Ycolumn) will cause the system to look in the Terminal/Facility Information file for



the next manifest number for the origin terminal. If this option is not set to a “Y”,then the next manifest number will be assigned according the number in the B5column of option #5.

T-CON Header Data Entry

The header portion of the main screen contains information regarding thedispatch date, equipment and destination for the trailer. These fields arediscussed in detail in the following paragraphs. Refer to the following example.

Dispatch Date: Once all information required for the confirmation screen isentered, the confirmation screen is removed and control returns to the headersection of the main screen at the dispatch date field. The date defaults to thecurrent date. If this is correct, press the enter key, otherwise, enter the desireddate.

Trailer Number: Next the trailer identification information is requested. Thetrailer identification is comprised of the owner SCAC code and a numeric numberup to six digits long. This method of trailer numbering allows for the entry ofintermodal equipment numbers such as ocean containers and “piggy back”trailers. For company-owned equipment, it is assumed that the SCAC codeportion of the number would be the carrier’s own SCAC code. Any value enteredin the SCAC code portion of the trailer number other than the carrier’s own SCACcode will be interpreted by the system as a foreign (non-company-owned) trailer.This impacts, based on system options, the logging of certain inventory andmovement records for the equipment. If options 16 & 17 are both set to “Y”, both



company owned and foreign owned trailers will be added and updated in theequipment inventory file.Various edit checks are made on the trailer number that has been entered which,based on the results of the edit, can cause one of three system actions to takeplace. These actions are as follows:

1. Entry is OK, no message sent to user. In this case, the trailer numberis valid and the status/location data agrees with the current operation.The system approves the entry and moves on to the next field.2. Entry is invalid, message is sent to user, user must re-enter the trailernumber. If the trailer is owned by the carrier (SCAC code entered is thesame as carrier’s), then the trailer number is checked against the masterequipment file. Two conditions can cause this edit to fail and force theuser to enter a new trailer number. The first of these is if the equipmentnumber is not found in the master equipment file. This situation willgenerate the error “Equipment not found in MASTER file! Re-Enter!” andreturn control to the trailer number field (numeric portion). The secondcondition that will cause the entry not to be accepted is if the equipmentnumber entered is not a trailer. This validity check is based on two fieldsin the master equipment file, the equipment category and the MCF Table.The equipment category must be set to either a 3 or a 4 (semi-trailer orfull-trailer respectively) and the MCF Table field must be set to a 2 (trailerunit codes). If either of these two fields is not set properly, the errormessage: “This equipment is not a TRAILER! Re-Enter!” is displayed andcontrol is returned to the trailer number field.

3. Entry will be accepted, message issued regarding status and location.In this case, a “warning” message is issued to advise the user that thecurrent status/location information may not match the user’s assumption.The purpose of this warning message is to indicate to the user that theyshould check to make sure they have not entered a wrong trailer number.This is only a warning and the system will accept the trailer number asentered. Control is passed to the next field.

Final, En route and Beyond Terminals: The next group of fields provides for theentry of multiple destination terminals by the three-character terminal ID. Thefirst of these fields is for the FINAL destination of the trailer while the remainingfour can be used for en route stops or beyond terminals. En route terminals areused for situations where a trailer will stop at some intermediate point on its wayto the final destination, and have some freight unloaded. Beyond terminalswould apply if the final destination for this trailer is a break bulk facility and thisfreight will eventually be re-dispatched on it’s way to it’s final inbound terminal.



Main Freight Bill Number Entry

Once all of the header information has been entered, the program is ready toaccept the freight bill (PRO) numbers of all of the shipments that have beenloaded on the trailer. Two fields are presented for each shipment: the sequencenumber and the PRO number.

The sequence number automatically begins with one (1) and is incremented byone for each PRO entered. The purpose of the sequence number is to indicatethe position of the shipment in the trailer, starting from the nose and moving tothe rear of the trailer. If the default sequence number is not correct, pressing theup arrow ↑ key in the Pro Number field will move control back to the “Seq” fieldand the correct value can be entered.

Entering the PRO number provides for various options. These options areoutlined below:

The first time a PRO is entered, the system will make various checks on it bothfor validity as a PRO number and in relationship to the dispatch date, originterminal and destination terminals loaded on this trailer. Most warning messagesissued will not prevent the shipment from being added to the trailer but serve toadvise the user. The warning messages include the following:

PRO Number MUST be “X” Characters Long.This message is only given if the “Y” flag is set to “Y” for option #3. In this case,the length of the entered PRO number is checked against the value in the “B1"column of option #2.

This PRO on Manifest # XXXXXXXX, dated XX/XX/XX, F1 if OK to add. Thismessage and entry request is given if the entered PRO is found on a differenttrailer manifest. This situation could be OK if the shipment is being reloaded on adifferent trailer at a break bulk facility, or in various other situations. It couldhowever, be an error (duplicate, wrong PRO#) that is why the program forces theuser to enter the F1 key to OK the entry. Any key pressed other than the F1 willmean that the PRO was not accepted for this trailer.

PRO already on THIS Manifest, F5 to DELETE, RETURN to re-enter. If aPRO is entered twice on the same trailer, this message and entry request will bedisplayed. If the PRO was accidentally entered twice, pressing the ENTER ↵ keywill ignore the entry and return to the PRO field to request a new PRO number. Iffor any reason you need to remove a PRO from a trailer, this is the procedure fordeleting it: Type in the PRO you wish to remove, and then press the F5 key. ThePRO will be removed from the trailer.

Check Digit Error – Re-Enter PRO! (XX). If the check digit option is turned on(see options 11, 12, 13, and 14), an error will be generated if the PRO number



entered does not pass the check digit test. In this case, the correct check digitwill be displayed in the error message in the (XX) as shown above. A correctcheck digit must be entered before this PRO will be accepted.

PRO not in Freight Bill file - Must be added. If option #6 is turned on (Ycolumn set to “Y”), the PRO must be already “billed” before it can beT-CON’ed. This test is skipped if option #6 is turned off with the exception thatthe message “WARNING: Bill not in Billing File” is displayed on the “Helps:” line.

WARNING: Shipment already delivered. If a shipment is T-CON’ed that has adelivery date, this message will be displayed. This is a warning only and will notprevent the PRO from being added to the trailer.

WARNING: This bill already PAID. If the status of a shipment indicates that apayment has been applied (either posted or not posted) this warning messagewill be presented. As in the above case, this will not prevent the PRO from beingadded to the trailer.

WARNING: This shipment is over XX days OLD! Based on the value in the“B1" column of option #8, if the age of a shipment based on the ship date is olderthan this value, this warning message will be given.

WARNING: This freight bill has been VOIDED! If the status of the shipment is“V” for VOID, this message will be displayed. Again, the shipment will still beadded to the trailer.

WARNING: Shipment inbound to terminal XXX. This message occurs whenthe inbound terminal for the shipment is a terminal other than one of theterminals entered in the header information as a destination terminal.

This concludes the various “reasonable” tests that are performed on PROnumber entries during the T-CON process. If any of the PROs that generated anerror message need to be removed from the trailer, simply enter the PROnumber again (which will trigger the above “PRO already on this manifest error)and then press the F5 key to delete.

Finishing the Trailer

Once all PRO numbers for all of the shipments loaded on a trailer have beenentered, the trailer can be closed. In the PRO number field, press the ENTERkey without entering a PRO number or press the escape (ESC) key. On doingthis, the message “No PRO entered, are you finished? (Y or N)” will be displayedon the helps line and control passed to the Y/N field on line 23. If you are notfinished, entering an “N” will put you back in the main screen on the PRO numberfield you were just on. If you enter a “Y”, a new window will be displayed. Seethe example below.



To close the trailer, enter an “X” in Job 1. To perform other functions as listed onthis finish options window, place an “X” on the corresponding Job line. To exitthe program without closing a trailer, press the ESC key.

The action taken by the close procedure is as follows: The status of the record inthe T-CON file (TCNFIL) is set to “C”, closed, for each shipment and for theheader record.

The “C/Charges” lookup database file is updated with the trailer number for theshipment. This update includes deleting and adding a record in the trailer lookupmethod key file (CHRGKY). This means that after a trailer is closed, the chargeslookup screen can be used to list all of the shipments on that trailer (a date maybe required to restrict the shipments to the current shipments on the trailer).

The freight bill header file (BILFIL) is updated with the dispatch date and themanifest number. The date dispatched key file (BILKKY) is also updated.Search by code number 8 in the charges lookup program (trailer manifest in loadorder) will now find shipments on this manifest also.

A record is added into the Bill Status System that is displayed in the trace display(either via the charges lookup, display mode set to trace display, or from the“T/Trace” display by PRO number program.For company-owned equipment (and for foreign equipment if option #16 is turnedon) the equipment inventory file (EINFIL) is updated indicating the currentlocation, status, and “source of update” for the trailer.



Re-Open TrailerA provision has been made to allow for a closed trailer to be “re-opened” for thepurpose of adding additional shipments or for removing a shipment that waspreviously T-CON’ed to this trailer. To re-open a trailer, enter the origin terminaland manifest number as before. The system will display the Finish Optionswindow. Enter an “X” on Line 6 to re-open the trailer.

In RE-OPEN mode, the program works slightly different than in normal modewhen deleting a previously entered PRO. In this case, the updates to thecharges lookup file and the freight bill header file are immediate. As in normalmode, new PROs added to the trailer are updated when the trailer is re-closed.

TCON Conclusion

Closing a trailer concludes the T-CON process. However, after a trailer is closed,in addition to dispatching it using the Line Dispatch system, the informationregarding the association between the shipment and this trailer/manifest isavailable in the following programs:

Charges Lookup (C/Charges). Information can be looked up both by trailernumber (search by code 5) or by manifest number (search by code 8).

Trace Display (T/Trace). Information is logged in the bill status system which canbe viewed by PRO number using the T/Trace program or via the charges lookupprogram when in trace display mode.

Print Freight Bill Delivery Sets. Inbound terminal delivery receipts sets can beselected and printed via the manifest number. Both the trailer number and themanifest number are printed on the bill.

Destination Trailer Unloading Report. This I/B trailer unloading report can bepulled via ship date, dispatch date or manifest number and is designed to beused by the inbound terminal to unload arrived trailers. To print via manifestnumber, leave the “Report Date” field blank. When left blank, control moves tothe manifest number field. If a date is entered, control moves to the “Is DATEShip (S) or Dispatch (D)” field.

General Select Freight Manifest. Because both the trailer number and themanifest number are stored in the freight bill header file, it is possible to printgeneral freight manifests based on these values using the select and sortsystem.

Different companies have different needs as it relates to hard copy reports basedon this information. If your company needs a report not listed above, pleasecontact alphaTRUCK Software Support regarding a custom report.



Line Dispatch Management System

After the T-CON process is complete, the next step is to create (enter) the LineDispatch Instructions. To run the “Enter, Update, Dispatch, and Arrive LineDriver” program, enter the following selections from the Master System Menu:4/2/2/1. For field personnel whose startup menu is the “Terminal OperationsMenu”, select: 2/1. The options file “Program Name” for this program is OD3LDI.Refer to appendix A for a complete list of the options for this program.

Initial Dispatch Entry, Header Info

Dispatch No: When the program is first run, the main Line Dispatch InstructionsUpdate screen is displayed and the cursor is at the dispatch number field. Seethe following example.

If the user needs to update an existing Line Dispatch Instruction (LDI) record, thenumber for that LDI would be entered in the Dispatch No. field. In the case of anew entry, as with the T-CON manifest number, several options exist forselecting a new LDI number. One option is to manually assign a new numberand just enter it. This, as in the case above, requires some method for keepingtrack of the next number. Again, a consecutive number stamp helps thissituation if you choose to use manually assigned LDI numbers. For a computerassigned number, press the F1 key in this field. The next number willautomatically be displayed. To accept this number, press the enter key. Thisaccepts the assigned number and moves control to the next section.

As in the case of the T-CON auto-assigned numbers, two methods also exist forthe automatic assignment of LDI numbers per option record settings. Option



#20, “Use Trm Disp#”, if set to “Y” (the Y column) will cause the system to look inthe Terminal/Facility Information file for the next LDI number for the terminal ofthe user who is creating the LDI. If this option is not set to a “Y”, then the nextLDI number will be assigned according to the number in the B5 column of option#19.

Window F2 - Driver’s Name and ID Number: After the LDI number has beenentered, control moves to window F2 and the 1st driver’s name field. The “1st”driver or “primary” driver is a mandatory field while the “2nd” driver is optional.Also, the human resources file must contain a record for individuals or entitiesthat are entered in the driver fields. If you use purchased transportation, youmay enter generic, non-employee, records in the human resources file to serveas drivers. Care should be exercised when using generic codes so as not todilute the value of some of the information products that relate to the driver.Several methods exist for finding, selecting and entering the assigned driver, asfollows:

1. Enter the human resources ID number for the driver (Rel. 6.01)2. Enter the last name of the driver.3. Press F1 for a list drivers

If method 1 is used to find the driver, after the initial entry and the first drivermatch is displayed, the user is asked to (see help line): Press the ENTER key toaccept or FUNCTION KEY as indicated. The status line (line 25 on the screen)indicates what the user’s choices are for fine-tuning his driver selection. Thesechoices are: Press ENTER to accept the driver, press ESCAPE to re-enter driver,F1 for a list of drivers, F2 for the next driver, and F3 for the previous driver. Ifmethod 2 is used, the driver’s name can be selected from the list and no furtherfunction is required.

Once the 1st or primary driver is selected, control moves to the 2nd driver. Toreturn back to the 1st driver from the 2nd driver field, press the ESC key. The2nd driver is an optional field and is provided for use in the case of a sleeperteam operation. If no 2nd driver will be involved in this dispatch, leave the fieldblank and press the ENTER key to move to the Line Haul Carrier Informationwindow.

Window F3 - Line Haul Carrier Information: This window has been designed tocapture pertinent information if the line haul services are being provided bypurchased transportation. The first field in the window asks the question,“Outside Line Carrier?” This is a Yes/No question answered with a Y or N. Thedefault answer is “Y” for Yes. If an outside carrier is providing the line haulservice AND you want to setup a payable record for the service provider,complete the information as required in this window. Press the ENTER key toaccept the default answer. If a Y is entered for outside services, control movesto the Pay Basis field. Enter the code for the pay basis that will be used to pay



the line haul service provider. The TAB key can be used to see all of thechoices. The choices available in the current release of the software are listed inthe table below:

PayBasisCode Explanation of Pay Basis Code

T

By ENTERED Per TRIP Rate. The carrier willreceive a fixed amount to be entered in thenext field.

M

By ROUTE Per Mile/KM Rate. The carrierwill receive an amount per unit of distance asdefined in the Line Dispatch Route File.

R

By ROUTE Per Trip Rate. The carrier willreceive an amount per trip as defined in theLine Dispatch Route File.

D

By ENTERED Per Mile/KM Rate. The carrierwill receive an amount per unit of distancebased on the amount entered in the next field.

By tariff Schedule (Roadfeeder). The carrier will receive the rate designated in the vendor file for the corresponding S vendor code as shown in the vendor code field.

After the Pay Basis field is entered, control moves to the “Rate” field. This fieldonly has meaning for pay basis type T and D. Enter the appropriate amount ifthe pay basis is one of these two. Pressing the ENTER key from this field movescontrol to the Vendor Code field. Enter the standard alpha/numeric code for thevendor (carrier who is providing the line haul service) or press the F1 key for a listof vendors.

A note regarding vendor codes…a vendor cannot be added from this function butmust be added via the accounts payable system. This “feature” is designed toadd a security level to the system so that unauthorized carriers cannot be usedfor line haul purposes.

Window F4 - Dispatch Driver: The purpose of this window is to enter the “initial”dispatch date for this LDI. The current system date will be displayed as thedefault dispatch date. To accept this date, press the enter key or type in the



correct dispatch date. Care should be taken when dispatching drivers close to12:00 midnight. If the current date is used and the driver is not actuallydispatched until after midnight, this field will need to be corrected to ensureaccurate ETA calculations for the driver’s arrival.

Initial Dispatch Entry, Leg Info

After the dispatch date has been entered, control moves to the creation of theindividual “legs” for this LDI and the Leg Detail Data Entry screen is displayed.For the purposes of the LDI, a leg is defined as the movement of the driver andassigned equipment over a defined route from one point to another. A LDI canconsist of up to nine (9) individual legs. The next paragraphs will outline in detailthe process of entering specific LDI leg information. See the following example.ROUTE Number: Various options exist for entering the route. The user can justenter the number of the route they want to assign, they can press the F1 to listthe available routes, they can add a new route, or they can enter a route and, bypressing the F3 key, edit the route information. Each of these options will beexplored in the following text.

If the desired route number is known, simply enter the route number and pressthe enter key. The validity of the route will be checked by the system and iffound to be good, control will move to the Power Unit field. If, however, the routenumber entered is not found in the Line Dispatch Routes file (Standard FileMaintenance Program for this file can be reached by entering 4/2/2/4/3 from theMaster System Menu) the following error message will be displayed: Route notfound, please re-enter new# or add!



The next option is for the user to list the available routes by pressing the F1 key.This will cause a list to be displayed that instead of immediately listing routes willask the user to define in which order to list the routes. The choices are C forcustomer, R for route number and S for origin/destination state order. Aftermaking this selection, the user will then be prompted to enter a beginning value,that is a customer code, route number or origin/destination state combination (i.e.TXOK). After this entry, any routes matching the entered criteria will be listed.The user can then select a route by selecting the letter in the far left column.Options exist for scrolling forward and backward for lists that require multiplepages. Once the desired route is selected, the route number is displayed in theroute number field and control is moved to the Power Unit field.

The third option for the user is to add a new route. This option is selected bypressing the F2 key. However, if the user wants to control the assignment of thenew route number, the desired route number should be entered into the “RouteNumber” field first before the F2 key is pressed. If not, the system willautomatically assign the number for the new route based in the “Next Route #”found in the B5 column of option #13. Once the new route number has beenselected, the Line Dispatch Route data entry screen will appear. Enter therequired information for each field on the screen. If you wish to abort the entry,press the F4 key. After the new route is entered, the Leg detail screen is re-displayed and control moves to the Power Unit field.

Before getting into the equipment entry, it should be noted that each of theequipment fields (power, trailer & converter gear) can have the validation checkturned on or off via the options file. There are actually two levels of equipmentchecks. The first checks the equipment against the Master Equipment File(EQPFIL). This check can be disabled by setting the “Y” column for options # 1,2, and 3 to “N”. In the case of trailers, even if this option is turned on, this editwill be skipped for foreign-owned trailers. The second check is performed onpower units and trailers only. This level checks the equipment against theEquipment Inventory File (EINFIL) for proper status and location. This check canalso be disabled by setting the “Y” column value for option #6 to an “N”.

The following is a list of equipment errors that cannot be by-passed (assumesoptions 1, 2, 3, and 6 are on):

This unit is not a POWER unit! Re-Enter. If a gear or trailer numberis entered in the power unit field, this error is generated.

Equipment Number not in MASTER file. This error is onlyimpassable for gears and trailers. Power units that are not in theMaster Equipment file will generate a warning message but the entrywill be accepted. The reason for this is to allow the use of power unitnumbers from purchased transportation providers.



This unit is not a CON-GEAR! Re-Enter. If a power unit or a trailernumber is entered in the converter gear field, this error is generated.

This unit is not a TRAILER! Re-Enter. If a power unit or a convertergear is entered in the trailer field, this error is generated.

The following is a list of equipment errors that can be by-passed (assumesoptions 1, 2, 3, and 6 are on):

WARNING: Equipment Number not in master file. This warningmessage is only generated for power units that are not found in theMaster Equipment File.

WARNING: This unit not found in inventory file. This warningmessage can be generated for both trailer and power units that arenot found in the Equipment Inventory File. After the first dispatch foreither piece of equipment, this message should not return.

Trailer in LOADED status at WRONG location! This warningmessage advises the user that the trailer is in the correct status(loaded for line dispatch) but that it is not at the correct terminal. Thissituation will again auto-correct when the dispatch is completed.

WARNING: (equipment type) status is (status) at WRONG term(current location). For power units that have records in theEquipment Inventory file and for trailers that are not in a loaded status,this message will be displayed. It is both for informational purposesand to serve as a warning to the user.

This completes the list of “fatal” and “non-fatal” equipment validation errorsgenerated by this program.

Power Unit: Enter the power unit that is assigned to the driver for this dispatch.If purchased transportation is being used, the numeric portion of their power unitnumber may be used provided it does not conflict with an existing company-owned piece of equipment.

Trailers/Gears: The next set of fields is set up to provide for the entry of up tothree trailers and two converter gears.

Trailer Column: In the case of trailer equipment, both the SCAC code of thetrailer owner and the numeric component of the unit ID can be entered. If aSCAC code other than the dispatching carrier’s is entered, foreign-ownedequipment is assumed.



Seal No’s: For each trailer being dispatched, a seal number can be entered. Thisis an optional entry but it does print on the driver’s instructions and its use ishighly recommended for security reasons.

PRO Numbers: For single shipment trailers, instead of a manifest number, thePRO number of the shipment loaded on the trailer can be entered. This is anoptional entry and should not be used if a manifest number is to be entered in thenext field.

Manifest Numbers: Enter the manifest number for the manifest that was createdfor this trailer. If no PRO number or Manifest number is entered for a trailer (asyou would expect in the case of an empty trailer) the system will generate awarning message as follows: WARNING: No PRO or MANIFEST entered!

Shipments/Weight: If either a PRO number or a manifest number is entered, thenumber of shipments and the amount of weight should default to the amountspecified on those documents. The user, at their discretion, may change thevalues displayed.

Gear Column: Enter the number of the converter gear that will be used for thisdispatch. If this dispatch contains more than one trailer, this is a mandatoryentry. If no entry is made in the first gear column, it will be assumed by theprogram that the dispatch is for one trailer. If no entry is made in the secondgear column, it will be assumed by the program that the dispatch is for twotrailers. If a gear number is entered in the second column, then the assumptionis the dispatch is for triples.

Load: After the above items have been entered for all of the trailers, controlmoves to the Load field. This field provides information to the line driver on thetype of load he is hauling. Use the TAB key to select the desired value for thiscode.

Mail: This field is a simple Yes or No flag to indicate to the driver on hisinstruction sheet that he will or will not have an inter-company truck mailresponsibility.

Action: The action field stores a single character code that can provideinstructions for the line driver regarding the action to be taken at the end of thisleg. Use the TAB key to display all of the possible choices. Used in conjunctionwith the canned “hot key” special instructions, free form special instructions, andthe F8 unlimited remarks capability, all possible driver instruction requirementsshould be able to be met. (See below fields).

Special Instructions: Enter a single line of free form instructions for the driver or,use the canned messages by pressing the appropriate function key (see thestatus line). Canned messages include:



F1 - Call Central Dispatch on ArrivalF2 - Call Origin Terminal on ArrivalF3 - Call Destination Terminal on ArrivalF4 - See Terminal Manager on ArrivalF5 - Call Customer on Arrival @ (XXX)XXX-XXXX

The F5 canned instruction is designed to be used when a line driver is requiredto make a delivery directly to a customer’s location. This “canned” instructionshould be edited with the correct telephone number for that customer.

If more room is needed for additional driver instructions, pressing the F8 key willopen a message window where unlimited free form instructions can be entered.Remember, these are instructions for this leg of the dispatch only.

Once this last field, Special Instructions, is completed and the ENTER key ispressed, the leg entry screen is cleared, the leg number is incremented by 1 andcontrol returns to the Route Number field. This leg entry process then can berepeated for the number of legs on this dispatch, up to a maximum of nine (9).When all legs have been entered, pressing the ESC key from the Route Numberfield returns control to the main screen. All legs that have been entered are nowlisted on this screen and the program enters the “Update, Dispatch, Arrive”mode. At this point, we are ready to dispatch the line driver.

Update, Dispatch, Arrive Entry, Header and Leg Info

In a perfect world, the next step would be to simply dispatch the line driver on hisfirst leg. However, as happens in most trucking companies, before the finallineup is on its way down the highway, some things invariably change. For thisreason, one of the goals of the Line Dispatch Management System was to makeit easy to make changes and corrections to the LDI, even after all data had beenentered. Towards that end, the main screen was divided into various “windows”,some visible and some not visible. Each window represents a certain subset ofinformation that is used to make up the entire LDI. Access to each of thesewindows is controlled by an assigned function key. Lines 24 and 25 on thescreen are labeled with these assignments, which are listed below:

F2 - Assigned Driver InformationF3 - Line Haul Carrier Information (purchased transportation)F4 - Dispatch a LegF5 - Arrive a LegF6 - Enter Extra Driver DutiesF7 - Redisplay Leg Summary Screen (this provides access to edit leg info)F8 - Add general remarks regarding the whole LDI (not just a single leg)F10 - Create a payable (purchased transportation only)



When Update, Dispatch, and Arrive mode is entered, the system displays aprompt as follows:

Press F? For Window to correct, P to PRINT, press ENTER to finish

This prompt becomes the main “launching point” from which all update and printfunctions take place after the initial entry of an LDI. The print function is a criticalcomponent of the system and will be discussed following the function keydefinitions below.

The action of each of the above listed function keys will be examined in detail inthe following paragraphs:

F2 - Assigned Driver Information: To change the assigned drivers on an LDI,press the F2 key while in update mode. Control moves to the 1st field in the “[F2]Driver’s Name and ID Number”. Enter driver information in the same way asoutlined in the initial header entry section above. Use the “Control-Y”combination to clear from cursor to end of field.

F3 - Line Haul Carrier Information: If a change is made as to the name of theoutside carrier that will provide the line haul service for this dispatch, press theF3 key to edit the information. Make entries in the same manner as outlined inthe initial header entry section above.

F4 - Dispatch A Leg: This is a new action that was not required during the initialleg entry. Pressing the F4 key displays a screen that shows all the legs for thisLDI, numbered 1 through 9, (see the following example). The dispatch and arrivedate/time information is also displayed. For leg 1, the dispatch date has alreadybeen entered. This was picked up from the entry that was made when the LDIwas originally entered. The program requires that legs be dispatched and arrivedin sequential order, just like in the real world. Once this screen has beendisplayed, control is moved to the field “Select number of LEG to UPDATE orESC to EXIT”. Enter a 1 to update leg 1. The first field that can be modified isthe date of dispatch. It defaults to the date mentioned earlier. If this is correct,press the ENTER key, otherwise, type over the date with the correct date. Afterentering the date, the cursor moves the time field. Enter the time of the dispatchin 24-hour format. The next field is a single digit code that represents the timezone. The default comes from the Line Dispatch Routes file and should becorrect. Press the ENTER key to accept the default or enter the correct timezone code. The time zones for the continental United States are shown on thebottom line of this Dispatch/Arrive screen. After the dispatch information for thisleg is entered, control returns to the “Select number of LEG to UPDATE” field.Press the ESC key to return to the main LDI update screen. No other legs canbe “dispatched” until the leg just dispatched is arrived.



F5 - Arrive a Leg: When information becomes available to a responsible partythat a line driver has arrived at the destination of an LDI leg, the arrivalinformation must be entered. Who this “responsible party” is varies fromcompany to company. It can be one or a combination of the following persons orgroup of persons: Central Line Dispatch, the individual destination terminalsinvolved in each leg of a LDI, the final destination terminal on a LDI, the originterminal, or a clerk in the general office. Who actually does this update is abusiness decision that must be made by each individual company using thesystem. The important thing to remember is that the closer to real time theseupdates are made, the more useful the information gathered by the system willbe for freight movement, equipment inventory and customer service purposes.

To arrive a leg, press the F5 key. It displays the same screen that was displayedfor the F4-Dispatch feature above, and shows all of the legs for this LDI,numbered 1 through 9. See the example above (the difference in the dispatchscreen and the arrive screen is that the screen title is different, one saysDispatch Driver, the other Arrive Driver). The dispatch and arrive date/timeinformation is also displayed. Before a leg can be arrived, it must first bedispatched and all legs before it must be dispatched and arrived. That is, leg 4cannot be arrived before leg 3 has been arrived. As with the dispatch function,once this screen has been displayed, control is moved to the field “Select numberof LEG to UPDATE or ESC to EXIT”. Enter a 1 to update leg 1. The first field inarrive mode that can be modified is the date of arrival. Both the date of arrivaland the time of arrival will default to the ETA date/time based on the transit timespecified in the Line Dispatch Route file for the route used on this leg. If the dateis correct, press the ENTER key; otherwise, type over the date with the correctdate. After entering the date, the cursor moves to the time field. Enter the arrivaltime in 24-hour format. The next field is a single digit code that represents thetime zone. The default comes from the Line Dispatch Routes file and should becorrect. Press ENTER to accept the default or enter the correct time zone code.



The time zones for the continental United States are shown on the bottom line ofthis Dispatch/Arrive screen. After the arrival information for this leg is entered,control returns to the “Select number of LEG to UPDATE” field. Press the ESCkey to return to the main LDI update screen. After leg 1 has been arrived, leg 2can be dispatched, and so on, until all legs on a LDI have been dispatch andarrived.

F6 - Enter Extra Driver Duties: This feature provides for the recording of extraduties that may have been completed by the driver during his trip. These extraduties may include such things as: Drop & Pick, Switch, Unload, Load, OtherHourly, Special off route trip, or Other mileage based work. A description line isprovided so the extra work can be explained in detail, plus fields for Action Code,Terminal ID (for assignment of cost), units, units code, OK’d by, and rates areprovided. See the example below.

During the printing of a driver fill-in form, blank spaces are provided for enteringthis extra work performed. When the completed form is printed, the actual dataentered using this F6 feature is printed (see more on printing below).F7 - Redisplay Leg Summary Screen (this provides access to edit leg info): Ifprior to the initial dispatch or if at some point during the middle of a complicatedLDI, leg information needs to be changed, this can be accomplished by pressingthe F7 key. Pressing this key moves control to the following prompt: Enter LineDispatch LEG to Update or Modify. Entering a number between 1 and themaximum leg number for this LDI will cause the leg detail screen to be displayedwith all of the detail for the selected leg. Control will move to the route numberfield and all of the information in this leg can now be edited. In order for anychanges to be effective, the user must move all the way through the screen.Pressing the ESC key in the middle of the screen returns control to the RouteNumber. Pressing ESC at the Route Number cancels all of the changes.



F8 - Add general remarks regarding the whole LDI (not just a single leg): Asmentioned earlier, during the individual leg entry, it is possible to enter free formremarks for each leg using the F8 remarks feature that is frequently usedthroughout alphaTRUCK. At this point, the F8 remarks that can be added relateto the entire LDI and are separate from those for the individual legs. Both theleg-related remarks and these general remarks will print on both the driver “fill-inform” and the “complete form”. Press the F8 key to enter the remarks window.When finished, press the ESC key to exit.

F10 - Create a payable (purchased transportation only): The creation of apayable record is only available on those LDI’s that were handled by purchasedtransportation. Also, before the payable record can be created, the LDI must bearrived at its final destination. Once this criterion is met, pressing the F10 keycauses the Voucher Payable/Invoice information screen to be displayed. See theexample below.

The cursor is on the description field, which defaults to a description for the tripbased on information from the LDI record. The next field is the currency field.This field will always default to the system currency code (generally U for USDollars). The cursor then moves to the “Total Invoice Amount” field. In mostcases the default amount will be correct. If the default amount is incorrect, typeover the default with the new amount. The fields for GST, LST and Early PayDiscount will probably not require any entry; press the ENTER key to movethrough these fields. When the payable record is completed, the system willdisplay the following prompt: Invoice Complete, press ENTER to continue, F4 toCorrect. If everything is correct, press the ENTER key. If you want to make acorrection, press the F4 key. Pressing the F4 key moves you back to the“Description” field.



Printing Driver Fill-In and Completed Forms

The forms printed by this system are an essential part of the data collection andline driver management feature of the system. On the initial dispatch, byproviding drivers with a “fill-in” form that contains all instructions for the dispatch,miscommunication problems should be minimized. As the line driver makes hisrun, items on the fill-in form are to be completed. This includes arrival dates andtimes plus any extra duty information. When the line driver arrives at the finaldestination per the LDI, this “fill-in” form can be used as the source for updatingthe arrival and other information in the system for this LDI. Once this is done, a“complete” form can be printed which serves as a permanent record of thecompleted line dispatch.

To print these LDI forms, from the prompt: “Press F? for windows to correct, P toPrint, press ENTER to finish”. On the first print request, the following prompt willbe displayed: Select Printer to use (use TAB)........ X (X will be your defaultprinter number). Enter the number of the printer you will use or, if the default iscorrect, press the ENTER key. The TAB key will display all of the availableprinters. After the printer choice has been made, a prompt regarding the type ofform to print is displayed as follows: Select Dispatch FORM to print, Complete(C), Fill-In Form (F) or Bill-of-Lading (B). Enter a C, F, or B. The print request isthen passed to the background process for printing.

Conclusions, Line Dispatch Management System

This concludes the instructions for Entering, Updating, Dispatching, and Arrivinga Line Driver. When a leg of an LDI is arrived, the location and status of eachshipment moving on the leg are also updated. In this way, a complete log of theevents of the life of the freight bill is maintained and can easily be viewed fromeither the charges lookup screen or the trace display screen. In addition to this,the Equipment Inventory file is updated on all moves as drivers are dispatchedand arrived.

Example Dispatch Scenarios

To facilitate the implementation of the above instructions, various scenarios ofline dispatch problems will be presented below to provide insight on how best touse the system. If there is a situation that occurs in your organization that is notcovered by the below possibilities, FAX a detailed description to alphaTRUCKSoftware Support, and we will provide an explanation of the proper procedure tofollow for your particular situation.



Example 1 - Simple Dispatch, from Terminal A to Terminal B

In this example, a trailer will be loaded for terminal B at terminal A. To properlydispatch this take the following steps:

1. Personnel in origin Terminal A T-CON and close trailer with allshipments loaded on it. This may include shipments that will movebeyond Terminal B for final delivery (B may be a break bulk).2. Create a Line Dispatch Instruction with one leg, moving over a routethat goes from terminal A to terminal B.3. Dispatch the line driver.4. Arrive the line driver.

Example 2 - Dispatch from Terminal A to Terminal B to Terminal C

In this case, terminal B is a small terminal that the driver will be required to stopat on his way to terminal C and both load and unload freight. Terminal B mayeven be a dark terminal that will be closed when the line driver arrives.

1. The critical procedure for this situation is the T-CON process and whowill do what. Since the trailer originates at Terminal A, it makes sense thatTerminal A is responsible for beginning the process. However, freight thatwill be loaded onto the trailer at Terminal B also needs to be added to thistrailer. The flexibility of the system allows this addition freight to be addedeither by Terminal A or Terminal B. Terminal A could enter the PROs thatwill be loaded at Terminal B if notified via an E-Mail or FAX message fromTerminal B. If Terminal B knows the trailer number, Terminal B could alsoenter these pros, and in fact, Terminal B could actually begin the T-CONprocess for this trailer. In this case, knowing the trailer number is thecritical element. Whichever way you decide to do it, the system will allowvarious possibilities. One caution, it is not recommended that bothterminals T-CON the same trailer at the same time unless one terminal isgiven a starting sequence number greater than the normal sequence of 1.In other words, Terminal B could T-CON the same trailer as Terminal A atthe same time if it set its sequence number to a value such as 50. Thiswould eliminate confusion over the load order. Also, if two terminals areT-CON’ing the same trailer at the same time, neither terminal should closethe trailer until they know that the other terminal is finished.2. Create a Line Dispatch Instruction with two legs. One leg moves thefreight from Terminal A to Terminal B. The second leg moves the freightfrom Terminal B to Terminal C.3. Dispatch the line driver to terminal B.4. Arrive the line driver at terminal B.5. Dispatch the line driver to terminal C.6. Arrive the line driver at terminal C.



In this scenario, we assumed that freight would be unloaded and loaded on thesame trailer that was originally dispatched from terminal A. If the driver was todrop and pickup a different trailer or trailers, the only difference in the procedurewould be to be sure all trailers were properly T-CON’ed and that the currenttrailer numbers were used in leg two of the LDI.



Conclusions

This concludes the alphaTRUCK Manifest Trailer (T-CON) & Line DispatchManagement System manual. If you have any questions, comments orsuggestions regarding information contained in this document, please forwardthem the following address:

DPS Software Systems924 E. Green StreetPasadena, CA 91106

Telephone: (626) 683-9190FAX: (626) 683-0790E-Mail: [email protected]


Copyright © 2000, DPS Software Systems, Inc. 924 E. Green St., Pasadena, CA 91106 159

APPENDIX A

This appendix contains the option information for both the T-CON program andfor the Enter, Update, Dispatch, and Arrive Line Driver program.

T-CON Program (ODTCON) Options

To access the system options file, enter the following from the Master SystemMenu: 8/(password)/5. In the program name field, enter ODTCON. Listed beloware the available options for the T-CON program and the default settings.

No. Description

Y/N B1 B5 Remarks

1Bill StatusSystem Y

Do you want to add a record in thebill status system when the trailer isclosed indicating this PRO has beenT-CON’ed, Yes or No.

2 PRO # Length 10 Mandatory length of PRO number.

3 Test Pro Length? Y

If set to Y, will test the length of thePRO number against the valueentered in option 2, B1.

4Trlr# W/HostSCAC Y

For company owned equipment,when updating the trailer number onthe freight bill and charges file, doyou want the SCAC code as part ofthe number (i.e. XXXX123456 vs.123456).

5 Next Manifest#

1000 If option 9 is set to N, this option isused to store the next manifestnumber.

6Must be inBILFIL? Y

If set to a Y, PRO number must be inthe Freight Bill Header File, otherwisethe entry will not be accepted.

7 Ck Skeleton FB? YThis option is not currently beingused.

8 Max warning age

10 If the age of the bill is older than thenumber of days in the B1 field, awarning message will be displayed.

9 Use Trm Man # Y If set to a Y, the next manifest



number will be determined by thevalue for next manifest number in theTerminal/Facilities data base file.

10 Upd Trlr Hold? Y

If your company is using the TrailerHolding Log system, setting this to aY will prompt the user when the trailerif first closed if they want this logupdated.

11 Check Digit? YTurns the Check Digit system on oroff

12 PRO Len w/o CD8 Sets the length of the PRO number

excluding the check digit.

13 Ck Dig Method

1 Value in B1 field determines thecheck digit method. A 1 is for Mod-10.

14 Strip CD off Pro Y

1 If Y set to Yes, locate the check digitas the last digit on the pro. If B1 setto zero (0), remove check digit frompro, otherwise leave it on.

15 Enable EDI 214? Y

If Y set to Yes, test if any customer’sin the freight bill have requested EDI214's. If yes, log status change intransmission log file.

16 EINFIL Add Ok? YIf set to Y, it is ok to add records tothe Equipment Inventory Control file.

17 If Foreign? Y

Is set to Y, and option 16 is set to Y,even foreign trailers will be added tothe Equipment Inventory File.

18 Reserved

19 Reserved

20 Reserved

Module O – Operations – Manifest Trailer (T-CON) & Line Dispatch ManagementSystem


Enter, Update, Dispatch, and Arrive Line Drivers Program (OD3LDI) OptionsTo access the system options file, enter the following from the Master SystemMenu: 8/(password)/5. In the program name field, enter OD3LDI. Listed beloware the available options for the Enter, Update, Dispatch, and Arrive Line Driversprogram and the default settings.

No. DescriptionY/N B1 B5 Remarks

1 Edit Power Y

Do you what the power unit numberchecked against the MasterEquipment File.

2 Edit Trailers Y Same as 1 above but for trailers

3 Edit Gears Y Same as 1 but for converter gears

4 Update TCON Y This option is no longer used.

5 Update Eqp Inv? Y

If set to Y, will cause the EquipmentInventory Control file to be updatedas the location and status ofequipment changes.

6 Edit Use EINFIL Y

If set to a Y, the program will use theEquipment Inventory Control file aspart of the equipment validation edits.

7 Ok to Print? Y

If set to a Y, allows the printing of thedriver “fill-in” form and the completedform.

8Payable UpdOk? Y

If set to a Y, enables the payableupdate feature for purchasedtransportation.

9 Voucher G/L # 88

The value in field B5 is used by thepayable update routines to locate thecorrect Voucher type in the fileBNKFIL (bank file).

10 Auto Payable? N

If set to a Y, the program willautomatically create a payable for alldispatches with purchasedtransportation

11 Line G/L Act#:This field provides the description ofthe value that is in the description

Module O – Operations – Manifest Trailer (T-CON) & Line Dispatch ManagementSystem


field of option #12. In this case, theoffset account number for line haulpurchased transportation.

12 5441G/L account number as outlinedabove.

13 Next Route No. 10000

The value in the B5 field is the nextline dispatch route number that willget automatically assigned.

14 Edit Trlr SCAC N

If set to N, turns off the field level editof the SCAC code against thecarrier’s interline data base file.

15 EINFIL Add Ok? YIf set to Y, allows records to be addedto the Equipment Inventory file.

16 If Foreign? Y

If set to Y and option #15 is set to aY, allows foreign owned equipment tobe added to the Equipment InventoryControl file.

17 EINFIL Do Gear? Y Not currently being used.

18 Upd DD 1st Only Y

If set to Y, will only allow the firstdispatch date to be updated to thefreight bill.

19 Next Disp# 1001

If option #20 is set to N, this will bethe next LDI # that will be assigned ifan automatically assigned number isrequested.

20 User Trm Disp# YIf set to Y, gets the next LDI# to beauto-assigned from Terminal Info file.

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