Ohio provider deploys app to supply drivers extra visibility to pay
Ohio-based ContainerPort Group (CCJ High 250, No. 81) is crediting a surge in driver headcount, partially, to a brand new app that gives deeper visibility into how its drivers are paid.
A 20% improve in CPG’s owner-operator community throughout the second quarter lifted their drayage driver rely to greater than 1,300—a pointy uptick from the primary quarter that CPG President Joey Palmer credit to an elevated deal with driver sentiment.
Driver suggestions paired up with a deeper dive into expertise led to the event of CPG’s DrayPal app as properly as a brand new analytical pay mannequin that assesses pay scales in varied markets to assist decide when drivers ought to get a bump in pay.
A Container Port Group driver scans a QR code that may obtain DrayPal onto his smartphone. “Drivers have responded rather well [to DrayPal],” mentioned Jason Schmelmer, CPG’s vp of driver expertise. “It is one thing that places numerous info at their fingertips that beforehand they did not at all times have fast entry to.”Container Port Group
“This goes into the funding that we’re placing behind being extra modern and actually being extra ahead occupied with expertise platforms,” mentioned Frye whose background features a five-year stint in IT.
“I advised myself I’d be useful right here,” Frye continued. “It is an thrilling alternative to see the place expertise is right now and take my final 12 years of operations background and pair it up with the chance that we have now to essentially do generational leaps ahead with our expertise platforms to serve our present driver, our IT primarily based driver neighborhood, our companion carriers for our logistics and brokerage division.”
CPG rolled out DrayPal in spring. CPG drew on driver enter and the experience of software program engineering agency Headstorm to create the app which affords drivers faster and higher management over issues pertaining to work and pay.
Whereas it’s helpful getting reminders about medical playing cards and CDLs, drivers are extra impressed having instantaneous entry to work-related funds and income targets.
“One of many main options that could be very thrilling for our drivers is that it exhibits them their settlements and permits them to set weekly targets,” mentioned Jason Schmelmer, CPG’s vp of driver expertise. “They will monitor their progress with these targets. It is one thing that earlier than they might do on their very own. Now we have given them a platform to attempt to obtain sure targets and see if they will get higher and higher every week so far as producing income.”
Previous to the app, settlements had been issued on a weekly foundation by way of e mail, which value drivers and CPG employees time and cash.
“Whenever you’re doing transactions by way of e mail there’s numerous overhead,” Frye mentioned. “The drivers needed to make assumptions on how the course of was going and the identical with us. If there’s any points like gathering paperwork and people kinds of issues, it turns into a really handbook phone-driven course of that takes their consideration away from making an attempt to supply income on that subsequent load and get by way of no matter issues they might be going through and even off of being centered on getting up and down the highway safely as a result of they’re involved on not getting paid for a load.”
Whereas for its current section one roll-out DrayPal was tooled to deal with monetary visibility, Frye mentioned the app could quickly embrace push notifications going out to drivers relating to “return places for empties, chassis return places and pickup factors.”
CPG driver Reese Burnside, who’s been behind the wheel for almost 21 years, is a massive fan of the app.
“It is fantastic,” he mentioned. “It is a device that I want got here out a very long time in the past as a result of for impartial contractors, you wish to see what your settlement’s going to be. You’ll be able to gauge your funds. It’s a device that lets you see precisely what you are making as you go alongside throughout the course of the day and every single day.”
Reese mentioned DrayPal additionally permits him to entry CPG’s weblog to maintain with business information, which he likes to do throughout downtimes like when he’s ready on the rail yard. He additionally appreciates the motive force expertise characteristic, which supplies him and different drivers a possibility to supply suggestions to CPG on work-related issues.
“One of many essential options that I like on it’s you could set a weekly aim for your self and dispatchers can see that and work with you to strive that will help you get to that aim,” Reese mentioned.
Whereas for its current section one roll-out DrayPal was tooled to deal with monetary visibility, Frye mentioned the app could quickly embrace push notifications going out to drivers relating to “return places for empties, chassis return places and pickup factors.”
