The Personal Digital Assistant is a high-tech tool that has come to be known by its acronym, PDA. But when it comes to trucking, those initials might more accurately stand for “Point of Delivery Assistant.”

That's certainly the contention of at least one software maven. Keith Lauver, founder and CEO of Gearworks, says the Eagan, MN-based wireless application service provider is building its business on improving what he calls the “point of delivery” for products and services using software for handheld mobile computers.

“Our company is a group of geeks,” Lauver says good-naturedly, “but we're not trying to fit technology into business for its own sake. What we are doing is looking at PDAs as electronic clipboards that can be used to help fleets reduce paperwork, improve communication with drivers and enhance visibility of supply-chain needs.”

The “point of delivery” Lauver speaks of includes not only the classic trucking application of P&D but also any activities involving customer interaction during the delivery of goods or services.

If more fleet managers buy into Lauver's overall vision, perhaps more will look into the potential mobile computers have to boost productivity and efficiency in a wide range of trucking applications.

The best-known PDA, of course, is the ubiquitous Palm Pilot, which was introduced in 1996. But there are many other makes and models out there, such as the Handspring Visor, IBM Workpad and Sony Clie as well as “ruggedized” units, like those from Symbol Technologies, that are highly suited for work in the harsh environment of trucking.

They all function as a complement to — not a replacement for — a laptop or desktop computer. That means they can be easily tied into existing or new “back-office” computer systems.

What makes these devices hot tools for truck fleets is the growing array of business programs written expressly to run on them that fully automate or better manage various tasks handled by mobile workers.

Two key things: PDAs can be powered by two different operating systems (OS): the Palm OS or the Microsoft PocketPC (formerly called Windows CE).

According to the web site www.howthingswork.com, “the Palm OS takes up less memory and runs faster and most users say it is easier to use. The PocketPC easily supports color displays, graphics, miniaturized Windows packages (Word, Excel), and other devices. PocketPC takes up more memory and is slower, and users say it is more complicated.”

While the Palm OS remains out in front and its “open architecture” is highly prized by software engineers, the PocketPC operating system is gaining ground. Eventually, more companies will produce software for both operating systems. But right now, more ready-to-go trucking “solutions” can be found for the Palm OS.

But, as with any computer system, it is best to decide which tasks should be turned over to a PDA, then find the software that best accomplishes those tasks, and only then select the hardware that supports that software.

And it should be noted that when it comes to trucking, the definition of PDA extends from the small, palm-sized units that started it all to much larger, truly handheld computers.

The key differences between the two sizes are their displays and how data is entered into them. Palm-sized models have small liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) and use a combination of stylus-writing, touch-screen and handwriting-recognition technology for data input.

The larger and heavier handhelds have bigger LCDs and feature downsized keyboards as well as touch screens. The handhelds may be augmented by bar-code readers for inventory functions and GPS units for automatic vehicle location.

Gearworks' Lauver, who sees the PDA as an “electronic clipboard,” says his firm's PDA program, dubbed etrace, employs what he calls “Smart-Forms” to electronically replicate the paper business forms most mobile workers spend their days shuffling. An etrace-equipped PDA can also capture electronic signatures for credit card payments and proof of delivery.

Besides vastly reducing the paper chase without sacrificing the trail of documentation, etrace enables the data captured by drivers or service technicians to be immediately sent back to dispatch.

“Manually dealing with paperwork,” Lauver points out, “leads to errors, wasted time and delays that negatively impact both customer service and billing. PDAs improve communication by replacing check-in calls with dispatchers, which are highly inefficient. This can be done by pushing a button on a PDA hooked up to a wireless network.

“A PDA program like etrace also enhances the fleet's visibility of where its assets and its customers' goods are,” he continues. “For example, it can reveal instantly when there is capacity available to handle another load.”

Lauver also stresses that another advantage is that it's a simple matter for customers using PDAs with the Palm OS to add other vendors' software, such as programs for fuel-tax calculation or driver's logs. “We developed etrace to run on the Palm OS,” he notes. “But we will release a Pocket PC version later this year.”

Just about by necessity, software providers like Gearworks (www.gearworks.com) also serve as system integrators, helping fleets get the right mix of PDA software and hardware, wireless network, and if need be, enterprise software.

“Rather than being resellers,” says Lauver, “we try to educate our customers about their choices and then give them a set of recommendations. We can offer them a single monthly price that includes the hardware, software, integration, installation and training ‘out of the box’ per each unit. By leasing them the hardware, they don't have to make a capital expenditure and they can swap out hardware. It makes it easier to upgrade and to get started with PDAs in the first place.”

As for hooking the PDAs up to a wireless network for data transfer, Lauver says most customers opt for digital cellular coverage. “Cellular doesn't offer the 100% coverage satellite does, but it is less expensive and provides solid coverage in most areas. And besides, the PDA will continue to collect data even when out of cellular range for transfer later.”

Among Gearworks' first etrace customers are a range of operations: a firm that provides dedicated delivery services to Disney stores; an armored car company; and a regional wholesale distributor.

“In each case,” says Lauver, “we are putting the computer into the hands of the person, and that improves the point-of-delivery process for them, for the company they work for and for their customers.”

While programs like etrace were developed from the ground up to leverage the capabilities of PDAs, already existing software programs are also migrating to mobile computers.

For example, Minneapolis-based PeopleNet Communication Corp. (www.peoplenet.com) now offers a version of its G2X fleet management system that runs on handhelds using the Palm OS.

“We launched our overall Palm integration last year,” says director of marketing Brian McLaughlin, “and based on what we've learned about the market's receptivity, we've added signature-capture and barcode-scanning functions in the first quarter of this year.”

He says the companies PeopleNet is seeing adopt PDAs are those with multi-stop operations that conduct automated activities, such as signature capture or warehousing functions, at their stops.

“There's a lot of interest on the part of private fleets with legacy systems for warehousing and yard management that want to automate the process from end to end of the supply chain,” McLaughlin says. “Private fleets are the early adopters. They have investments in advanced technology across the supply chain because they have a real need for tight controls on inventory and proof of delivery.

“Without a PDA,” he continues, “you are limited to communications and other functions that can be done in the cab. By not tethering the driver, the handheld lets more tasks become automated. And that cuts paperwork and speeds up billing and settlement.”

McLaughlin says the return on investment for PDAs, which customers can get through PeopleNet or purchase elsewhere, is three to five months depending on how many functions are automated.

He says PeopleNet opted to adapt its G2X system to the Palm OS because it supports “open architecture” and as a result, “offers the most applications and price points” to fleet customers.

The G2X, McLaughlin notes, is an “end-to-end system” that can handle communication, location, signature capture, and bar-code reading. “What we've done is enabled the PDA to replace the G2X in-cab message display unit for those fleets that want a more mobile solution. The PDA cradle we provide in the vehicle makes the wireless connection to a cellular network.”

Another PDA application being rolled out by PeopleNet this year in select urban markets is focused specifically on local P&D and service fleets. Dubbed PeopleNet Metro, the wireless system uses a Palm OS handheld to provide two-way messaging, data communications and GPS-based tracking over both an analog cellular network and the Internet.

McLaughlin concedes there is “a ton of hype around PDAs” and freely admits it is not the solution for everybody. “For it to make sense, PDAs must provide ROI and add value to the business. So maybe 30-40% of all trucking applications can derive value from using handhelds instead of a vehicle-based system.”

Yet another iteration of the PDA theme comes from Seimac (www.seimac.com). According to Kelly Lunn, business development manager, the Halifax, Nova Scotia-based company's FleetMessenger combines a “next generation” satellite/terrestrial packet-data modem with a Palm OS handheld and Seimac's own messaging software.

The result Lunn says is a “substantial capital and operating savings” over other systems. “With our system dispatchers can ‘see’ trucks wherever they are in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico in real time. We offer a ruggedized Symbol Pro Series handheld that has built-in barcode scanning and signature capturing. However, customers can use regular Palm OS units as well.”

Lunn says Seimac can provide software that is relatively generic to handle two-way messaging, or provide programs that are very specific to customers' needs and integrate them with existing logistics and other systems.

According to Lunn, the FleetMessenger's Internet-based dual transmission mode is competitive with terrestrial-based PDA communication systems. “One of our customers delivers auto parts to OEM factories and uses the system's GPS capability to inform the customer in real time of shipment status,” he notes.

Seimac's first FleetMessenger customer is Laval, Quebec-based VTL Transport, a less-than-truckload operation serving Quebec, Ontario and the central and Midwestern U.S. through terminals in Montreal, Toronto, and Columbus, OH.

Lunn says that VTL plans to eventually issue more than 2,000 Palm IIIxe or Symbol SPT-1700 handhelds to company drivers. About 60 drivers are already using the PDAs, which are accessed from cradles mounted in the cabs.

VTL ties the handhelds to its headquarters via truck-mounted EMS satellite terminals with built-in GPS. Drivers using the system can notify dispatch when and where a trailer was dropped or schedule and confirm pickups and deliveries using pull-down menus that display information sent by the dispatcher.

A far smaller operation that is also an early PDA adopter is Washington, IN-based LinCo Services Inc. The firm employs 10 drivers who distribute beverage and foodservice products to more than 3,000 offices, convenience stores, and institutions across Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.

Late last year, the company began outfitting its straight-truck drivers with the new MiniMate route-delivery handheld application from Prism Visual Software (www.prismvs.com).

According to Prism president Lorraine Keating, the Port Washington, NY-based firm specializes in developing niche market systems and has focused on providing route-truck and field-service customers with web-based and wireless solutions.

Greg Linneweber, vp-operations for family-owned LinCo, says the distributor had already been using a Prism routing and scheduling module that was integrated with Prism accounting software.

Before adopting MiniMate, Linneweber relates, drivers relied on paper “tickets” to record deliveries and any changes made by customers. At the end of the day, the data on these was manually entered into the accounting system.

Making the job even more, well, taxing was the complex local sales-tax system in Illinois that lets each municipality set its own rate. LinCo was generating 20,000 paper invoices a month — and sending out as many as four corrected invoices a day.

Paperwork, Linneweber says, was killing them. But with MiniMate, sales-tax reporting is entirely automated and the need for invoice corrections has been virtually eliminated.

Besides a Palm VII handheld, each driver is equipped with a small Seiko printer for producing invoices as needed for customers on the spot. Drivers can also record any customer payments made during a delivery on the handheld. All data captured is transferred from the Palm to LinCo's accounts receivable computer via a HotSync cradle back at the home office.

Linneweber notes that he selected the Palm VII specifically because it has wireless capability and he plans to make his MiniMate application wireless. “We run in and out of very rural areas and have been waiting for wireless coverage to catch up with us,” he notes. “I'm happy to say we expect to be in position to go wireless by year's end.”

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