3 Ways OD is Improving Operations to Enhance Your Shipping Experience

We’re always finding ways to improve operational efficiency. Sometimes that involves changing the way processes are done. If we can get information from a shipper through some electronic means, we can plan for freight movement more efficiently. Moving to a paperless environment makes our service product much more solid and helps us continue to deliver promises to customers.

OD’s Business Process and Innovation Team implements technology for the shipper, such as onboarding for our Spot Pick application, and gets feedback if customers find things as they’re using the application that could be improved. We can direct shippers on where to go onboard with our APIs.

Here are 3 projects underway that will help improve your experience with us.

1.) Modernized Dockyard Management System (DYMS)

Our team is in the process of rolling out a new Dockyard Management System (DYMS) on tablets. Using this system, we take a picture every time we close a trailer, as we move between service centers.

The Tablet DYMS reinforce training and loading techniques for our dockworkers, such as how to use straps correctly, how to use airbags correctly, and help reinforce the claims prevention process.  The dockyard team came up with the idea to use tablets instead of the fixed-mount devices currently in use so we can take real time photos of your freight. The OD dockworker can do it instantly and it has now become part of our loading process. We’re in the midst of rolling this feature out to all 257 service centers with the goal of maintaining our lowest claims rate in the industry. 

2.) Optimizing Driver Delivery Routes

We currently use a delivery route optimization tool that helps us plan out driver delivery stops and optimize them in the most efficient delivery sequence. We sequence them to run the fewest miles and better meet the needs of your appointment freight.  But we’re always looking to improve. New investments in an Enterprise Resource Management (ERM) tool will do this faster, meaning we can respond to your needs even quicker. Our goal is to give our inbound planning team more time to focus on the nuances of meeting your delivery appointments and keeping your promises. We anticipate that this new functionality to be implemented by the end of 2023.

3.) Improving API Connection

We want to do business with you the way you prefer. We’ve heard from many of our customers that means enhancing and investing in our API connections. Standardizing our APIs with others in the industry will streamline your carrier planning.

Standardization is happening across the industry. There is a group of carriers, including OD, working with the NMFC to develop standardized APIs. Ultimately this helps you as you send and receive shipment data. In future, if you are directly connected with Old Dominion but want to do an API connection with another LTL carrier, all the development is already done. Hopefully this standardization will expedite the integration from customer to carrier.

Innovation Trends in LTL

In LTL transportation, there is an enormous runway and opportunity to digitize processes. We encourage all shippers to connect with us electronically, whether using API, EDI, or carrier websites. Paper BOLs are prone to error, manual intervention, and are a less efficient transmission of data.

One of the ways you can connect with OD, besides using our website, is  FreightVault. We’ve partnered with MyCarrier TMS to use their tool as OD FreightVault for Old Dominion customers that want to use multiple carriers, not just Old Dominion, and provide a connection to pass information electronically. If an OD customer wants to work with multiple carriers, they can use OD FreightVault to do that.

Lastly, we’re looking at the future of AI and how it can help in the quoting process. The vision is that a customer will only get one bill from us, and never get adjustments. The future of freight payment perhaps lies in our One Rate One Time program. For more news on how we're pursuing operations innovation, listen to our podcast on the future of pricing.