Freight Visibility Gets a Second Set of Eyes

As freight visibility has become more complex with digitization, the industry has expanded the scope of what constitutes visibility. Andrew Wimer, Associate General Manager of Transportation Management at Descartes, explained that while the core of visibility – knowing where a truck, load, or freight is – remains essential, the industry's reliance on electronic logging devices (ELDs) has created blind spots in tracking.

Traditionally, ELDs were seen as the definitive answer to tracking, fraud prevention, and driver accountability, but Wimer argues that drivers themselves were sidelined in this process. By removing drivers from visibility, the industry lost a valuable layer of real-time confirmation. Drivers, who are often reliable and safe, can help validate shipment status by confirming deliveries, uploading proof-of-delivery documents, or sending updates through a tracking app.

Descartes' MacroPoint visibility platform aims to address this by combining ELD and mobile app tracking for the same shipment simultaneously. This approach ensures continuity in tracking, even if one data source fails. If a driver's phone loses signal or an ELD provider's API goes down, the other data source continues to track the shipment, providing visibility and helping meet compliance metrics.

Wimer emphasizes that this dual data stream also provides a new tool for spotting trouble. When a truck's ELD and a driver's phone provide conflicting information, this divergence can serve as a signal for investigation. While not always indicating fraud, a mismatch in data warrants a phone call to investigate the issue. Additionally, Wimer highlights the growing problem of location data spoofing on both ELDs and driver-facing apps.

Having multiple signals to validate fraud is crucial in maintaining visibility and trust in the freight industry.