If you find yourself wondering, “How are inefficient document management practices holding my trucking company back?” It may be time to reevaluate your document management processes.
For transportation fleet managers, managing documents—from those collected on the road to billing processes—presents a myriad of challenges that can delay payments and disrupt workflows. Today, we’re delving into common document management pain points and unveiling advanced solutions to streamline operations.
The Flawed Billing Process in Transportation
One of the primary challenges in the transportation industry is the billing process. Many companies struggle to get documents back from drivers promptly to bill on time. Each twist in the document chain adds days to your Days Sales Outstanding (DSO), meaning you don’t get paid until accurate documents are delivered. This can significantly impact cash flow and operational efficiency.
Obtaining Documents from the Road
With trucks spreading across the nation, collecting documents from drivers promptly is a constant struggle. Depending on the method used to transmit documents, this process typically takes about a week. This delay can have a cascading effect on the overall billing timeline.
Indexing Documents and Routing
Once documents arrive, they need to be indexed correctly to the right client and loaded before being routed for review and invoicing. This additional step can add three or more days to the process, further extending the DSO and delaying payments.
Error Correction
Document errors can lead to significant delays, and it’s not uncommon for missing documents to lead to over 100 days of DSO on a particular load. In terms of overall documents and loads, most companies experience at least a month of extra processing time. Missing or illegible documents can wreak havoc on billing cycles, affecting a substantial portion of loads.
Submitting Invoices for Processing
Even with 100% accurate documents, what are the next steps in your workflow? Flooding your team with scale tickets, detention fees, proof of deliveries, and more can overwhelm your billing process. Efficiently entering information and submitting invoices for processing is crucial to maintaining smooth operations.
Most Common Woes with the Document-to-Invoice Process
In the transportation industry, margins are thin, and businesses don’t get paid until accurate documents are delivered. Here are some common but often unhelpful methods for the document-to-invoice process:
- Scanning Kiosks: Limited service locations mean drivers must hold onto bundles of documents, manually preparing them with stickers and cover sheets that may not align with your HQ systems.
- In-cab Devices: These devices are expensive to install and maintain, and many drivers are not fans of them either.
- Drop Off at Physical Locations: Drivers may need to drop off documents at headquarters, making them responsible for organizing and tracking physical documents.
- Email: Smartphone photos sent in emails are often larger files and difficult to read, and inconsistent service or Wi-Fi access on the road can cause bottlenecks when uploading them.
- TMS Apps: Most mobile TMS apps are too expensive, challenging to use, and cluttered with confusing functionalities.
Mobile Document Capture for the Trucking Industry
Enter Paperwise for Transportation, a solution designed to address these pain points comprehensively. Here’s why more and more companies are turning to Paperwise’s document management system:
- Cost-Efficiency: Paperwise is 90% cheaper than most driver mobile apps, with no additional delivery or scanning fees.
- Reduced DSO: Our solution can reduce DSO by 30-90 days, ensuring you get paid faster.
- Quick Document Return: Get documents back before your driver even leaves the dock.
- Faster Billing Cycles: Measure billing cycles in hours, not weeks.
- Quick Setup: Get up and running in a matter of hours.
- High-Quality Images: Send high-quality images at low file sizes.
- Built-in Indexing: Save back-office time with built-in indexing.
- Driver-Friendly: Easy to use and get started, making it accessible for all drivers.
- Less Expensive: More affordable than other solutions.
- Compatible With iOS and Android: Our mobile capture solution works on the most popular devices and operating systems.
Paperwise Helps Streamline Document Management in Trucking
Implementing an efficient document management system like Paperwise can dramatically streamline your operations, minimize delays, and optimize cash flow in your trucking business. By addressing the pain points inherent in traditional document processes, Paperwise ensures a smoother, faster billing cycle.
Ready to transform your document management process? Contact Paperwise today for a demo and see firsthand how we can help your trucking company operate more efficiently.
