Location data and technology platform company HERE Technologies is using its wealth of real-time location data to make commercial routing smoother, safer and more cost-efficient.
HERE and EROAD, a global transportation technology services company, are expanding partnerships on commercial vehicle routing and navigation solutions in North America and elsewhere. HERE also has released a free, open platform routing application for small- and medium-sized businesses to increase their logistics power as the COVID-19 pandemic has put more emphasis on home deliveries.
The two tech companies designed the navigation application integrated into EROAD Go+, a new North America solution for enhanced pickup and delivery workflow. EROAD Go+ connects to a truck fleet’s transportation management system to mobilize dispatch and capture proof of delivery data digitally. The companies say it will lead to better visibility, less paperwork and safer, more productive drivers.
The technology uses HERE analytics tools to optimize routes based on road attributes and conditions, including truck restrictions, bridge heights, hazardous material restrictions and traffic, according to Edzard Overbeek, the HERE CEO, who hosted a virtual roundtable discussion with transportation journalists on Sept. 16.
The app features live turn-by-turn navigation with lane assist and audible guidance on upcoming turns, so drivers can safely stay focused on the road and traffic conditions around them. Commercial vehicle drivers in North America, New Zealand and Australia can use EROAD solutions to log travels, shift hours and other driver-related work.
“We place an incredible focus on ease of use and reliability because that enables drivers to operate their vehicles safely,” according to Steven Newman, the EROAD CEO. “Our partnership with HERE made it easy to design and launch routing and navigation solutions that support our vision of safe and productive roads.”
Here WeGo
To help smaller- and medium-sized businesses, HERE developed a free delivery app, based on its HERE WeGo platform. “We wanted to make sure that we help those small, medium businesses to plan their product delivery in the best potential way,” Overbeek said of HERE WeGo Deliver. “Our business thinking is if we (made it free), they would go to our platform and there might other products they would be interested in.”
Launched just six weeks ago, Overbeek said the app has some 9,000 small to medium businesses worldwide using the application, which is available for Apple and Android smart devices. “Our superior routing algorithms are helping optimize the way you're planning to deliver your packages in a real-time environment with traffic and road maintenance information,” he explained. “Therefore, it provides you cost savings because you're optimizing your routes, you save costs and other ways to serve your customers and delight your customers with on-time delivery through this application.”
Overbeek said the app allows companies to upload the list of delivery locations and uses HERE’s location algorithm. “The system will — in real-time — tell you what the best distribution route is for you to deliver your product, whatever that is, could be a flower shop, could be a package delivery,” he explained. We’re matching traffic information, road maintenance information that heat maps over where people are. That basically becomes the route planner for a small to medium business.”
