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Many truck drivers on German roads come from a wide variety of countries. This can pose some challenges for communication between dispatching and the truck driver. The language barrier on cell phones, in particular, can lead to misunderstandings and costly delays. At NOSTA, we are focusing on an intuitive and simple solution to this problem, which is also compatible with popular messenger services.
This solution has the somewhat cryptic name "ZeKju" and comes from a software company in Augsburg, Germany. "This is primarily a solution for the spot market, where we work with various logistics partners and drivers," explains Christian Hammacher, COO of our Road business unit. The software has been successfully used at NOSTA since the second half of 2022. We even managed to participate in a pilot phase for the product.
No new forwarding app
Now some may think: Another piece of logistics software? Many drivers' cell phones already have too many apps from carriers installed on them, and they are hardly used at all. That is precisely what we are not dealing with here. Instead, it is an extension of popular messenger services like Whatsapp, Telegram or Viber. The latter are particularly prevalent in Eastern and Southeastern Europe.
"The aim is to relieve the workload of our colleagues in dispatching. Ideally, very little telephone communication is required as the most important matters can be handled via Messenger," explains Christian Hammacher. The very sophisticated translation software of ZeKju helps with this.
Shipment tracking becomes more efficient and transparent
It translates the German messages from our dispatch team into the local language of the respective driver. "This prevents misunderstandings and naturally increases the efficiency and transparency of our shipment processes," Christian Hammacher is pleased to say. Transparent, real-time tracking of shipment volumes is particularly important for many customers.
At the same time, no one has to worry about data security when dealing with the Messenger extension. "We simply link a shipment number to a phone number. As soon as the shipment is delivered, we delete the driver data," emphasizes Christian Hammacher. Sensitive customer data is also not released to drivers. This provides all parties involved with a data-secure and transparent solution.
NOSTA remains innovative
The use of the Messenger extension is just one of many solutions used at NOSTA in the field of telematics. "We use real-time visibility platforms connected to our in-house transportation management system (TMS)," explains Christian Hammacher. This TMS connection increases transparency along the entire transport chain for our customers and thus offers real added value.
View Our Services of Business Unit Road
Disclaimer: This article is based on an interview with Christian Hammacher conducted by Verkehrsrundschau, a German language logistics trade magazine. You will find the complete magazine article in a telematics special: https://www.verkehrsrundschau.de/nachrichten/nfz-fuhrpark/telematik-spezial-logistikprozesse-smarter-machen-3334671
