By Mark Edward Nero
A new mobile phone app developed for the Port of Oakland to aid harbor truckers is now live.
The DrayQ application is available at Apple and Google app stores at no charge, the port said May 18. The app tells drivers how long they’ll wait to enter marine terminal gates and how long transactions are taking.
“There’s no more guesswork for truckers picking up or delivering cargo in Oakland,” port Maritime Director John Driscoll said. “Now they can plan their days with real-time information.”
DrayQ will display how long it takes to enter terminal gates, the port said, as well as calculate how long drivers must wait to complete transactions. The times will appear on mobile phone screens much like freeway drive-time signboards.
The new technology could fundamentally change seaport operations in two ways, one being that for the first time, truckers and dispatchers will have a precise measure of how long a terminal transaction takes. If it’s too long, drivers can plan around slow periods.
Secondly, cargo owners and terminal operators will now have accurate data to determine if containerized shipments are being efficiently processed. If they’re not, the data can help pinpoint where operational changes are needed.
DrayQ was developed for the port by Virginia-based contractor Leidos. It relies on Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi technology to measure truckers’ progress through the port. The app anonymously tracks every truck in the port whose driver carries a cell phone. Leidos officials, who were at marine terminals introducing harbor truckers to the app this week, said their goal is to have 3,000 drivers download it by June.
