For decades, state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) have suffered slow progress. Excessive paperwork with no standard format makes it difficult for everyone involved in any DOT projects to execute timely and accurately. However, in recent years DOT compliance for Trucking Companies has been trying to improve their operations and cut down on the number of paper records needed.
One of the largest areas for improvement is ticketing. Moving to an eTicketing format means fully digital records, more organization, and less time spent processing tickets. But DOTs can't make this transition alone. For it to work, they need the help of partnering contractors and material producers.
Traditional Paper Tickets Create Challenges
The traditional model of ticketing requires a ticket to change hands at multiple points. Tickets are retained at the plant, by the hauler, and by the job site. With multiple trucks driving to multiple job sites, the paperwork adds up quickly. At the end of the day, a comprehensive report needs to be sent to the state DOT. However, with all that paper changing hands, tickets frequently go missing, communication is often disjointed & inaccurate, and the historical ticket data isn’t easily accessible. To top it off, there is no standard set of information or metrics reported on tickets, making it difficult to provide complete and accurate reporting. All of this leads to slow and cumbersome processes, where neither the DOT or the material producer gets what they need.
COVID-19 is Increasing Pressure for a Standard Solution to Track Progress
Since the Coronavirus created the need for tighter restrictions around human contact, there have been dramatic operational changes in almost every industry. This is true for construction logistics as well. We've seen DOTs rapidly working to ramp up eTicketing in the past few months.
Even though plenty of DOTs were already experimenting with e-ticketing pilots, the pandemic's push toward electronic and virtual tools has sparked full adoption for many. Some DOTs have even been outright refusing paper tickets to reduce infection risk. These include the DOTs of Alabama, Florida, and Kentucky.
Industry insiders are predicting full contactless ticketing prevalence by 2022 at the latest. But for that to happen, the DOTs will need to set their standards for eTicketing quickly, giving time for haulers, contractors, and material producers to become compliant. Quick standardization and implementation is the only way DOTs and construction professionals will be able to keep their workers safe.
Streamline Your Ticketing by Going Digital with TRUX
Luckily, logistic technology companies are working hand in hand with contractors and material producers to provide solutions that meet the needs state DOTs are outlining. TRUX has developed a solution that eliminates the need to handle paper tickets, ticket data is automatically retained, all tickets are stored electronically, and one easy report is generated for submission to DOTs. The new solutions being developed now, aim to provide all parties in the supply chain with an easy, organized, and reliable way to produce eTickets that contain all of the information needed for DOT compliance.
Whether you're a DOT representative looking for the perfect model for your new eTicketing standards, or you're a material producer seeking a DOT-compliant solution, TRUX can help. We invite you to talk with our team to learn more about how our software can make your work more efficient.
Schedule Your Call with TRUX Today!
