How Real-Time Tracking Benefits Customer Service

Real-time tracking of trucks and freight is a key element of logistics operations — but it benefits far more than operations. The benefits of precise tracking are two-fold and provide increased transparency between freight companies and their customers, which promotes better customer service. By exploring how real-time tracking benefits customer service, trucking and freight companies can upgrade operational efficiency and customer satisfaction with innovative technology on their side.

5 Customer Benefits of Real-Time Tracking in Trucking

Improving customer satisfaction is about more than soft skills.
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In many ways, it is about hard data and visibility. Research has indicated that 91% of consumers actively track their packages, and a majority of customers are more loyal to brands that provide a seamless logistics experience. In an industry where late deliveries can cause a client to switch carriers, accurate tracking of cargo is the foundation of customer retention.
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A comprehensive Transportation Management System (TMS) facilitates real-time tracking by integrating available GPS telematics, Electronic Logging Device (ELD) data, and customer web portals to provide valuable tracking information. By employing these features to offer real-time visibility, carriers can shift from reactive fire-fighting when there are delays to proactive service, directly influencing key aspects of the customer experience.

1. Enhanced Transparency and Trust

Trust is built on honesty, and real-time tracking eliminates the black box of shipping by giving customers a clear and transparent view of their freight’s current location. When a customer can verify the location of their cargo independently or via proactive contact from a freight carrier, they feel more in control and confident in your reliability as a carrier.

2. Proactive Communication and Conflict Resolution

Real-time tracking allows your customer support team to spot potential delays due to traffic or weather before they can impact the delivery time and help avoid an angry phone call from an upset customer when a shipment is late. This capability allows you to be more proactive and alert the customers prior to any delay and offer solutions, turning a potential service failure into a demonstration of your commitment to their success.

3. Reduces Questions About Deliveries

Repetitive calls about the status of a shipment are a drain on customer service resources. By providing customers with available self-service tracking solutions and automated or proactive status notifications, you significantly reduce the need for manual shipment updates and free up customer support teams to focus on more complex customer needs.

4. Improved On-Time Performance

Real-time tracking data isn't just for the customer. It gives your dispatchers the power to optimize routes on short notice and ensure drivers are staying on schedule. This increased operational efficiency leads to fewer missed deliveries and a consistent on-time performance record that makes your company a more reliable freight carrier for customers.

5. More Accurate Billing

Precise real-time tracking creates a digital trail of exactly when a driver arrived and departed from a facility. This data helps simplify the billing process by providing reliable proof of delivery and justifying any additional time charges, ensuring that invoices are accurate and reducing any potential disputes with customers.
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READ MORE: 5 Ways a Transportation Management System (TMS) Reduces Freight Costs 

The connection between real-time tracking and superior customer service is hard to debate. By employing tracking technology, you can provide the transparency, reliability, and proactive communication that modern shippers need, turning every delivery into an opportunity to build trust with customers. Learn more about how real-time tracking benefits customer service to secure your reputation as a dependable freight company.
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Contact TransPlus today to learn how we can help you measure and improve client satisfaction!

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