1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186 
TELEROUTE
Page 61
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
'Live vehicle and freight
Like The Courier Exchange, German-owned Teleroute provides real-time exchange information to road transport operators. UK and Ireland sales manager Adrian Samuel describes the facility as a "live freight and vehicle exchange".
The system started life in France in 1985. using the Minitel telephone communication system. In time. Teleroute moved to the internet. It is a pan-European network, supported by a team of 150 personnel.
There are 60,000 members in total, 2,000 of them in Britain, ranging from owner-drivers to multinational fleets. Samuel says the Teleroute programs are tailored to specific customers' needs, rather than a single package being distributed to all and sundry.
David Anthony, the then former UK and Ireland sales manager, explains the role of Teleroute and the difference between the "Closed User Group" and "Partner User Group".
"[Teleroute] is essentially a private exchange that enables operators to give first refusal, to carry loads either to their own branches (Closed User Group) or to privileged subcontractors (Partner User Group), or both, before posting them onto the open exchange.
"We can customise the system to transfer any loads that have not been picked up by the Closed User Group onto the Partner User Group or the open exchange after a specified time period usually five to 15 minutes. Private exchanges are set up on a case-by-case basis."
Customers do not have to scrutinise a computer continuously to see what is happening. Teleroute has designed the programme so that text messages, e-mails and computer pop-ups alert them to relevant trips.
Samuel stresses that operators are not bombarded with useless information; pop-ups and other communications are filtered so that only the relevant posts reach the member, depending on location, capabilities, and so on.
So the job has been posted and the viewer is interested in handling the load. But this does not necessarily constitute a deal. because the two parties may not agree on a price. The advertiser can then wait for further offers.
"Teleroute automates the fulfilment process," Anthony continues. "Because you have entered a larger community, it makes your revenues larger."
Like the Courier Exchange, Teleroute charges for its service. Subscribers pay a monthly fee of £30, and a further £.1.09 per job posted.
It costs nothing for members to scan the list of posts, but if they are interested in a particular opportunity, there is a charge of 55p to view it in detail. Charges are tallied up, and the subscriber pays his bill at the end of the month via direct debit.
When we meet them, Anthony and Samuel present us with a live computer display, which is projected on a board. We see operators from France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Subscribers have posted jobs just minutes before, at 12.01pm, 12.04pm, and 12,06pm.
One entry has been made by a Grenoble operator. Samuel clicks a key on his laptop, and the entry comes to life: a map appears, as well as the total distance and the estimated journey time. The site also displays any delays that may affect a trip.
Impressively, the program also shows potential collection or drop sites along a given route, which could help maximise profits.
Vetting is taken seriously. Teleroute wants to see evidence of an 0-licence, says Anthony: "We are looking for good repute." The firm's personnel visit potential members' premises to get a feel for their respective operations. "We make a commercial decision," he adds.
Like the Transport Exchange Group, Anthony and Samuel say unprofessional members have been struck off. In some cases, they explain, these members have not paid a fellow operator or failed to deliver a load.
www.teleroute.co.uk