When Barry
Honig’s nephew started driving a dump truck, he talked about all the required paperwork.
That got Honig thinking if there was a way to eliminate it.
With a background in financial services, Honig understood the
business side of the equation, but he needed a technology partner to build the
product. He enlisted his son Benjamin, a developer, to help him build a
solution for aggregate industries. The result was TruckPay, a cloud-based
system that helps track movement and delivery of aggregates. It also provides a
bid platform and payment solution, all through a basic app.
“It’s a full suite of everything you need to run an aggregate
supply,” Barry Honig, the company’s president and CEO, told FreightWaves. “As
part of our work, when you build a flexible system in aggregates, you have to
do a system that charges by the ton or the job.”
That meant building technology that could incorporate scale
readings; otherwise the system was not truly paperless. So the Honigs did just
that, creating a solution that connected in real time to equipped scales.
Seeking to grow the business, Honig met with another company that wanted to
know if the solution was available for other applications.
It is now. Leveraging the same technology, the Honigs have released MyTruckScales. The solution is designed for any trucking operation that must
weigh its vehicles. It is available for use on any wirelessly equipped scale,
from shipper locations to state-run roadside scales.
Truck drivers using the paperless system simply log in to the app
on their phone, check the scale number and choose the correct scale in the app.
From there, the system takes over. Connecting with the scale, MyTruckScales
records the relevant information, creates an electronic ticket, and sends that
to the app, scale owner, and any other entity designated by the driver or scale
owner. No paper to deal with, no need for the driver to exit the vehicle, and a
complete, verifiable record of the transaction.
The company said this reduces time spent at scales for drivers and
lowers costs for scale owners.
The free app itself is now available on Google Play and in the
Apple iOS store. There is also a web browser for scale owners, who also gain
efficiencies and cost savings with the system, Honig said.
In addition to eliminating paper tickets for drivers, MyTruckScales
can replace the physical kiosks and scale houses that must be built and manned
alongside scales. There is also no need for a scale master. The
electronic nature of the platform removes the need for these legacy structures
and staff, driving further cost savings for scale owners.
“There are still a lot of people in the market that are looking to purchase these kiosks, and they are expensive and there is a lot of [installation of related equipment] needed,” Benjamin Honig said, noting that the initial cost for installation of MyTruckScales is around $4,000.
Sensors must be added to the scale for the system to work, and
there is initial setup of the account and “virtual kiosks” needed by the scale
owner, but there is also plenty of flexibility. Scales can be geofenced so that
the app will automatically connect to the right vehicle when it approaches, and
scale owners can set up multiple virtual kiosks if they choose. This allows
them to handle different types of vehicles, define different weighment options
and different customers, and even open up the scale to the public as a revenue
opportunity.
“Everything is totally flexible for the scale owner,” Barry Honig
said. “And the nice thing for the scale owner is we allow them to copy the
kiosk so if they have multiple scales, they can just duplicate it [once one is
set up].”
Benjamin Honig said the setup of the account is flexible, allowing
scale owners to define the parameters and text fields most important to them,
and all data can be exported in PDF, Excel, CSV or through a custom application
programming interface.
This flexibility allows the scale owner to even define how payment
will be handled. Some companies may allow their drivers to use a company credit
card already on file simply by entering an account number, while other drivers
— even some in the same company — may need to input their own payment method.
MyTruckScales can handle all the billing and payment transactions as well.
MyTruckScales works on any public or private scale equipped with
wireless capabilities. Barry Honig said states may consider the use of the
technology to help improve weighment processes and ensure prompt payment of
fees or fines.
Honig said the company has obtained NTEP approval, so the digital
tickets are considered legal the same as a paper ticket would be. NTEP-approved
scales are intended by the manufacturer for use in commercial weighing
applications where products are sold by weight.
MyTruckScales has just launched, but Honig said the company will
be onboarding an Indianapolis-area customer shortly and hopes to add others
soon. The company is also providing referral fees for any driver who recommends
a scale location that then onboards and becomes active with MyTruckScales.
