“The tracking is facilitated by truck drivers using arl-shipping.com’s free app, tracking the shipment and OCRread container numbers via drivers’ smartphone GPS location services,” ARL stated. “The Facebook tracking service is fully embedded into the transport provider’s Facebook page, as an integral service.”

A chatbot is a computer program that uses conversation to convey data or to complete an enquiry. In 2016, Facebook launched a Messenger platform that allows developers to create bots to interact with Facebook users, enabling a company to provide services to customers through Facebook.

ARL has leveraged this to connect shippers with truck drivers delivering containers. Chatbot logic running in the ARL cloud can use different communication channels to let end-users (shippers) talk to chatbot.

Using the ARL’s Last Mile Container Tracker app for Android, a truck driver can a enter licence plate, name, photo of the container, and shipment ID details, and click buttons when events happen (container picked up, arrived to port, depot, warehouse, etc). “Upon providing the warehouse’s location to the chatbot via a smartphone’s builtin location sharing services, Last Mile Container Tracker alerts in Facebook Messenger when a container is close to the warehouse, as well as giving hourly status messages while a container is on the road, en route to the warehouse,” added ARL.

Essentially the ARL app acts as an intermediary that collects shipment (truck driver) location, and displays it to people who know the shipment number, “much like the modern parcel delivery tracking systems do”, said ARL director Evgeny Drokov.

To start the tracking process, the shipper needs to be logged into Facebook, navigate to the trucking company page, and then start a chat in Facebook messenger, typing in the known shipment ID. Drokov said it can assist trucking companies with the set-up. “Facebook made it a pretty complex procedure to connect external chatbots to their Messenger, but we can always help our customers, executing all technical steps required by Facebook,” he said.

ARL has not made the service available through an Apple app. Drokov said its focus is Android devices, “because they are more affordable, and robust.” An Android device can be bought for €60-70.

However, other options for connecting with the ARL app will soon be available. “On top of Facebook chatbot cargo tracking, we will soon launch Skype and WeChat Last Mile Container Tracking for shipping line agents, freight forwarders, warehouse operators or other intermediaries, via the arl-shipping.compowered chatbot” said ARL director René Bendt.

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This complete item is approximately 300 words in length, and appeared in the November 2017 issue of WorldCargo News, on page 27. To access this issue download the PDF here.