Do you have 2020 vision? Has the start of the new decade energized your goals and your business? Have you evaluated not just where your company is, but created a plan for where you want it to be?
At CLI, we're using the calendar change to take a look at our priorities and make sure they are in line with our desire to both maintain and serve our current clients while we also grow and expand our reach. Stay tuned for some exciting new functionality that will make its debut in 2020, while we, of course, further enhance our core product.
In this newsletter, you'll read about ways to prepare for technological upgrades, what you need to know about ELD and roadside inspections and our always helpful Tip of the Month.
Enjoy the newsletter and
as always, thank you.
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Short Hauls
 Ben Wiesen Authors Transport Topics'
Perspective Column
The January 6th edition of Transport Topics featured an article penned by CLI president, Ben Wiesen. Entitled, "Preparing for
Technological
Transitions,
" the article focuses on the
importance
of having a technology succession plan.
To aid in planning for change/upgrades to your technology solutions, Wiesen suggests we ask ourselves the following three questions:
- What do I wish my system did?
- What are my customers asking for?
- What other changes am I making?
Noting the last question is the most important, Wiesen then describes the step-by-step process you should take to ensure a cohesive and successful technology upgrade that helps your company while minimizing disruption.
Click
here to read the article.
Touching Tribute
CLI is pleased to announce that we have established the Kenneth M. Weinberg Memorial Fund to honor the late co-founder and long-time vice president of the company. Ken and his business partner Don Adams started CLI in 1972,  developing it into the premier software provider for the transportation industry that it is today.
Ken's hard work and perseverance coupled with his sense of humor and outgoing personality helped build the company from its small beginnings to the worldwide solution provider it has become.
Ken passed away unexpectedly in March of 2017, and this fund allows CLI to remember him and honor his memory by contributing to a charity each quarter.
CLI Client AMA in the News
AMA Transportation, located in Billerica, MA, was recently profiled in Fleet Owner magazine. A client since 2018, AMA has been using FACTS to streamline processes and become more efficient. When asked why they chose FACTS, Dan Hinkel, AMA project manager, replied:
"The ability to automate business processes with FACTS was a strong selling point. It also provides us with the functionality we need for planning, operations, dispatch and  communication, and documentation, including eliminating paper processes."
We thank AMA for their continued support and we congratulate them on a wonderful article.
Click here to read the entire piece.
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 5 Tips to Ensure Smooth Roadside Inspections
After the ELD Deadline
Director of Product
Management
, ORBCOMM
The ELD compliance mandate is now in full effect and the Federal Motor Carrier Association (FMCSA) is reminding motor carriers and drivers that enforcement has begun.
Fleets without a fully functional ELD will be considered out of compliance with Hours of Service regulations.
As per the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), drivers will  be asked to complete their delivery and park the vehicle until an ELD is installed.
Here are five tips to help ensure your fleet of drivers has smooth ELD roadside inspections:
- Ensure your driver knows how to identify the device as an ELD. At a roadside stop, the first question will likely be, "Do you have an ELD?" Make sure drivers know the name of the ELD provider and can point to the indicator on your screen that says 'ELD.' It is unlikely inspectors will have the complete list of FMCSA-registered ELDs, so having the information available is a good start.
- Ensure you have logs available for the previous seven days. Your ELD should provide you with the last seven full days of ELD formatted logs as well as the current 24-hour period. If the driver has had the ELD for less than seven days, ensure they have printed AOBRD logs that should be available for inspection. AOBRD logs are expected to be in printable format.
- Have all the required documentation. The mandate requires that the user manual and Cab Cards are readily available in either printed or electronic format, as well as seven days' worth of blank logs, in case of a malfunction.
- Know how to mount and unmount the ELD Screen. The mandate requires the ELD screen to be accessible to the inspector from outside the vehicle. Make sure drivers know how to remove the ELD screen from its mounting bracket and securely remount it for safe use after inspection.
- Know the file transfer mechanism the ELD supports. The driver may be asked to transfer ELD logs to web eRODS for further inspection with the web eRODS tool. The mandate requires ELDs to be able to transfer files by Bluetooth, USB or a telematics transfer option that allows email or web service or both. Drivers need to know what type of file transfer the ELD device supports and how to access it if asked. If sending by email, the ELD is pre-configured to send log files to the appropriate contact as set by the FMCSA, so there is no need to manually input an email address.
About ORBCOMM
ORBCOMM is a global leader and innovator in the industrial Internet of Things (IoT), providing solutions that connect businesses to their assets to deliver increased visibility and operational efficiency. The company offers a broad set of asset monitoring and control solutions, including  seamless satellite and cellular connectivity, unique hardware and powerful applications, all backed by end-to-end customer support, from installation to deployment to customer care.
Click
here
to discover what ORBCOMM can do for your organization.
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Staff Spotlight
Dale Eggebrecht
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| Dale Eggebrecht |
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Dale Eggebrecht is a Senior EDI Analyst at CLI. Since 1981, Dale has been working continuously with transportation management systems on both the shipper and carrier side as a tariff analyst, account representative, training manager, programmer, development manager, and EDI project manager. Dale has worked with EDI since 1995. He has a degree in Business Management and Leadership from Judson University.
Dale and his wife of 26 years, Maria, live in Mount Prospect, IL along with their daughters Brianna and Emma, who keep him both busy and entertained.
Dale is an enthusiastic baseball and football fan, and would be available, after work hours of course, to talk your ear off about the Cubs and the Bears.
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Tip of the Month
What is the CUSTOMER REVENUE TALLY SETUP?
What is the Customer Revenue Tally Setup? Why do you need it and where can you find it?
The Customer Revenue Tally allows you to view and run Cust-S reports in FACTS detailing the total amount of revenue generated by a specific client(s) over a specified time period, giving you insight into your best revenue-generating clients.
Find it here in FACTS:
Reports -> Billing/Rating -> Billing Analysis Reports -> Customer Revenue Tally Setup
At a minimum, this function should be utilized at the end of each accounting period, as soon as the last transaction for the period has been posted. It does not require waiting for the General Ledger to be closed for the period. Once it is run, it is unnecessary to run it again for the same period.
As well, in order to properly prepare data for any "Cust-S" reports, you must first run the Customer Revenue Tally setup for each of the involved periods.
Security control is recommended for this function.
Any questions? Contact the CLI support team.
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