The idea of using an online platform such as Vehicle Booking System (VBS) for booking and managing the delivery vehicles, especially the containers transferring products from or to the port, is on the boom due to the flexibility and productivity that comes with such platforms.
It is not surprising that the demand for developing VBS is growing every day all around the world. Let’s see what makes these Vehicle Booking Systems so popular for booking and tracking delivery vehicles.
What is a Vehicle Booking System?
A vehicle booking system (VBS) is a beneficial solution for tracking, finding, and managing containers aimed to deliver various kinds of goods from a specific location to the destination.
VBS is usually a web-based tool with customizable Functionalities to ensure a good match with customer preferences and operational requirements that enable registered users to:
- Set a time for delivery
- Manage customer orders faster and easier
- Track delivery process in a real-time
- Check and confirm the customer details after receiving a new booking
- Simple bookings, smooth terminal visits, transport coordinators
- Pick up an available time slot and entering driver, vehicle, and container details in an advanced user interface.
- Arrange terminal visit, executing customer-specific logic and at the gate area to allow access to and from the terminal area.
- Compare the booking information with real-time identification data captured by the terminal’s gate operating system.
- Get access to a comprehensive management system for reviewing current and upcoming traffic events and truck appointments
- Use extensive management tools for operational planning.
What are the most important features of VBS?
The most important purpose of developing a Vehicle Booking System is facilitating the process of booking, tracking, and managing the delivery. To reach this goal, some special features have to be designed on this web-based tool including:
1. Simple but secure registration
Any user needs to get permission to use VBS for booking or managing deliveries. So, it’s very important, on one hand, for this software to have a user-friendly interface for registration. On the other hand, a secure system is needed to restrict unauthorized persons to have access to the Vehicle Booking Systems.
To provide a perfect solution, two-layer access is designed on this platform. One layer for clients to place their orders or book a vehicle and the second layer access to authorized persons for managing orders and vehicles.
2. Advance Search system
The first action any user needs to do on a Vehicle Booking System is searching and filtering the vehicles according to their requirements such as the destination location, delivery price, container size, etc. So, all VBS needs to offer an advanced search system to their users.
3. Online booking process and modifications
As we mentioned above, the main purpose of VBS is to enable users to book their preferred vehicles online without any need to visit a local company for placing orders. So, all registered users must be able to book a vehicle on the website, revise their orders and also cancel them if it is necessary.
4. Database
When customers try to find a reliable vehicle to deliver their goods, checking some documents of drivers such as driving license is inevitable. That’s why a comprehensive database must be provided in VBS to help users trust the company they are choosing online for transferring their goods.
5. Tracing delivery and payment
It’s very common for Vehicle Booking Systems to ask for prepayment which is again performed through an online payment process for booking a vehicle. After payment, all customers expect to track their orders to see how it is going to be done.
It is also possible for the delivery company to trace all reservations and transactions of its customers in a table view to check if they have paid completely or there are still some pending payments that need to follow up.
6. Multi-language support
The targeted audience of VBS is people from all around the world. So, it, as an international and global software, must let clients book their preferred vehicles and see the most important information such as price range, model of available vehicles, card details, locations, etc. in their language. That’s why supporting multi-languages is a vital feature for these kinds of software.
7. Communication
The best Vehicle booking systems improve client satisfaction by allowing them to share their complaints, get in touch with the authorized persons, chat or talk with responsible persons, and so on.
What are the advantages of a Vehicle Booking System?
It’s easy to recognize the advantages of developing a Vehicle Booking System for companies working in the transportation industry. Here are the most considerable benefits:
Follow and manage booking process easier
By developing a VBS, all processes from booking to delivery are under control. Managers can see a list of vehicles and match them with the received orders or trace the location and status of each vehicle in real-time to better manage them. It can help them in the decision-making process with less effort in a more efficient and less time-consuming way.
Analyzing the profit and revenue precisely
By using VBS, all managers can get different reports about the vehicle usage, total payments, maintenance costs, drivers' salary, and many other features that matter for analyzing the profit and revenue of their companies. All costs and payments are reported automatically with high transparency to give them a real insight into their profits.
Arrange to book smartly and automatically
Smart booking is really a wonderful feature available in-vehicle booking systems. In this way, the system can allocate the vehicles according to the priorities that the managers have been set. For example, if a variety of vehicles is available to be booked such as SUVs, 4WDs, Utes, vans, and trucks, managers can instruct the software to offer those vehicles that have less price or those that need less maintenance at first.
It is also possible to arrange rotating vehicles at regular intervals based on mileage or expiry date to ensure the maximum return is made for each vehicle. So, when an order is received the system will allocate the vehicle that has less trip to it automatically.
Improve efficiency and productivity
By reducing time, costs, and resources for managing a pool of vehicles, VBS provides an ideal solution for efficiency and productivity improvement. The data can be automatically imported to an Outlook calendar or a spreadsheet so unauthorized staff can monitor cross-check bookings, available vehicles, receiving orders, etc. And manage them just by some clicks.
Enhance customer experience
The benefits of Vehicle booking systems are not just limited to the companies or managers, it can impress customers who want to book a vehicle as well. VBS makes the process of booking vehicles more convenient for them as they can search and filter the available vehicles according to their expectations, pay the cost through an online gateway and follow up their delivery process in real-time which in return can definitely enhance the customer experience and satisfaction.
How to develop a VBS?
.jpg)
The first step for developing a useful vehicle booking system is to find a reliable developer to build a professional website and run the web-based software for you.
In the next step, you need to consider all the features that you expect to be covered by that software. We have already mentioned the most important features provided in a VBS; however, the below features are also possible to be added to this web-based platform as well:
- Predictive data analytics to determine the risk of flight cancellations or delays or Regular weather updates.
- Customer management system to help customers schedule and route the vehicles better
- Billing system for issuing the relevant invoices and split the rental tariffs between different forms of payment.
- Full database including Work history of a driver, ratings, reviews, list of vehicles, destination locations, etc.
- Search and filter which is vital for port and freight operations.
- Rating and review options
- In-built communication module to facilitate easy interactions between both parties and collect customer’s contact details
- Registration, log-ins, and user permissions
- Notifications for booking, pickup, payments, etc. Or Anti-theft alert
- Mileage tracking system to add the fuel consumption to the client’s bill or analyze the health of the vehicle. If
- An in-built camera to take pictures of the interiors of the fleet and stores it in the repository to Schedule the repairs and maintenance spot.
- Key Master and Keyless Entry. Both these systems require a valid booking to gain access to a vehicle’s keys.
There are a lot more options that you can add to your VBS and customize it as you wish.
The final step, after you have decided about the features developed in your Vehicle booking system, is to ensure that the developer supports regular upgrades or updates for its software.
The best Vehicle Booking Systems all around the world
There are many terminal operators all around the world developed professional Vehicle booking systems to facilitate the process of transportation. Let’s get familiar with the most famous ones:
.jpg)
DP World in the UK
DP World is the only terminal operator that developed VBS for water terminals in the UK. This web-based platform allows booking different containers available in DP World Southampton on the south coast and DP World London Gateway, on the River Thames estuary.
Here are the most advantages of DP World VBS
• Provide unrivaled, quick, and easy access to the key consumer markets in the UK.
• Bring sustainability into every aspect of their works
• Support an easy-to-use VBS Login Portal to book and manage appointments to pick up or drop off a container.
• Making multiple bookings, cancel or reallocate containers, possible
• Offering a traffic light system to tell customers when a container is available
1-STOP
The 1-Stop VBS has been in operation for over 15 years and as the premier Terminal to Landside interface which is currently active in 31 facilities and terminals across Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia developed a complete terminal capacity management system with the below incredible features:
- Addressing the common issues shared by port communities around the world such as the lack of transparent information flow, underutilization of equipment, and inefficient practices.
- The capability to optimize port operations.
- User-friendly digital interface for desktop, mobile, and tablet devices
- Allows terminal operators to match terminal resources with landside demand.
- Terminals can configure timeslots, work-day calendars, and business rules, and create and maintain customer details.
- Minimizing manual data entry and virtually eliminating time-consuming and error-prone paperwork,
- VBS harnesses technology to streamline operations from ship to gate.
Visy’s Vehicle Booking System (VBS)
Visy’s Vehicle Booking System (VBS) was developed as a solution for terminal operators of this company to control booking, preparing, and managing visitor traffic and using identification data of vehicles and cargo.
VBS provides below advantages for Vinsy company:
- Saving time at the terminal’s gate area and making incoming and outgoing traffic flow easier to manage and analyze.
- Improving the customer experience of terminal visits and terminal’s operational planning as well as the traceability of containers.
- Enhancing business planning by providing terminal and freight operators with an accurate view of operations
- Better financial analysis and forecasting to adapt business models to cut costs and be better positioned to respond to both challenges and opportunities for growth.
Conclusion
VBS provides a complete terminal capacity management system more than just a booking system, delivering benefits for terminal operators and freight carriers alike.
Equipment, fleet, and human resources can be accurately matched to demand, spreading incoming vehicles and container movements over full 24-hour periods.
VBS can be seamlessly integrated into a terminal’s existing system base, including Gate Operating System (GOS), Terminal Operating System (TOS), and self-service kiosks.
VBS ensures smooth data exchange and well-functioning transactions in every stage of a visit.
It’s a total win-win situation. So, what are you waiting for?
