NW Seaport Alliance Relaunches Drayage App

The Northwest Seaport Alliance has relaunched a mobile application to help speed the flow of cargo along local freight corridors. The app, DrayQ, is designed to give truck drivers real-time information about wait times in and around cargo terminals, plus instant access to traffic camera views.

Drivers can use the app to determine the best time to enter a terminal and reduce the time spent in traffic, which helps reduce air emissions from idling and saves fuel. For dispatchers or shippers, it helps to optimize schedules and improve customer expectations.

When DrayQ first launched at NWSA in October, drivers reported that the wait times listed weren’t accurate enough. Wait times are determined when the driver’s smartphone passes readers set in the streets leading to the terminal entry and within the terminal boundaries so that specific times within areas of a terminal yard can be monitored and recorded. The app is available for free download for both iOS and Android smart phones and tablets. It is also in use at Port of Oakland. 

To address the accuracy concerns, NWSA added more readers, and the alliance says that as more truck drivers use the app, the data will become more reliable. However, NWSA left the door open to other emerging technologies and truck management systems, and it encouraged stakeholders to send suggestions. There are several other app products on the market that serve similar purposes, including Pier Trucker, GeoStamp, Jupigo, and Quick180, among others. 

"We continue to seek innovative ways that technology can help us speed our operations, save our customers time and money and reduce port-related emissions," said Dustin Stoker, the NWSA’s chief operations officer. "Our Operations Service Center engages regularly with supply chain stakeholders to anticipate changing needs."