6" monitors in trucks?

BRYANBDB

Member
Had a visit yesterday from senior management and was told "Fed Ex express will be taking the lead back in technology."
The manager continued on saying that starting in January, they will be installing 6" monitors that will include turn by turn direction on stops based on our van scans? Also went on about the obsolete power pads and how they plan to introduce the new ones in April ish. Any one heard of the monitor advancement ?
 

SmithBarney

Well-Known Member
Had a visit yesterday from senior management and was told "Fed Ex express will be taking the lead back in technology."
The manager continued on saying that starting in January, they will be installing 6" monitors that will include turn by turn direction on stops based on our van scans? Also went on about the obsolete power pads and how they plan to introduce the new ones in April ish. Any one heard of the monitor advancement ?

We have seasonal drivers called "crest?" drivers? and they are using the new cell phone based PPAD devices, haven't seen the device but it includes mapping options.. we were told that directions while in motion will be audible only, no mapping while driving.
 

Oldfart

Well-Known Member
New pads are Leo. We have been using them since the summer.

Battery life is an issue at the moment.

New printers are on the way as well. Smaller and lighter
 

Star B

White Lightening
I've heard the term "M-Pad" thrown around at my station. Supposedly some of our cartage agents are using them this peak, but I haven't seen them.
That's it. I remember our engi-worthless was talking about how we had a stack of them but they couldn't use them until a certain date.
 

Express Courier

Well-Known Member
My PPad is so laggy when scanning I'm looking forward to the new version. We got the new printers a while ago. They are smaller, make a label a bit faster, show the % battery life on the screen and you connect by scanning a barcode on the side of the printer.
 

Oldfart

Well-Known Member
I dread the day we get the next generation of powerpad...
Why is that? Smaller, lighter, better software, other enhancements. They have been testing them for over a year. The current pads are obsolete and past their life expectancy.
 

Operational needs

Virescit Vulnere Virtus
I dread the day we get the next generation of powerpad...
If they’re anything like the MPads, I’ll keep my Powerpad. The MPads suck! I’ve been using one for the past two weeks because we don’t have enough PP for all the bodies that have been making deliveries.
 

Star B

White Lightening
My PPad is so laggy when scanning I'm looking forward to the new version. We got the new printers a while ago. They are smaller, make a label a bit faster, show the % battery life on the screen and you connect by scanning a barcode on the side of the printer.
but they shut off after half an hour or so... the old ones don't.
 

Express Courier

Well-Known Member
but they shut off after half an hour or so... the old ones don't.
Yeah after like a half hour, maybe an hour or something. Saves a good amount of battery. Just hit the power button for like less than a second? Not much of a problem to me. I never have to worry about a fresh battery.
 

dex 84

Well-Known Member
Why is that? Smaller, lighter, better software, other enhancements. They have been testing them for over a year. The current pads are obsolete and past their life expectancy.

Well I hope all this is true. We will see...

If they’re anything like the MPads, I’ll keep my Powerpad. The MPads suck! I’ve been using one for the past two weeks because we don’t have enough PP for all the bodies that have been making deliveries.

I don't even know what an MPad is but I don't think I want to know...
 

Star B

White Lightening
Yeah after like a half hour, maybe an hour or something. Saves a good amount of battery. Just hit the power button for like less than a second? Not much of a problem to me. I never have to worry about a fresh battery.
Well, the ones that we have, you have to hold the power button for a second. Then you have to wait for the bluetooth (15 seconds) to reconnect. Then you can print. Yeah, minor gripe but it just feels like an eternity. Maybe we just have good luck with our CSAs disposing of the bad batteries in the old printers.

If you're a pup route that labels alot, they are great printers. If you're a rural route like I am that prints maybe three labels a day spread out all day, the old printers work just fine. Even when I'm in a City-Extended route that may do 10 labels (including WAG redirect notices), I'll just hang the old printer off one of the support structures right behind the Sprinter cab so that I can print from 20 feet away while I'm walking back to the truck.
 

Express Courier

Well-Known Member
Well, the ones that we have, you have to hold the power button for a second. Then you have to wait for the bluetooth (15 seconds) to reconnect. Then you can print. Yeah, minor gripe but it just feels like an eternity. Maybe we just have good luck with our CSAs disposing of the bad batteries in the old printers.

If you're a pup route that labels alot, they are great printers. If you're a rural route like I am that prints maybe three labels a day spread out all day, the old printers work just fine. Even when I'm in a City-Extended route that may do 10 labels (including WAG redirect notices), I'll just hang the old printer off one of the support structures right behind the Sprinter cab so that I can print from 20 feet away while I'm walking back to the truck.
On my rte I rarely have pups and just use the printer for re-directs to hold at FXO or Walgreens. Takes me about a month to go through a roll of labels haha.
 

MassWineGuy

Well-Known Member
Can’t wait. Our p pads are in terrible condition. Some have gone out eight times for repair.

Tell me more about this turn by turn thing.
 

McFeely

Huge Member
Tell me more about this turn by turn thing.

What I've heard from management is that the system will put all of your van-scanned stops in a sequence and have turn-by-turn directions for you. So, say you're an overflow route and take 15 P1 stops and some P2 stops from a few routes, it should put all of the stops you vanned in a sequence and map you to them.

Sounds great for a swing or an overflow route. Or even on Saturdays when you may be in an area you don't know. For me, I'd prefer to run my route my way since I do the same area daily.

Of course, the turn-by-turns are only going to be as good as the mapping service. I still have tons of streets that you can't find in Google Maps or Apple Maps, forget using a map book on my route too.
 
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