PN launches new mobile application and online freight tracker

<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> Pacific National Rail has launched what it says is the industry’s first smartphone application, and an enhanced online customer interface system to boost customer service across its freight business. </span> <p>FreightWeb is a custom-built app and online system, designed to provide customers with access to real-time data on freight movement and delivery.</p><p>The website and app also provide information on container location, service details and freight terminal activity.</p><p>FreightWeb.com.au couples with the new app, which is available for Android phones and Apple’s iPhone, and Pacific National Rail parent company Asciano says it has been designed to cater to the specific needs of customers across its freight business.</p><p>The FreightWeb site has also launched enhancements to its internet-based customer interface system, with a new module called ‘Freight Tracker’.</p><p>Freight Tracker presents a real time display of customer freight specific train performance or the current ground location of the freight on an interactive map of Australia. The map displays coloured icons showing train and freight locations.</p><p>By clicking on an icon for that train or location, a customer can access a full list of freight carried, along with details of each train’s on-time performance.</p><p>Freight Tracker also provides bulk commodities customers with the functionality to “unload” their wagons online after the train has arrived at its destination, Asciano says.</p><p>The module uses real train performance information gathered from GPS tracking of each locomotive.</p><p>“Our customers have told us that we need to be better at communicating with them about the status of freight and services and that we need to be more innovative in the way we interact with them,” Pacific National Rail director, Angus McKay, said.</p><p>“These two new initiatives demonstrate we are committed to improving customer service across all our operations and that we are making investments in new technology to position our business for the future.</p><p>“The tracking of freight movements through this new technology will improve our customers’ ability to interface with us and enable them to accurately plan for the efficient movement of their freight across their supply chain.</p><p>“The initiatives also build on our commitment to investing in new technology as a means to position rail as a preferred mode of transport within Australia’s overall intermodal freight mix.”</p>