Manual VIN Entry to Support Vehicle Inspections
Overview:
Drivers can view loads and perform inspections on vehicles for loads assigned to them when the listing does not have a VIN.
Users will be able to view assigned loads without a VIN and associate a VIN with it using the CD Mobile App in order to complete an inspection.
Why is it important to add a VIN and complete an inspection?
- Provides real-time tracking to the shipper, reducing the need to call or email with updates
- Provides eBOL at pickup and delivery, reducing the risk for both carriers and shippers
- Streamlines the app process
Identifying loads with missing VINs
- Assigned loads without VINs will have a tag on the home page indicating Missing VIN.
- When clicking on the load, the Year, Make, and Model (YMM) and the Missing VIN tag will be displayed on the Load Details page.
Starting the Inspection Process
- Begin by selecting START INSPECTION from the bottom of any screen.
- Scan the VIN on the vehicle or choose the keyboard icon to enter the VIN.
- For the VIN-less load process, when entering the VIN all characters must be entered.
Matching a Load with a VIN
The app will search for a matching VIN, and if not found, the app will decode the scanned VIN to determine YMM of the vehicle and search for VIN-less loads that match the YMM of the scanned VIN.
Possible results:
1. If the scanned VIN and decoded YMM match an assigned load:
- A list of assigned VIN-less loads that match the YMM will display.
- Users can confirm details for the correct load, such as pickup and delivery locations, and click Associate VIN with this vehicle? to merge the VIN with the record and begin the inspection.
Note: Vehicles with make or model names that do not match the VIN decoding results exactly (ex: Chevy vs. Chevrolet) won’t appear in the decoded matches.
- Carriers can select View all loads with missing VINs for a full list VIN-less vehicles.
- Once the load is found, tap on Associate VIN with this vehicle? under the selected vehicle.
- A confirmation screen will appear to confirm the association of the VIN with the vehicle and then the user can continue with the inspection as normal.
- A message will display that the VIN has been successfully associated with the load.
- A tag will appear above the VIN stating, VIN entered by carrier.
- The tag will appear above the VIN throughout the mobile app and on the eBOL.
- The tag will appear above the VIN throughout the mobile app and on the eBOL.
2. If the scanned VIN does not match the YMM of any assigned loads:
- If there are no assigned vehicles matching the decoded YMM, an error message will appear.
- A list of loads with missing VINs will be displayed for review.
- Users can select a load with a missing VIN to associate with the scanned VIN by clicking the Associate VIN with this vehicle? button under the selected load.
- If a vehicle is selected to associate the VIN, the YMM entered by the shipper and the selected YMM will display, and the user will be asked to confirm by tapping one of the Associate VIN button.
- In the example below, the shipper entered a vehicle year of 2012, and the vehicle selected has a vehicle year of 2017.
- In the example below, the shipper entered a vehicle year of 2012, and the vehicle selected has a vehicle year of 2017.
NOTE: Once a VIN has been associated with a load it cannot be unassociated.
3. If there are no assigned vehicles matching the decoded YMM and no VIN-less loads:
- The app will display the following error message will display the YMM of the scanned VIN and request the carrier to call the shipper.
Viewing Manually Added VIN in app and on eBOL
FAQs
Q: How can a user tell if a VIN was manually added by the carrier?
- To indicate whether the VIN was provided by the shipper or added manually, “VIN entered by carrier” will appear throughout the app and on the eBOL for any VINs entered by a carrier.
Q: Where does VIN populate after it is manually added by the carrier?
- The VIN will appear throughout the dispatch record in the app and on the eBOL. It will not populate on any shipper-facing listing or dispatch pages within the Central Dispatch platform.
Q: What if a carrier encounters multiple, identical vehicles missing a VIN?
- The carrier can select the best vehicle match after reviewing all of the load information, as it is only used for the inspection process and is not permanently linked to the vehicle in any way.
- The carrier may reach out to the shipper to confirm a unique identifier on the vehicle such as the license plate or lot number, if needed.
Q: Can a user remove the VIN from a vehicle after manually adding it?
- The VIN cannot be removed after it is added. To ensure accuracy, users will be asked to confirm before finalizing their selection.
Q: If a pickup inspection was not completed, can a carrier still add a VIN to complete a delivery inspection?
- Yes, carriers can follow the same steps to complete a delivery inspection.
Q: What happens if the app is offline during an inspection?
- Users will see a message in the top left corner showing their device is offline.
- The app will bypass VIN decoding and default to showing all vehicles with a missing VIN.
- Carriers can still complete the vehicle inspection but will not be able to submit it until their device is back online (current functionality).
