Instant Message Chat with Drivers

As a carrier, you can chat with your drivers by exchanging real-time private one-on-one or group chat messages through the Velocity+ Command Center application that go out to drivers on their mobile app.

Chat or instant message (IM) conversations are more secure than sending text messages over a mobile phone because they are private from you in the Velocity Command Center portal direct to one or more authenticated drivers on their secure Transflo Mobile+ app.

 

  1. In the main menu, click DRIVER CONNECT.

  2. Find a driver using any of the following options:

    1. Enter the name of a driver in the Find Driver search box.

    2. To find a driver who was previously flagged as a preferred favorite driver, click Show Only Favorites.

      Examples:

      • A search on ter finds Terence May.

      • Click Show Only Favorites to find a driver who was previously flagged as a favorite or preferred driver.

  3. When browsing the list of drivers, set the list to Visible Drivers. This step removes hidden drivers from the list. You cannot send a chat message to a hidden driver.

  4. Select a driver. The Messages section shows any previous chat conversations between the carrier dispatcher and the driver.

    1. Click in the Your message box (in some configurations, Type your message here... appears).

    2. Enter your new chat message to the driver.

    3. When finished, click Send.

      Result: The driver receives a notification in their mobile app to let them know your chat message is now available for them to read.

  5. (Optional) You can also hover over the Last Known Communication Status icon to view the Last heard from on date if available.

    1. Based on load activity, load status updates, chat messages, and mobile device location updates, each driver shows one of the following three (3) status icons:

      Tip: Evaluate the three (3) examples in the image above as if today were November 17.

      • Drivers with orange icons have been out of contact for two (2) weeks or more.

      • If the icon is red, the driver has not registered and might need the instructions sent again (click Resend Invitation).

      • A green check mark indicates the driver has been active in the last two (2) weeks. The tool tip over the icon shows the date of their most recent status update as shown in the example above.

    2. Select a driver and then scroll down in the Messages section to view their last chat message as shown below.

  6. (Optional) Click Last Known Location to view the most recent location for the driver on a map.

 

View a demonstration of these steps in one or more Transflo videos:

 

  1. In the main menu, click DRIVER CONNECT.

  2. Click Driver Group (multi-select driver mode).

  3. Select the drivers that you want to include in a group chat.

    • Click each driver to toggle them in or out of the group.

    • Only the drivers that you select in this group will receive the chat message you are about to send.

      Example: In the following example, Fred and John are in the group (and can receive the group chat message) but Terence is not in the group (and will not receive the message).

  4. Enter your message and click Send.

    Tip: Replies from each driver appear only in that individual driver's messages. Driver replies to group chat messages are not shared with each member of the group. So, you might need to repeat something from another driver if you want to continue to chat and reply to the whole group. Or, you can just continue a conversation one-on-one with the driver who responded first.

     

  5. (Optional) If your message is urgent, you can also click Notifications to have the system send a notification alert to the drivers mobile device running Transflo Mobile+.

  6. (Optional) To get the most recent whereabouts for a driver, make sure you select just one driver and then click Last Known Locaton.

    • The driver location appears on the map.

    • If no location data is available from the driver, the map shows No location found for this driver.

 

View a demonstration of these steps in one or more Transflo videos: