Page 45 - Arkansas Trucking Report Volume 23 Issue 2

blockchain program designed to remove
the need for physical documentation.
Instead, data, including shipment “BITA [BLOCKCHAIN IN TRANSPORT ALLIANCE]
pickup/dropoff times, dates, locations, IS WHAT WILL MAKE BLOCKCHAIN IN
verification of accessorial charges and TRANSPORTATION SUCCESSFUL.”
payment details are all entered via the
user interface, where the customer, the
shipping location and the receiving —KEN CRAIG, VICE PRESIDENT OF SPECIAL PROJECTS WITH
location are all able to view the details MCLEOD SOFTWARE
of the shipment. Upon final delivery,
the blockchain is able to trigger a pay-
ment event through an external pay-
ment gateway, with all the details of the ent time than the ELD claimed? The gramming. There’s so much flexibility
entire shipping process stored securely team was able to automate a reaction and nuance in what you can put into
on the blockchain. “This is a permis- even when conflicting data is entered. them,” Franklin said. The algorithm
sioned blockchain, so only authorized If the driver and receiver times were also only stores data after consensus
users will be able to monitor the assets within 30 minutes of each other, the from multiple parties, so conflicting
during their lifecycle,” Venkataratinam driver’s time would be used. If they data can be resolved.
explained. As Craig noted during his were more than thirty minutes apart, All speakers agreed that while
presentation, part of the excitement the receiver’s time would be used. But blockchain may be a buzzword for good
around blockchain for asset manage- Lane noted that if such a situation reason, it shouldn’t be implemented
ment is that, for any asset, “…you can occurred and the company preferred to across the board. The Hackathon gave
tell where it is, where it’s been, and investigate, such a differential in times students a chance to apply blockchain
what’s happened throughout its life.” could trigger a note to staff to review to a specific set of problems, but tech-
But what if a receiver claimed the the event before a time is entered. nology is, the experts say, not a one-size
truck arrived and departed at a differ- “They’re [smart contracts] straight pro- fits all solution. ATR

Arkansas

Trucking

July 12 -14

Rogers, Ark.

ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 2 2018 45