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When does tracking start and stop?

Our backend service uses specific logic to determine when to start and stop tracking a load's location. However, it's crucial to note that these rules only apply if proper tracking sources are set up for the load. This document explains the tracking logic and the necessary conditions for it to apply.


Prerequisites for Tracking​

Our service tracks load locations using information from two primary sources:

  1. Mobile App: Our mobile app installed on a driver's phone can provide real-time tracking data. However, the driver must install our app and grant the necessary permissions for location tracking. Our system will notify users if a driver has successfully installed the app, or if they have installed it but not provided the correct permissions.

  2. Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs): We can use data from ELDs to track loads if the carrier has enabled this feature on our platform. However, the carrier must provide the correct truck or trailer number for ELD tracking to function correctly. Our platform will provide details on the UI if the device was detected from the ELD provider.

The logic described below for determining tracking start and end times only applies if these conditions are met.


Tracking Start Time​

The tracking start time refers to when our service starts tracking and updating the load's location. The rules for determining this are:

  1. Immediate tracking: If there's no specified origin appointment date or time (i.e., the time the load is set to depart its origin), our service starts tracking immediately.

  2. 24 hours before appointment: If an origin appointment date or time is specified, our service starts tracking 24 hours before the origin appointment.

  3. Immediate tracking for In-transit: If the load is already in transit (i.e., has departed its origin) and the calculated start time surpasses current time, our service begins tracking immediately. For example: If the calculated start time is 3 days from now based on the origin appointment, but the load status has been marked in-transit, our service will start tracking immediately.


Tracking End Time​

The tracking end time refers to when our service stops updating the load's location. Beyond this point, no new locations will be added to the load, even if Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) or mobile app updates from a driver's phone continue to provide location data. The rules for this are:

  1. Origin plus 8 days: If no destination appointment date or time is specified (i.e., we don't know when the load is expected to arrive at its destination), but there's an origin appointment date or time, our service will stop tracking 8 days after the origin appointment.

  2. Creation plus 8 days: If neither the origin nor destination appointment dates or times are available, our service will stop tracking 8 days after the load's creation time.

  3. Destination plus 48 hours: If a destination appointment date or time is available, our service will stop tracking 48 hours after the destination appointment, meaning we keep tracking for two days post the load's expected arrival time at its destination.

  4. Immediate stop for completed loads: If the load is delivered, canceled, or deleted, our service stops tracking immediately.

These rules aim to update locations only when needed - when we expect the load to be in transit - while avoiding the wastage of resources on tracking locations when the load has reached its destination or is not yet due to depart.