What is Subcontracting?

Spot subcontracting is used to create a trip on the spot, which can be shared with other subcontractors to get feedback during trip execution. The main features of Spot subcontracting are:

• Stand-alone: It is an independent SCALAR solution, so integrating with this solution is simple and does not require to integrate with places, assets, and other solutions.
• Easy to access: Drivers do not need to install any app, as its core focus is on drivers who typically execute trips for multiple companies and do not want to install different apps.
• Easy to use:
  • For Drivers: No need to register or get instructions on how to use the solution. It is self-explanatory.
  • For the integrator: Only the Spot subcontracting API needs to be used. No other SCALAR APIs need to be accessed (does not require you to create SCALAR assets, drivers, places, or other items)

How does it work

1. When a customer creates a trip via the Datahub API, a unique tripID and URL are generated. This unique URL can be shared by SCALAR customers to the subcontracted driver via email or WhatsApp or other communication methods (this is not done within SCALAR).
2. The unique tripID can be used to retrieve feedback on the trip.

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   Note

   Spot subcontracting module can push update messages, so polling for feedback is not needed.

3. The driver can open the unique URL and see an overview of the trip and the actions that need to be completed to finish the trip.
4. For each action, the driver can click the Arrive button, give feedback, and then click the Finish button to complete the action.

Integrator - Datahub API

Generate JWT token for authentication

To create, update, or retrieve feedback on a trip in the Spot subcontracting module, a JWT token needs to be requested.

Create a trip

• A subcontracted trip must include at least 2 missions with an action: 1 loading and 1 unloading mission.
• Each mission must include a place (name and address).

Update a trip

• The Spot subcontracted trip can only be updated if the trip is not started, and a complete trip can be changed by using the corresponding Trip ID.
• The body of the update call is the same as for the call to create a trip.

Trip feedback

A driver adds updates to the trip by pressing the “Arrived” or “Finished” buttons at each mission.

Trip feedback – Poll

Use the Trip ID that is specified in the response when creating the trip to do a GET trip Datahub API call. The call returns all the trip data including the signature section and feedback section of each mission.

Retrieve file

The uploaded files into the driver form can be downloaded using a Datahub API call:

1. First, request feedback on the trip to retrieve the fieId(s) of each mission. If no files have been uploaded, an empty array is returned.
2. Next, use the ‘Get file’ Datahub API call to create a temporary link and return it in the reply.
   The created URL expires after 5 minutes. If you access it after 5 minutes, an 'Access Denied' error message is returned.
   Get signature
   The added signatures in the driver form can be downloaded using Datahub API calls.
3. First, request feedback on the trip to retrieve the signature ID(s) for each mission. If no signatures have been added, an empty array is returned.
4. Next, use the ‘Get signature’ Datahub API call which will return the content of the signature image as a base64 encoded string.

Delete a trip

Trips cannot be deleted manually using the Datahub API. A trip will be automatically deleted in the following cases:

• 60 days after the trip has been marked as finished
• when the compliance module requests to delete all data of an organization

When the last update of the trip (by using the form) is longer than 7 days ago, it is automatically marked as finished. The URL will no longer show the trip actions, but the “Trip is finished” page.

Driver – Webform

Anyone who receives the unique Spot subcontracting URL can access and view the driver form. No authentication is required.

Visualize a trip

When a driver opens a valid spot subcontracting URL:

Data privacy consent

To use the webform, you will need to approve the collection of data related to the subcontracted trip.
Select the Read and understood check box and click Continue.

Driver form

After approving the data privacy prompt, some instructions are displayed.
Click Let’s start to continue.

Trip overview

The trip overview displays an overview of the actions to be performed:

• Trip title
• List of missions, including:
• Action type (Loading / Unloading),
• Status (Not started / In progress / Done),
• Place (address) where the action needs to be performed,
• Additional driver information, if any.

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  Note

  All actions with a mission should be performed from top to bottom. You can only start an action if it is the first in the list, or if the previous activity was set to “Done”.
  
  

Mission details

• Click a mission to open the Mission details:

  • Action type: Loading / Unloading
  • Place information

• Use the “More actions” button to copy the address information to the clipboard or immediately open the avigation app to navigate to the destination.

  

• Driver information, if any

Trip status

• Not started: Click Arrived to confirm you have arrived at the destination. The mission status will be updated to “In progress” and the time and location are added as feedback to the corresponding mission. The driver can now also add feedback in the driver form.
• In progress: Next, the driver can add feedback to the mission and click “(Un)Loading is finished” to set the mission to “Done”.
• Done: the driver feedback can be consulted in read-only view. The trip is finished.

Driver feedback

When the driver clicks “Arrived”, the mission status is updated to “In progress” and the following information can be added:

• Time / Location: added automatically

• Total weight: The total weight parameter is only available when the action type is ‘Loading’.

• Comment: Up to 10,000 characters are allowed.

• Pallets: Available when action type is “Unloading”.

• Proof of pickup / delivery: PDF documents or images can also be uploaded to a mission. Up to 10 PDF files and/or pictures can be added to each mission.

  

• Signature: Press the ‘Add signature’ button to sign off the mission using your name and signature. Up to 10 signatures can be added to each mission.

  

e-CMR

Spot subcontracting is integrated with e-CMR functionality to:

• create an e-CMR when creating a subcontracted trip.
• update an e-CMR while creating a subcontracted trip or while the webform is being completed.

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  Note

  Only e-CMRs from Collect+Go are supported by our solution.
  To add an e-CMR to the trip, the ecmrData object must be completed with all required information. Also, the linked missions must include the external ID added in the ecmrData object at the trip level.