Sometimes a picture can be worth a lot more than 1,000 words. That’s why Morgan features live pictures of its shipments from around the world. It’s a first for the industry – and a service that’s only possible when your own staff is there, on scene.

“In 2009, we introduced the ChainLinq™ Mobile application for the iPhone,” said Cory Balch, Morgan’s Manager, Austin, Dallas and Laredo Operations. The app allowed Morgan staff around the world to update shipments and capture live delivery signatures.

“But our drivers were thinking farther ahead,” says Balch. “They started using the iPhone camera to show damages and update customers on changing conditions in the field.”

The “Aha!” moment came one day when heavy rains flooded Interstate 35. Our driver took a shot out his front window of the impasse and distributed to Morgan’s control center with the caption “shipments will be delayed 1-2 hours today due to weather.”

“We shared that photo with our customer, and they instantly understood what was happening,” Balch remembers. “We integrated photo capability right into the app, so that customers could check up on their goods at any time.”

Today, Morgan’s ChainLinq™ suite shows customers a GPS trail of their goods, any attached documentation, and maintains a photo history of the shipment. We call that local knowledge, and for our customers it makes all the difference in the world.