Problem:

Waste drivers currently fill out a paper form to record all weight information related to their waste loads. This information is crucial for compliance and reporting purposes, as it helps the waste management team monitor and manage the weight of landfill loads. Monitoring loads is required to ensure road safety of trucks as well as monitoring how much waste is emptied at the tip.

However, drivers often forget to return the completed forms, resulting in discrepancies in the records of loads being kept. This inconsistency can lead to challenges in ensuring compliance and accurate reporting, ultimately impacting overall waste management efficiency.

Proposed digital solution:

  • A digital form for drivers to fill out via iPads

  • The data from the form would then be integrated with a dashboard that automatically alert the team when there is an overloaded truck

  • Provides one place for the waste team to monitor all load data

Design solution:

The form is thoughtfully designed with two distinct sections to facilitate efficient completion for the driver.

  • The first part is dedicated to pre-departure information, where the driver can fill out details about the truck before leaving. This section ensures that all necessary information is readily available at the start of their journey.

  • Upon returning to the waste transfer station the driver will reference the second part of the form, which prompts them to record the information about the rest of the journey through using the waste docket

This structure allows the driver to complete the required information, and return later to finalise and submit the completed document without the need for additional prompts. Allowing two stages of filling out the form allows them to record this information and making sure it isn’t lost, then coming back to fill out the remaining details from their dockets.

Research & Preparation:

Interviews were completed during a day where I spent time with one of the drivers on their trip to the tip. Through this experience I learnt that:

  • Drivers will fill out the form twice, once before they leave and when they come back

  • Drivers do not have much time to fill out the form

  • Often information such as odometer or total weight of truck is only available before they leave to go to the tip, and they need to record it right away.

A storyboard was created to further visualise the driver’s day, then a journey map was created to pin point when the form could be filled out during their journey.

Technical limitations and solutions

I worked closely with the software engineer to explore the best methods for enabling an autosave feature for the form. Through collaborative discussions and testing, we identified the optimal approach to ensure that information entered by drivers would be saved automatically without requiring manual input. This resulted in a final digital solution that allows drivers to complete the form seamlessly, ensuring their progress is preserved and enabling them to continue with their day without interruption and returning to the form to submit it at the end of the drive.

Impact

The form is still in it’s development and implementation stage, however once launch, we aim to measure:

  • Rate of form completion

  • Improve accuracy of waste load data

  • Efficiency in tracking overloaded waste trucks

  • Greater ease in complying to state government regulations

Due to this being an internal form, there is no live form to view. Want to learn more about this piece of work in more detail? Reach out for a chat.