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Setting up Pay Rates:
Calculate Pay based on Load Attributes
This screen is where the rubber meets the road. The grid has columns for Block, destination and other load attributes. It also has columns for the pay rate, the pay basis, and the effective date.
You can set up rate breaks by Block, destination and other load attributes. If you leave an attribute blank (empty), The Logger's Edge interprets the blank as a wildcard 'apply to All' or 'ignore'. You can use a blank to set up a general rate and then set up specific rates as exceptions to the general rule. Thus, if the same rate applies to all Blocks, you can leave it blank. Then, if a different rate applies to a certain Block, you can set up a specific rate to handle that exception for the general rule.
Example 1. In Row 1, the Sort column is blank, meaning that this rate is relevant for all sorts that might possibly appear on the load slip. Thus, the first row is interpreted as: Pay TRUCKING on Block BL-ATHA-3241 going to destination HL for ALL sorts at $8.00 per Tonne starting 6/1/2004. The Logger's Edge matches loads with these attributes and pays the $8.00/Tonne rate. In Row 2, a different Block and different destination are selected, meaning that the rate ($8.40/Tonne) will be applied to loads from Block BL-CLEAR-2100 delivered to HP.
Example 2. In Row 3, the Block, Destination and Sort columns are blank, meaning that the Block, destination and sort is ignored when selecting the right pay contract for FELLING. Thus the third row is interpreted as: Pay FELLING on ALL Blocks delivered to ALL destinations for ALL sorts a rate of $13.00/M3. (Note: the ALL Block is limited to all the Blocks identified in Step 3 for the payment contract. In rows in 4,5 and 6 we see three more contract rates for FELLING. The rate in row 4 applies to a specific Block 'BL-CLEAR-3211' and sort 'PULP'. This rate takes precedence over the rate in row 3 when a load is from Block BL-CLEAR-3211 and is of sort 'PULP'. Likewise the rate in row 5 identifies a specific Block 'BL-CLEAR-3211' and a specific sort 'SAW'. This rate also takes precedence over the rate in row 3 when a load is from Block 'BL-CLEAR-3211' and is of sort 'SAW'. For loads from any other Block or for loads from Block 'BL-CLEAR-3211' whose Sort is not 'PULP' or 'SAW', the rate in row 3 ($13.00/M3) is operative. The moral is that a rate with a specific attribute that matches a load trumps a rate using an ALL (blank) attribute.
A further complication is posed by the rate in row 6 which says that all loads off Block 'BL-CLEAR-3211' delivered specifically to destination HL for ALL Sorts will be paid $14.50/M3. How do we reconcile this rate and the rate in row 5 for a load from Block BL-CLEAR-3211 delivered to HL whose sort is 'SAW'? The rate in row 5 is more specific in regard to Sort; the rate in row 6 is more specific in regard to Destination. The Logger's Edge resolves this conflict by invoking a 'left-to-right' principle -- that is, select the rate whose specific attribute appears furthest to the left in the grid. Thus, because destination appears before sort (looking left to right), The Logger's Edge will choose the rate in row 6 as the operative rate.
This rule allows the The Logger's Edge always to select one (and only one) rate to pay a specific activity for a specific load.
Exception. Of course to every rule there is an exception. If there are two or more rates with identical attributes and the exact same effective date, The Logger's Edge will use both rates. That is, it will pay the load twice, once with each of the rates. Now why in the world would we allow this scenario to occur? The answer is that there are occasions when two (or more) contractors need to be paid for the same load for the same activity, and we therefore need two pay contracts. For example, suppose two brothers are 50-50 partners in 2BROS trucking company, but want to be paid separately. We need to set up an identical pay contract for each brother and set the rate at one-half the normal trucking rate.
Example 3. Rows 7 and 8 contain two otherwise identical loading contracts with exception of their effective dates. The rate in row 7 ($23/Load) is effective 6/1/04; the rate in row 8 ($22/Load) is effective 9/1/04. How does this work? The rate in row 7 is operative for loads between 6/1/04 and 8/31/04. On 9/1/04 the rate in row 8 takes effect and is operative for all loads going forward. The rate in row 7 expires when a new (identical) rate is entered with a more recent effective date.
This effective date rule is a general rule. In selecting between otherwise identical rates, the rate with a more recent effective date take precedence over the rate (or rates) with an older effective date on a going forward basis. Note also that an effective rate subsequent to the pay date of a load is regarded as irrelevant. If there is no rate whose effective date is equal to or earlier than the pay date of a load, the load will not be paid. (The Logger's Edge will throw an error informing you that it cannot find an appropriate rate.)
Note: The rate with the most recent effective date is operative until the expiration (End Date) of the overall pay contract you entered in Step 5. The End Date for the contract expires ALL rates regardless of their effective date.
Whoa! Complicated enough, eh?
A special feature of the rate grid is the ability to work in full screen mode. As you can imagine, if your rate matrix is large because of all the various rate breaks you have, it is hard to work in the relatively small wizard window. By clicking on the button 'Full Screen,' you can bring up a window that allows you to work with the grid in full screen mode. See below.
In full screen mode, you can add, delete and copy rates. Under the 'File' menu item in the top left, you can send the grid to your printer and export it to MS Excel.
One of the really nice features of the window is the 'Filter by Selection' button. This feature allows you to click (select) an entry in the grid and then click the 'Filter by Selection' button. The grid is then filtered (reduced) to show only the rows that contain your selected item. For example, to view an exclusive list of rates for Block 'BL-ATHA-1001', select 'BL-ATHA-1001' in the grid and then click the 'Filter by Selection' button. The result would be a grid of only rates for Block 'BL-ATHA-1001' -- the other rows would be hidden. The 'Show All' button restores the grid to its original state (showing all rates).
