Opendock's 2-way SMS feature allows warehouse teams to communicate directly with drivers arriving at the facility, all within the Opendock interface. Whether for planned or unplanned arrivals, you can send and receive SMS messages with drivers from the Warehouse Appointments Grid or the Appointment Details page.

This seamless communication helps facilitate decisions about scheduling and managing arrivals efficiently. You’ll also be able to view the entire SMS conversation history, making it easy to track messages and stay organized. With this feature, there's no need for a separate phone number—Opendock handles the SMS exchange for you, providing a simple and effective solution for driver communication.

In this article, you will see the explanation of the 2-Way-SMS feature and learn how to use it. It will cover:

• How to use it?
• FAQ

Communicate with drivers arriving at the facility by sending them SMS messages from inside the Opendock interface:

• From the Warehouse Appointments Grid — From your check-in or arrivals list, click on an arrival to message the driver and see the SMS exchange history. 

This means that you can send and receive messages from Drivers for both planned and unplanned arrivals - which will facilitate deciding if/where on the schedule this arrival could be allocated.

• From your Appointment Details, on the side bar, you will be able to click on Driver's Chat to message them and see the SMS exchange history

• From the YMS List View — Drivers Chat is now also available directly from the YMS List View, fixed to the right side of the table. A live-updating unread-message badge shows when a driver has sent a new message, so you don't have to open the chat to know something's waiting for you. Clicking it opens the chat as a right-side drawer — the same shared drawer also overlays the Yard grid, so you can keep the conversation open as you move between the List View and the Yard view.
  
  Note: This entry point is rolling out gradually, so it may not yet be visible on every account.
  
  
  
   

• Drivers will receive the messages via SMS and will be able to reply. At any point in the conversation drivers can opt out of the SMS exchange by submitting "STOP"

FAQ and additional details:

1. Do I need to have a warehouse or my personal phone number being added to use 2-way-SMS on my facility? - No. 2WaySMS is included in the Gate Management solution and all messages are handled by Opendock. No need to provide a warehouse or company phone number to use it.
2. How an I close a conversation with a driver? - From the conversation on the arrivals list, the appointment's modal, or the YMS List View, click "End this chat" to close it. The driver will no longer be able to send messages to the warehouse.
   
3. What countries are supported by the 2waySMS functionality? - Only +1 country code: Canada, Mexico and USA. Drivers with numbers from other country codes cannot communicate with facility and therefore, 2waySMS is not a feature available to Warehouses outside these countries. - Phone number will be collected, and on the chat page you will see, beside the phone number, a message saying "Country code not supported"
4. Is the Drivers Chat the same whether I open it from the YMS List View or the Yard grid?
   Yes. Both open the same shared chat drawer, so the conversation and its history stay in sync no matter which screen you open it from.
5. How do I know if I have a new message from a driver while working in the YMS List View?
   A live-updating unread-message badge appears on the chat icon fixed to the right side of the table whenever a new message comes in.