Welcome to DTE V8

Online Help

Frequently Asked Questions

; Why should I become a Don’t Travel Empty member? ; How does the matching work? ; What is an XML feed? ; Can I still use Don’t Travel Empty if I don’t have a Management System? ; Will Don’t Travel Empty earn anything from the matches? ; What happens if an operator has a breakdown and fails to show for a job I have sold to them? ; What happens if a match has been agreed but the details change at short notice meaning that the agreement has to be cancelled? ; Can DTE help if I have a breakdown and need to move my passengers on? ; Is Don’t Travel Empty a broker?

Why should I become a Don’t Travel Empty member?

Don’t Travel Empty offers a wide range of benefits to the coaching industry. Our aim is to reduce the number of empty coaches on the road while in turn creating savings for your company. We also have a growing network of operators in the DTE community who we can call on for a fast passenger recovery service, if you are left in an emergency.

How does the matching work?

When you become a member of Don’t Travel Empty our customer service team will help you to install an XML feed allowing the jobs on your system to be entered into our database. This feed allows us to see where matches can be made and automatically informs you of jobs you could take on via a simple email.

What is an XML feed?

An XML feed is a function that will extract information from your management system, so that it can be entered into our database. The XML feed is secure, and will automatically create empty legs and available vehicles on the Don’t Travel Empty website, so that you don’t have to enter every journey in manually.

You can rest assured that NO details of full jobs will appear on the website unless YOU activate them. For empty legs shown on the website, only the first three digits of the departure point postcode will be shown, not an exact location.

Can I still use Don’t Travel Empty if I don’t have a Management System?

If you don’t have a Management System, you can still use Don’t Travel Empty, by entering your empty legs, full legs, wait and return trips or available vehicles directly onto the website. Alternatively you could upgrade to use the DTE inbuilt coach management software system

Will Don’t Travel Empty earn anything from the matches?

Don’t Travel Empty is not a broker and therefore does not earn directly from the matches made on the website. The terms and conditions of the match are made by the two operators concerned. The only charge from DTE is the monthly subscription fee.

What happens if an operator has a breakdown and fails to show for a job I have sold to them?

Unfortunately breakdowns are unavoidable and as the original operator you are responsible for your customers. However, Don’t Travel Empty members have access to the Passenger Recovery Service. This service opens up our community of coach operators who can be called upon to respond to your emergency, getting any stranded customers back on the road.

What happens if a match has been agreed but the details change at short notice meaning that the agreement has to be cancelled?

Similarly to breakdowns, a change at short notice is an outcome that cannot be avoided. At Don’t Travel Empty we try to best accommodate these changes under the circumstances. If, however, the match has to be cancelled the job will be re-opened to the DTE members and hopefully a new match can be found.

Can DTE help if I have a breakdown and need to move my passengers on?

Yes we can. As an enhanced member you have full access to our Passenger Recovery Service, which in 2011 had a 95% success* rate. The Recovery Service includes the following:

- Access to all details of empty and available coaches in the area.
- An advertisement on the homepage of Don’t Travel Empty which all members can respond to.
- Email alert to up to 1500 coach operators.
- Text alert to up to 800 operators.

If you are not an enhanced member this service can be accessed at a charge. *success defined as a replacement vehicle on-site within an hour.

Is Don’t Travel Empty a broker?

Don’t Travel Empty is not a broker and takes no commission on matched jobs. Costs are covered through the monthly subscription fee to members.