Fleet Mobile Eases Challenges in Trucking

Fleet Mobile Is More Than GPS 

The trucking industry is one of the most complex and challenging sectors in business today. Serving the entire nation, truckers are responsible for transporting raw materials, works in progress, and finished goods from manufacturer or port to retail, government, and corporate distribution centers across the country. Truckers serve every industry in every sector and are responsible for delivering the majority of the freight moved around the world.

It is easy to see how technology is critical in an industry where time is money – more so than in any other network in business today. Advances in technology are translating to fleet mobile phone technology, particularly by impacting the transportation industry in ways that go well beyond GPS capabilities. Fleet mobile is assisting with everything from weather watch, parking information, and gas locations to operational functions like mechanical monitoring and weight.

The average truck driver is expected to travel between 2,000 and 3,000 miles per week based on a 70-hour-maximum restriction, and is paid per mile. While regulations are put in place as a safety measure, they can hinder productivity and miles, which is why drivers are depending on efficiencies to provide the maximum value per scheduled delivery. Below are some of 2019’s best fleet mobile apps to help in that effort.

10 Fleet Mobile Apps That Save Time and Money

1. CoPilot Truck Navigation

This fleet mobile app is voice-activated and can help truckers calculate their most efficient route based on the size, type, and weight of the specific load they are carrying. It can show potential commercial vehicle restrictions and identify the best routes for multi-stop deliveries based on the load type. This GPS app also runs offline when the driver is out of service range or needs to save data.

2. NOAA Radar 

This weather app provides notifications to a driver‘s your phone when inclement weather is approaching the current location. It can guide trip preparations as well as warn of severe weather conditions on the road.

3. DAT Trucker
This fleet mobile app includes DAT’s load board functionality as well as parking information, fuel location, and other location services.

4. CamScanner

This fleet app creates efficiencies and mitigates errors by organizing contracts, receipts, and paperwork in the cloud. Many fleet managers have implemented this app for saving and sending documents based on remittance requirements.

5. TruckLogics

The fleet app is a robust logistics tool that stores and organizes all records in the cloud and provides 24/7 access to any important documents. It can be used to manage invoices, dispatches, maintenance, and payroll. This app makes it possible for owner-operators to manage all aspects of business while on the road.

6. Big Road

This fleet app provides a digital logbook program that automatically calculates available drive time based on HOS rules.

7. Park My Truck
The National Association of Truck Stop Operators introduced this fleet app to show available parking locations within 50-250 miles of the current location.

8. Road Breakers
This most important aspect of this app is its ability to access phone data even when in a dead service zone. It can also help to find parking locations and provide live updates critical for over-the-road fleets.

9. Cost Per Mile

This cost-per-mile app keeps track of all trucking business expenses, tracking all spending per mile – mitigating human error and maximizing profitability.

10. Cat Scale Weigh My Truck

This fleet mobile app saves time at weight stations because the driver never even needs to leave the truck. Combined with an EFS card and a mobile phone, the app can weigh the truck and provide payment all at the same time.

As illustrated in the Cat Scale Weigh My Truck app above, efficiencies in trucking can also be found in how mobile works with fleet cards. Fleet cards make it easier to pay and weigh, which is not something to be taken for granted. For example, the EFS fleet card and the CAT Scale Weigh My Truck mobile app provide multi-faceted benefits for both the driver and the carrier.

Carrier benefits:

• Impact Hours of Service – significantly reduce scaling time
• Improve driver satisfaction and convenience
• Eliminate manual reconciliation
• Improve accuracy of data capture
• Provide electronic record of receipts

Driver benefits:

• Weigh and pay faster for better on-time delivery
• Driver never has to leave the truck
• Reduce time scaling
• Email electronic receipts directly to the driver ─ and any additional recipients specified (e.g. A/P, driver manager)

Clearly mobile phone technology has come a long way for every user, but for the trucking industry in particular, the mobile phone is saving time, money, and sometimes lives. Fleet mobile is now a tool of the trade almost as important as the vehicle used for transport.

RESOURCES:

http://www.alltrucking.com/faq/per-mile-trucking-salary/