Mobile technology is gaining more popularity every day.  Brokers and carriers are migrating to mobile apps for their access to bills of lading, invoices and other necessary documents.  I find myself using less paper these days and starting to use my phone to take pictures of paperwork and sending it in to brokers for payment. 

As an independent owner operator, I need a lot of tools to keep me rolling.  I don't have a carrier to look for my loads or take care of my compliance and paperwork; I have to do it all myself.  Here are the tools that I use to keep the wheels rolling.

My Trucking Apps:

  1. Apple Maps - to supplement my Garmin GPS and big picture trip planning
  2. Mobi Maps -  Good street view for addresses
  3. TruckSmart - I fuel at TA/Petro so I use this app to help find locations and inform of amenities
  4. CHRW - Broker app to find loads
  5. TQL - Broker app to find loads and submit paperwork
  6. Coyote - Broker app to find loads and submit paperwork
  7. Trucker Path - to find parking and check on scale house activity
  8. Waze - a real time traffic app.  I used this recently to find out how long my traffic jam was
  9. CamScanner - I use this to scan documents into a PDF file and quickly email
  10. Dispatcher - a service to help find loads for me and act on my behalf to brokers; 4% fee
  11. Transflo - Some brokers want their load documents submitted through this service
  12. MacroPoint - a tracking app that some brokers want when you transport for them
  13. Trucker Tools -an app that I use for finding truck washes and scales
  14. Go By Truck - a freight matching service, called one of the Uber of Trucking startups
  15. Transfix - similar to #14, one of so called Uber of Trucking startups
  16. Numbers - an Apple app that I use to capture my fueling and IFTA information as well as all my numbers that I track
  17. MyPilot - helps me find Flying J and Pilot Travel Centers anywhere in the U.S.
  18. 5-0 Radio - A police scanner app I use to see what's going on with police/fire/rescue in an area.

My Trucking Websites:

  1. TeamRunSmart.com - what a community!
  2. EZ Pass -where I can track tolls and add funds if necessary
  3. LandstarBroker.com - I prefer the website to the app for finding loads
  4. Hotel4Truckers.com - Free to join and gives me discounts to trucker friendly hotels
  5. FindTruckService.com - I've used this when broken down in middle of nowhere. I just found out that their Apple app is coming in a few weeks so I'll be using that.
  6. NTTSBreakdown.com - Similar to #5 and I've used this site successfully as well.
  7. FindFuelStops.com - I can see prices at truck stops along a route, with or without state tax
  8. RitchieSpecs.com - A resource for heavy equipment dimensions

There are many others out there, but these are the resources that I use reguarly.  To be competitive in this business, I need to have access to these mobile apps.  This technology really gives me leverage to compete with the big boys on the playing field.

Which ones do you use that I didn't list?

Comments (4)

Joey Slaughter

Joey Slaughter is the owner of Blue Ridge Transport, LLC. Joey has been in the trucking industry since 1992.

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July 27, 2013

 
 

Great question Janir. I would like an app that replaces all the others but realize that's not possible as competition keeps the price down and the services better. The Coyote Logistics App (CoyoteGo) has been updated and impressed the most. I sign rate contracts, dispatch myself, submit photos of all paperwork and invoice them all seamlessly through the app. Np paperwork to do when I get back in the office, it's all done from my driver's seat.

August 17, 2015 19:25:11 PM

Joey, what does your ideal app look like? Do the apps listed cover every need you have?

August 17, 2015 11:08:14 AM

Igor, I think they just got a huge investment so improvements are on the way. Thanks for your comments.

August 15, 2015 14:06:28 PM

my Fav ... Trucker Path is so far very good ,need some improvement on real truck routs

August 14, 2015 22:24:00 PM