Efficiency is everything when you’re an owner-operator or small freight carrier. But carriers and owner-operators have a lot to contend with in their day-to-day operations, including weather, traffic, detention, fuel stops, multiple drops, load booking, DOT hours-of-service rules, maintenance, multiple brokers/shippers and lots more. Multi-feature tools such as Trucker Tools’ driver app can help owner-operators and carriers streamline their daily tasks, check-ins and administrative duties to free up more time for hauling loads and increasing revenue. The driver app’s new Book It Now tool takes efficiency to new heights with in-app, automated load booking that reduces inefficiency and increases productivity.
Proactively Book Loads in a Matter of Seconds
Trucker Tools’ provides a free driver mobile application that delivers accurate, real-time load matching data that reduces the time spent looking for freight. Instead of paying for and using load boards or calling and emailing brokers, carrier dispatchers and owner-operators can view available loads and prices, matching capacity and preferred lanes within the Trucker Tools’ driver app interface.
When you search for loads in the driver app, you’ll see a list of brokers who are using Smart Capacity, Trucker Tools’ real-time carrier capacity and relationship management platform and their corresponding freight and prices. To book a load, you simply tap on the Book It Now button next to the load you want to book. The load booking then is recorded automatically in the broker’s transportation management system, a confirmation email is sent to you and your dispatcher, and the load is scheduled for pickup. The entire load booking process is automated and takes a matter of seconds, saving both you and the broker time, which increases efficiency for everyone.
View Future Loads, Plan Ahead
Using its powerful processing algorithms and machine learning, Smart Capacity analyzes historical data and learns which brokers, loads and lanes you book and prefer. Each time you book a load via the Book It Now tool and receive a confirmation email, Smart Capacity suggests future available loads-for-tender based on this historical data, your proximity to the load you’ve just booked and its delivery endpoint. These future available loads are ranked in order based on your load booking history and preferences.
With Book It Now’s future load suggestions, owner-operators and carriers can find and secure the next load in advance, before they deliver their current loads. This puts efficiency and load planning in the hands of owner-operators and carriers, helping them to eliminate deadheading and increase daily efficiency.
Empowering Owner-operators and Carriers
The Trucker Tools driver app’s Book It Now feature puts owner-operators and carriers in the driver’s seat when it comes to freight booking. In fact, 90 percent of Smart Capacity’s current freight matching is initiated by carriers and owner-operators, which reflects how powerful this tool is. Instead of waiting to hear from brokers or making multiple phone calls to find loads, carriers and owner-operators can search for preferred brokers and book the loads that they want, when they want them.
The latest release of the Trucker Tools’ driver app also includes a new Detention Alerts notification and rating system on shippers, which draws on driver feedback and GPS-enabled location time-stamps to measure and rank shipper-caused delays. Detention Alerts empower owner-operators and carriers to choose and establish ongoing business with brokers and shippers with low detention times. Later this summer, Trucker Tools also will be releasing Detention Scorecards, which will let drivers assess and grade their interactions and experiences with shippers. Detention Scorecards will allow reviewers to comment and upload photos of shippers’ facilities and loading docks as part of each review.
If you’re ready to increase the efficiency of your owner-operator or carrier business, download Trucker Tools’ free driver app to your smartphone, tablet or other mobile devices.
