During this stressful time, it’s important to reduce face-to-face contact and access real-time information quickly when you’re out on the road. If you’re like most truckers, you may be struggling to find open rest areas, food and supplies along your route due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You also may be having trouble finding good loads with your favorite brokers or getting paid quickly because offices may be closed due to the virus.
Last week, we rolled out a new version of the Trucker Tools driver app. The latest version of our free driver app can be that go-to tool that helps you get through these challenging times. We’ve redesigned the app so that it’s easier than ever for you to quickly access real-time information on everything from fuel prices to the latest industry news related to the pandemic. Trucker Tools’ driver app can help you find open loads when it’s convenient for you and puts real-time information at your fingertips quickly so that you don’t need to have six or seven apps open at once to get what you need.
Our driver app includes 17+ tools and features that are designed to simplify your life on the road. Here, we highlight three of those tools that can be especially useful to you right now.
Wal-Mart Locator
One of the first things you’ll see when you open Trucker Tools’ driver app is an Explore Other Points of Interest menu that opens from the bottom of the screen. In the bottom center of that list of icons, you’ll see the Wal-Mart button. You can use this Wal-Mart locator to find groceries and supplies when you’re on the road. Tapping on the Wal-Mart icon shows you the Wal-Mart locations close to your current location or along your route.
Each Wal-Mart listing includes a map, the store type, address, distance, whether the store is currently open and a list of amenities. You can view ratings and reviews for each store or even post your own. If you tap on the fork and knife icon at the top of the screen, you’ll be shown restaurants nearby the Wal-Mart store. Tap on the cloud icon, and you’ll see ATMs and other points of interest near the store.
COVID-19 Useful Links
It can be difficult to stay on top of the latest industry news, especially as new developments occur every day. To help truckers like you out, we’ve created a new tool, which you’ll see at the top of the home screen, COVID-19 Useful Links. This resource keeps you up to date on the most relevant news and helps you find critical information from brokers, shippers, truck stops, gas stations and other industry sources.
The Trucker Tools team continues to update this with new information as it becomes available. COVID-10 Useful Links includes information from shippers, brokers, 3PLs, regulatory agencies, truck stops and factoring companies on new policies, procedures, complimentary offers and more.
Find Loads Easily
Finding loads can be just as easy. In the Explore Other Points of Interest menu on the home screen, you also will see a Loads icon. Tap on this and you can view open loads nearby your current location or reloads near a specific destination. The loads that you see in the results list include the broker name and phone number, load type, load number, date and time, pickup and drop off locations, weight and potential deadhead miles. Please note that you must be added to a broker’s carrier network in order to see that broker’s loads in the Trucker Tools driver app.
The loads that you see listed in the Trucker Tools driver app are live loads pulled from the brokers’ transportation management system. That means that you’re never looking at outdated load information. You can submit a rate quote directly to the broker through the Trucker Tools driver app by tapping on the QUOTE button. This process is much faster and easier than emailing and/or calling brokers to find out what they have for available loads.
Book Loads Quickly
On some of the loads you’ll see listed in Trucker Tools’ driver app, you’ll see a BOOK-IT-NOW button with a dollar amount in place of the QUOTE button. For these loads, you can book the load immediately and directly through Trucker Tools’ driver app, no phone calls necessary. Once you tap on BOOK-IT-NOW and confirm your information, the load is automatically assigned to you in the broker’s transportation management system. You and your dispatcher also will receive a confirmation email that confirms the load booking details and includes suggestions for reloads and future loads based on the load you just booked and your load booking history.
In-app load booking with Trucker Tools driver app is fast and saves you the trouble of back and forth phone calls with brokers to finalize load bookings. Some brokers unfortunately may have reduced their hours or staffing because of the pandemic. Book-It-Now allows you to find and book loads with specific brokers at times that are convenient for you, on your schedule, any time of day or night. Please note that you must be added to a broker’s carrier network in order to book Book-It-Now loads in the Trucker Tools driver app.
For more information on what you can do to keep your trucking business successful during the pandemic, read How To Maintain Efficiency, Reduce Overhead and Stay Healthy During the COVID-19 Pandemic. To download Trucker Tools’ newly updated driver app, visit https://ww.truckertools.com/carriers/.
