There are lots of things that can chew up your time and negatively impact your profit margins as an owner operator. Looking for parking, weigh scales, loads, truck stops and rest areas takes time. So does communicating with brokers by phone, dropping off paperwork, booking loads and reloads, route-planning and calculating your axle weights. Having the information you need instantly available at your fingertips in Trucker Tools’ mobile app can go a long way in maximizing your drive time, especially when demand for capacity is high, as it is right now.
Check out these 10 ways that Trucker Tools helps you save time on the road.
1. Get Loads Faster
Unlike load boards, the loads that you see listed in the Trucker Tools app are loads that are currently available. The load information that you see in our app comes directly from the software systems used by brokers. That means that when a load is booked by the broker, it’s automatically removed from search results. Say goodbye to load boards and phantom loads, and hello to faster load searches.
2. Truck Stop Guide, Rest Area Locator
Also included in the Trucker Tools app is the Truck Stop Guide which, by the way, is one of the most popular tools in the app. The Truck Stop Guide helps you locate truck stops across the country, and provides info on whether parking, restaurants and showers are available onsite. The Rest Area Locator, another tool in the app, locates the nearest rest area and provides you with information on what parking and other amenities are available at the rest area.
3. One-Click Load Booking
Once you find a load that you like in the Trucker Tools app, you can either call the broker at the number listed on the load to talk rates or submit a quote through the app. Some of the loads in the app include Book-It-Now® loads. With these loads, you can book the load immediately directly in the app with a single click. Once you book the load in the app, you’ll received a confirmation of the appointment via email. No phone calls with the broker needed.
4. Finds the Cheapest Fuel on Your Route
Another way that Trucker Tools saves you time is with the app’s Route & Fuel Optimizer that helps you with trip-planning and saving money on fuel. The Optimizer identifies the best route to your destination, locates the cheapest fuel all along your route and calculates your savings on fuel on each route. This is great way to do two things at once: route-plan and find the cheapest fuel.
5. Weigh Scale Finder
When you’re worried about your load being overweight or you enter a new state, you want to be able to find a weigh scale that’s open and fast. Using the weigh station locator in the Trucker Tools app saves you time, helping you quickly find scales not only at the big truck stop chains and in highly populated areas, but also in rural areas at smaller truck stops.
6. In-App Doc Upload
Trucker Tools’ in-app doc load option saves you time, as well. When you’re using the Trucker Tools app for tracking a load, you have the option to upload BOL and POD documents when you end the tracking session. You could take a photo of the documents, open your email or text message apps, and send the photos to the broker, but that takes some time. It’s a lot faster to simply upload your documents and send them to the broker through the Trucker Tools app, which is already open, when you finish the load.
7. Reloads Listed with Each Load
No trucker wants to take a load into an area and end up losing money on the backhaul. That’s why every time you search for and view loads in the Trucker Tools app, we’ll show you what reloads are available for that load. Being able to see what backhauls are available before you commit to the load helps you make better decisions on loads and maximize your earnings.
8. Multiple Parking Options
The multiple parking options available in Trucker Tools’ app helps you save time on the road, too. You can use the Trucker Tools app to find free public parking, and parking at rest areas and truck stops. You also can locate and pay for overnight and long-term parking in the app with a few taps on your cell phone. Having multiple parking options in one place helps quickly figure out your parking options and keep those wheels rollin’.
9. Axle Weight Calculator
Need to calculate your axle weights? No problem, and you don’t even need a pen and paper to do it. Managing your weight distribution is always important, but it’s especially important if you’re running flatbed or heavy haul. You can quickly calculate the weight on your axles with the axle weight calculator included in Trucker Tools’ free app — and then get back to driving and earning.
10. Everything You Need in One App
The final and most obvious way that Trucker Tools helps save you time on the road is that our app is an all-in-one app. You’ve got everything you need in one app. That means you don’t have to try to remember the password for your gas station app, weigh scale finder app, Google account and most of the other trucking apps you have installed on your phone. You can stay on one app all day and get the info you need quickly and keep moving.
Read Small Fleets and Owner Ops Recognized for Valuable Role in Supply Chain to find out how brokers and 3PLs have come to appreciate the vital role that small carriers and owner ops like you play in the supply chain.
To download Trucker Tools’ free, all-in-one app, visit https://www.truckertools.com/carriers/.
