If you’re a broker running 100 loads or less each month, you may think that a high-quality, accurate load tracking platform is out of your financial reach. Think again! At Trucker Tools, we create solutions that specifically serve the needs of small and mid-sized brokerages like yours. That’s why our load tracking platform is made to integrate with all of the major transportation management systems on the market and is much more affordable than many other visibility systems. Best of all, Trucker Tools’ visibility platform automates load tracking, increases your efficiency, allows you to better meet your shippers’ needs and…
Freight visibility — knowing precisely where shipments are and when they will arrive — is one of the most significant challenges for the supply chain. When visibility is accurate and continuous, every segment of the supply chain benefits, from truckers and dispatchers to brokers, shippers, and consumers. If real-time load tracking data isn’t available, the negative effects also are felt across the supply chain. Lack of visibility impacts the service you can provide your shippers, the efficiency of your brokerage/logistics company, your shippers’ dock schedules and driver dwell time. Trucker Tools’ load tracking solution delivers continuous, real-time visibility that not…
Teknowlogi, Trucker Tools’ newest integration partner, is a California-based transportation automation company known for its innovative solutions that leverage the power of automation and artificial intelligence. The company’s focus on delivering a high return on investment, ease of use, and high-quality service and support to its customers matches Trucker Tools’ values, which center on providing ongoing value and support to multiple segments of the supply chain. Teknowlogi’s TMS and Trucking AI Solutions For the last 14 years, Teknowlogi has pushed the boundaries of what a transportation management system can do. Teknowlogi’s flagship TMS is scalable and its open API architecture…
Here at Trucker Tools, we stand by what we say. When we say that our Book-It-Now load booking software fully automates your booking process with carriers, we mean it! Trucker Tools Book-It-Now solution makes the load booking experience seamless for both you and your carrier partners. When you use Book-It-Now in your brokerage, you gain a tremendous efficiency advantage that ultimately can increase productivity, load volume, and revenue for your business. Fully Automate Your Load Booking Process with Specific Carriers As a broker, you have the power to decide which loads you list as Book-It-Now loads and which of your preferred carriers are able to use this feature. When you post a…
In October, Trucker Tools’ carrier network surpassed the 750,000 mark. Translation: more than three-quarters of a million truckers have downloaded and are using Trucker Tools’ free driver app! Last April, our carrier network was 600,000-strong, which means it has increased by 25 percent over a short six month period. The good news is that your brokerage can tap into Trucker Tools’ large carrier network with relative ease using an integration between Trucker Tools and your TMS. Read on to learn how our sizable carrier network and game-changing Book-It-Now tool can help your brokerage create better relationships with carriers and assist…
Brian Phillips is a flatbed owner-operator who works for RiverDog Express in its Open Deck trucking division. When he’s not on the road pulling his 53’ Reitnouer Low Pro Step Deck, he’s creating content for his YouTube channel, Driven Trucking, which has more than one million views and 16,000 subscribers. On his YouTube channel, Brian offers tips, perspective, and advice to truckers of all experience levels. Brian recently launched a new YouTube channel, Truck Driving School, that is specifically geared for new truckers. Trucker Tools recently spoke with Brian to find out more about the videos he’s creating for his…
In our monthly link round-up, combat fear of missing out by checking out these summaries of Trucker Tools’ top blogs from the last month. We covered a lot of ground in our blogs in October! In this roundup, you can find out what most visibility vendors don’t want you to know (don’t worry, it’s good news) and how to reduce your variable cost per load to practically zero. We also delve into who really is responsible for load tracking and how Trucker Tools can function as a universal platform for brokers, 3PLs, trucking companies, and owner-operators. Read on to learn…
In our monthly link round-up, combat fear of missing out by checking out these summaries of Trucker Tools’ top blogs from the last month. We covered a lot of ground in our blogs in October! In this roundup, you can learn more about how Trucker Tools’ load tracking provides transparency for truckers and how using Trucker Tools’ driver app can improve efficiency in your daily operations. We also delve into who really is responsible for load tracking and discuss the future of the freight market with industry influencer Craig Bliss. Read on to learn how Trucker Tools’ free driver app…
Featured Speakers: Mike Riccio, Chief Marketing Officer, Leonard’s Express Prasad Gollapalli, Founder and CEO, Trucker Tools As 2019 comes to a close one development stands out – it has been a year of remarkable, disruptive and transformative change for technology in transportation. At the heart has been the rise of digital platforms, and their promise for remaking – some would say disintermediating – the traditional freight brokerage market. Leading the charge is the ever-present challenge of visibility – between drivers, their trucks, loads, brokers and shippers – and the myriad of new tech firms, as well as traditional providers, that…
This series of blogs, Driver App Tips, provides practical guidance for truckers on using Trucker Tools’ free mobile driver application. Read time: two minutes. Time to apply new skill: one minute. Benefits: • Find nearby truck stops, cheapest fuel in seconds. • Plan stops on your route. • Reduce time spent using multiple apps. • Increase efficiency. One of the most popular features included in Trucker Tools’ free driver app is our Truck Stop Guide & Fuel Prices tool. This feature allows you to view truck stops near your current location or all along your projected route. The Truck Stop…
With previous experience working for shipper, carrier and broker companies, industry influencer Craig Bliss has a unique perspective on the ins and outs of today’s freight market. Trucker Tools recently interviewed Craig about the current state of the industry and asked him how owner-operators and small trucking companies can meet the challenges of today’s competitive market. Here, we’ve gathered Craig’s advice on how to position your business for success, despite the ever-evolving, ever-shifting nature of the transportation landscape. Find Answers to Your Questions in the Online Trucking Community If you’re an owner-operator or the owner of a small trucking company,…
Watch the recording of our recent webinar with Choptank Transport. The challenge of visibility – the technology options, ensuring timeliness and quality and accomplishing it reliably and accurately – has been the bane of carriers and brokers ever since the first truck picked up the first shipment, and the customer asked, “where’s my load.” Yet defining the ideal visibility solution, and understanding how the technology approaches differ remains a challenge. What are the choices? Who owns the data? How do I convince carriers to get on board and give me a reliable, consistent, timely status? What does it cost? …
Time is money in the trucking business, especially for owner-operators and trucking companies. It’s pretty simple: when you reduce the time you spend on manual tasks in your trucking business, you gain more time for moving freight, finding the next load and making more money. Earlier this year, we added a powerful new digital load booking feature to the Trucker Tools free driver app called Book-It-Now. Book-It-Now reduces the time that you would otherwise spend making multiple phone calls to broker and 3PL partners to confirm load details, negotiate rates, confirm bookings and look for reloads. Using Book-It-Now in your…
At Trucker Tools, we specialize in delivering solutions that make brokers, 3PLs, and carriers more efficient in their daily operations. This dedication to creating practical, easy to use solutions that automate daily tasks using leading-edge technology has led to widespread adoption of both our free driver app and Smart Capacity real-time carrier capacity and relationship management platform. Here are five statistics about Trucker Tools’ solutions, who uses them and why it matters: 130,000+ Unique Carriers Use Smart Capacity Carriers only embrace technology that works. Because Trucker Tools’ Smart Capacity platform delivers on its promise of greater efficiency, automation, and predictive…
Efficiency is everything in the transportation business, especially for carriers and owner-operators. Time saved on daily tasks can be the difference between a decent year and a fantastic year when it comes to revenue. Check out these five facts about the Trucker Tools driver app that illustrate why so many owner-operators and carriers have incorporated Trucker Tools’ solutions into their operations. 16 Sought-after Features and Tools Instead of juggling seven or eight mobile apps while you’re on the road, you can use the Trucker Tools driver app that includes 16 practical features and tools. Our driver app aggregates real-time data…
This November 12 and 13, you can connect with Trucker Tools in person at two different industry events! Read on to learn about Trucker Tools’ presence at each conference and how our solutions can help you increase efficiency, build relationships with strategic partners and boost profitability for your business. TIA’S 3PL Technovations Conference Two days of non-stop learning with 200 plus attendees, 21 presentations on strategy and 16 hours of technology-focused education. That’s what you’ll experience at this year’s 3PL Technovations Conference, hosted by the Transportation Intermediaries Association, on November 12-13, in Amelia Island, FL. The two-day conference is for…
We’re happy to report that Trucker Tools has received a FreightWaves 2020 FreightTech 100 Award for the second consecutive year! The FreightTech 100 Awards recognize the most innovative, impactful and disruptive leaders in the freight industry. Trucker Tools is proud to be recognized again on this year’s list. FreightWaves received more than 1,200 nominations for this year’s FreightTech 100 Awards, encompassing a wide range of transportation companies, from start-ups to high-performing industry giants. This year’s list includes 70 companies who made last year’s list and 30 first-time winners. Trucker Tools and other FreightTech 100 Award winners automatically are entered to win FreightWaves…
Over the summer, the development team at Trucker Tools has been hard at work on making our free mobile driver app better than ever. We are excited to announce that a new version of the Trucker Tools driver app is scheduled to be available in Apple’s App Store this fall, followed by the Google Play Store shortly thereafter. With the release of this new version of the Trucker Tools driver app, our focus is on meeting the needs of truckers in their everyday lives. The updates included in the release are based on feedback from our trucker users. You’ll still…
We’re excited to name Freight Management Systems, Inc. as a new integration partner because of the company’s long-standing commitment to continuous improvement and helping its customers flourish. For the last 30 years, FMS has been providing logistics software solutions to trucking companies and freight brokers, forwarders and agents of all sizes. With an emphasis on helping transportation companies automate manual tasks and increase their profits, FMS offers several software solution options to its customers, including its flagship LOADPlus transportation management system. The Power of the LOADPlus/Smart Capacity Integration LOADPlus is a comprehensive logistics software solution that consolidates freight management, dispatch,…
In our recent FreightWaves webinar on how visibility is non-negotiable for brokers, several of the webinar’s attendees posed some thoughtful questions to Trucker Tools’ CEO Prasad Gollapalli about Trucker Tools’ visibility solution and the freight market. We loved the insightful questions from the audience, so we’re sharing those here with Prasad’s responses. Read on to learn more about how Trucker Tools’ Smart Capacity platform and our free, driver app can raise visibility compliance for your brokerage/3PL. Q: How do we encourage drivers to use our own tracking app? Are there any incentives or promotions that you have seen work well…
If you’re like most truckers, you no doubt have some strong opinions about freight tracking apps. Maybe you refuse to use tracking apps altogether because you feel like you never know when tracking starts and stops. Or you may use some freight tracking apps, but do so uneasily, always wondering if the location data pulled from the app will somehow be used against you. We get it. These are legitimate concerns. But it’s important to know that not all apps are the same. Trucker Tools’ Transparent Load Tracking Like you, we here at Trucker Tools believe that everyone has a…
Time is everything in the transportation business. If you can reduce the time that you spend finding and securing capacity, you can reduce your brokerage’s cost per load, increase overall load volume and ultimately increase profitability for your business. Read on to learn how Trucker Tools’ Book-It-Now can help you reduce the variable cost of covering a load to practically zero. Understanding the Variable Cost of a Load There are two types of costs in your brokerage: fixed costs and variable costs. Fixed costs remain the same, no matter how much volume you move. Variable cost is the cost associated…
The level of competition in the freight brokerage market is off the charts right now. To remain competitive as a freight broker, you have to meet your shipper's needs, foster good relationships with carriers and keep your operation running efficiently. One of the greatest challenges you face when trying to meet these goals is the fragmented nature of the current carrier market. Case in point: approximately 200,000 plus carriers move the majority of freight in the market and they are primarily owner-operators and small/mid-sized trucking companies. There are many freight management tools available to you, but what you’re looking for…
If you’re a broker, freight visibility is something that you spend a lot of time working on and thinking about, and with good reason. Major shippers require 80 to 90 percent visibility compliance for their loads. If you don’t deliver that level of visibility, you risk losing the shipper’s business. (No pressure!) You probably feel stuck using single-function freight tracking apps with your carriers with limited success and have to lean heavily on manual phone calls to make up the difference. Devoting human resources and time to manual check calls hurts your profit margins and makes your business less competitive,…
Craig Bliss is the creator and moderator of the Facebook networking group Freight Brokers & Truck Drivers. Craig also hosts the podcast Talk Freight w/Craig Bliss and is co-owner of Freightbrand, a carrier-focused consulting agency based in Phoenix, Ariz. Drawing on his previous experience working as a shipper, broker, and carrier, Craig helps businesses identify areas for potential operational improvement and gain a better understanding of how to maximize their earning potential. Trucker Tools recently spoke with Craig about the challenges and changes that carriers and brokers currently face, and what they can expect to encounter in the coming year.…
Every once in a while, a technology comes along that is truly transformative. That’s how we at Trucker Tools view Book-It-Now, a powerful tool included in our Smart Capacity carrier relationship and capacity management platform. Over the past few years, we’ve been talking with brokers and carriers about Book-It-Now at public forums, trade shows and our customer advisory board meetings. We’ve been working hard to ensure that Book-It-Now delivers on its promise of fully automating the load booking process for both brokers and carriers. Book-It-Now was officially launched earlier this year and we’re already hearing from brokers and carriers how…
This series of blogs, Driver App Tips, provides practical guidance for truckers on using Trucker Tools’ free mobile driver application. Read time: two minutes. Time to apply new skill: one minute. Benefits: Find freight loads in seconds.Book loads in advance.Reduce phone calls with brokers.Increase efficiency. Trucker Tools recently launched a new tool called Book-It-Now, available now in the free Trucker Tools driver mobile app. In simple terms, Book-It-Now connects in real-time truckers who are looking for freight to haul with brokers who are looking for trucks to haul their freight. With Book-It-Now, you can view real-time information on available loads,…
As an owner-operator or small to mid-sized trucking company, you may think to yourself, “Why is freight visibility my problem?” It’s a good and natural question, which is why we’ve dedicated a whole blog to it. Read on to learn how you can use an all-in-one alternative app that can increase the efficiency of your business instead of the single function tracking-only apps your brokers want you to use. Single Function Tracking Apps Hurt Efficiency, Put Added Pressure on Your Relationships with Brokers It’s not practical to download a new freight tracking app for every load you haul since you…
If you’re a broker looking at available load tracking solutions, there are some key questions that you should be asking to ensure that your interests are protected and that the visibility vendor is the right match for your business. Here we take a look at some red flags that could indicate potential conflicts of interest with the vendor. 1. Is the visibility vendor marketing its freight tracking solution to shippers? Some visibility software vendors are marketing their products to brokers and shippers because they hope to realize more profit by eventually cutting brokers out of the supply chain and dealing…
Trucker Tools’ integration partner, Rand McNally, was founded in 1856 in Chicago as a print shop that specialized in printing railroad guides. The company evolved over the years to become one of the most recognizable transportation and map publishing names in the United States. Today, Rand McNally specializes in maps, navigation, road travel and trip planning for the trucking industry and the consumer market. Its products include truck navigation systems, HOS logging devices, headsets, maps, atlases, travel guides, and educational materials. Integrate ELD Location Information with Trucker Tools’ Smart Capacity In its integration partnership with Trucker Tools, data from Rand…
As the owner of a large or mid-sized brokerage or logistics company, you may have invested in developing a custom mobile app for your carriers to use. Freight visibility and easier freight matching probably motivated you to develop an app for your brokerage. Even with your own app, it’s likely that load tracking continues to be a challenge. If you’re like most brokers and 3PLs, you’re struggling to convince your carriers, especially those outside your network, to use your proprietary app. In this blog, we dig into why carriers are resistant to adopting your broker mobile app and how using…
Even though Trucker Tools’ driver app has been downloaded by over 725,000 truckers and more than 130,000 carriers, we aren’t done yet! We’re excited to announce that we’ll soon be launching a new version of our free mobile driver app in both the Apple App and Google Play stores. All of your favorite tools and features will still be included in the new version of the app, but with a fresh design that is easier to use and suited for your lifestyle as a trucker. The new release of Trucker Tools’ driver app will provide automatic notifications of nearby fuel…
High reliability, real-time, accurate visibility compliance, and precision on-time pickups and deliveries are critical. It becomes table stakes in today’s high-velocity, e-commerce driven supply chains. What’s the solution? It starts and ends with the truck driver. The challenge of visibility – and how to accomplish it consistently, reliably and accurately -- has been around since the first truck picked up the first shipment, and the customer asked, “where’s my load.” Yet in defining what is visibility, the conversation can get confused. What does the shipper want and need to see, versus where is the truck, and how do I know…
As an owner-operator or owner of a small to mid-sized trucking company, you may think to yourself, “Why is freight visibility my problem?” It’s a good and natural question. While getting the freight to its destination on time is the ultimate goal for truckers, brokers say that freight visibility is equally important to shippers. That’s why they ask you or your truckers to use their shipper’s freight tracking mobile app for each load. Load Tracking Requirements Can Strain Broker/Carrier Relationship For small trucking companies and owner-operators who work with multiple brokers and 3PLs, it’s not practical to download a new…
Visibility has never been more important in today’s e-commerce driven market. Reliable, real-time, precise location intelligence – constantly updated -- is often the difference between customer success or failure. Trucker Tools had recently attended the McLeod user conference where we shared our insights on visibility tools and talked about the comprehensive visibility solution for truckload freight as an integrated McLeod partner. Watch the recording below:
Most of today’s shippers are demanding a minimum of 80 to 90 percent visibility compliance from brokers. A recent survey conducted by popular transportation publication confirms just how vital freight visibility is to shippers. In the survey, shippers were asked to name the biggest/greatest pain point that technology can solve. More than half of those shippers surveyed said poor freight visibility is the biggest pain point that they think technology can address. For broker-owners and logistics providers, that’s a clear message from shippers. If your brokerage isn’t meeting that minimum visibility compliance rate, you’re likely at risk of losing that…
Freight brokers have two customers: the beneficial owner of the freight, and the owner of the truck moving the load. Both have the same desires: give me real-time visibility into an available load or shipment in transit, be process efficient and technology-friendly, and support my carriers and customers. Technology is the key. But, not all technologies functions are built the same or deliver accurate results - especially when it comes to load tracking and tracing. The old mantra of “buyer beware” has never been truer with visibility technologies. What this session will examine The difference between “app-less” and “app-based” tracking.…
This blog is inspired by our recent conversation with owner-operator Tamara Brock. Tamara talked to us about how she uses Trucker Tools’ driver app to simplify her life on the road and increase her drive time. She had so many great ideas about using Trucker Tools’ driver app to work more efficiently that we wanted to unpack a few of the things she discussed. Check out these Tamara-inspired tips on how to use Trucker Tools’ driver app to make your business more efficient. Say Goodbye to Monthly Subscription Fees, Multiple Apps with Trucker Tools’ Free Driver App There are several…
If you’re an owner-operator or trucking company owner, you’re already familiar with one-trick pony tracking apps. One-trick pony apps are the apps that your shipper and broker customers ask you to use for tracking freight. They often don’t work and instead of making things more efficient, they leave you or your staff members with more work to do, not less. We call them one-trick ponies because they are designed to do one thing only: track freight. The good news is that we have an alternative that works better, is free and can increase your revenue. All-in-One App Designed for Truckers…
AscendTMS has the highest number of active users of any TMS in the world, making it the world’s most popular TMS software. With good reason. AscendTMS is a cloud-based TMS that requires no IT staff, installations, hardware or contracts. It’s suitable for businesses of any scale, from start-ups to established brokers, 3PLs and shippers. AscendTMS offers dispatch control, document management, and finance and accounting tools. The integration between AscendTMS and Trucker Tools’ Smart Capacity platform gives you (as the broker, 3PL or shipper) access to powerful load tracking, load matching, and carrier management capabilities. You can view Smart Capacity’s real-time…
When a shipper tells you that you need to use a specific load tracking mobile app with their freight, you probably think your only option is to push the app onto your carriers, knowing they don’t want to use it. We have good news! The truth is that you do have other options. What your shipper cares about most is visibility of their freight. Using the integration between Trucker Tools’ free driver app and your shipper’s preferred load tracking technology, your shippers can get the greater visibility that they want. At the same time, you give your carriers a free,…
Life as a trucker means constantly balancing competing demands for your attention and time. As broker, 3PL and shipper partners have become more insistent on tracking freight loads more closely, the pressure you feel as an owner-operator or carrier to use freight tracking technologies in everyday operations has continually ratcheted up. Most broker, shipper and 3PL partners want you to adopt a proprietary freight tracking software or app whose sole purpose is tracking. These single-feature, tracking-only tools usually cannot be used with other brokers/3PLs/shippers. The result? You are faced with installing a new freight tracking app for each and every…
In our monthly link round-up, combat fear of missing out by checking out these summaries of Trucker Tools’ top blogs from the last month. In the round-up for September, discover how brokers and logistics providers are more than doubling their tracking compliance success rates and raising their efficiency with Trucker Tools’ visibility solution. You’ll also find out how to raise your shipper service offerings during peak season and track key metrics to increase efficiency for your brokerage. Read on to learn more about the Tailwind TMS/Trucker Tools’ Smart Capacity integration and its ability to reduce the time you spend on…
As an owner-operator or small trucking company, it’s likely that your broker/shipper partners ask you to use specific freight tracking software when you haul their loads. You may be asked to share your location information with brokers and others through your smartphone with a freight-tracking app or by sharing the location data collected by your ELD. Most truckers and carriers want to know if their privacy is being protected with these freight tracking technologies. With this in mind, we discuss three different kinds of freight tracking technology and the transparency of each. Tracking-only, Single-Function Apps If you’re a trucker, you’ve…
As the need for visibility has become more intense, the methods for tracking freight have expanded. Brokers and 3PLs may request access to location data captured by a truck’s ELD for the purpose of tracking freight. Freight brokers also may be asked to use a shipper’s proprietary freight tracking software or single-function tracking-only app. A third option is the Trucker Tools app-based visibility solution that simplifies life on the road for carriers and provides reliable, accurate tracking for brokers. In this blog, we discuss each choice and why carriers often prefer Trucker Tools’ multi-functional driver app over other load tracking…
If you want to increase freight visibility for your brokerage or logistics company, this blog post is for you. In this post, we discuss how choosing a visibility technology that carriers trust and that integrates with your shipper’s preferred load tracking technology can strengthen relationships with both. Instead of passively accepting the low tracking compliance success rate of your shipper’s preferred freight tracking technology, read on to learn how you can increase visibility, reduce check-calls and increase efficiency for your business while fostering stronger relationships with your partners. Not All App-Based Tracking Solutions Are Alike The tracking technology you’re using…
It’s a question worth asking, especially given the competitive nature of the freight brokerage and third-party logistics markets. If you want to outpace your competition, an average visibility rate just won’t do. Let’s face it: shippers are more likely to do repeat business with partners who can provide accurate, continuous freight visibility. When shippers have visibility for their shipments, they can better manage their dock schedules and human resources, and also stay in front of service issues with their customers. Despite recent technological developments, industry tracking compliance success rates generally hover around the 30 to 40 percent mark. This leaves…
Owner-operator Tamara Brock has been a trucker for five years. She works for LTI Trucking Service, based in St. Louis, Mo., hauling primarily reefer and frozen freight in a region stretching from Texas to Pennsylvania. Trucker Tools recently spoke with Tamara about why she uses Trucker Tools’ free driver app, how it simplifies her life on the road and her tips for using the app. Tamara also spoke to us about what it’s like as a woman working in trucking and the advice she has for women new to trucking or who are interested in entering the industry. Tamara, thank…
This series of blogs, Smart Capacity Carrier Tips, provides practical guidance for dispatchers on using Trucker Tools’ Smart Capacity real-time carrier capacity and relationship management platform. Smart Capacity’s Data Aggregation Drives Efficiency For carrier dispatchers, having access to real-time information on available freight loads and available trucks in a single platform can be a major time-saver. Trucker Tools’ Smart Capacity real-time carrier capacity and relationship management platform does exactly that. Smart Capacity lets carrier dispatchers search in real-time for available freight, book loads, book reloads and automates communications with brokers and third-party logistics providers. Read on to learn how your…
This series of blogs, Smart Capacity Broker Tips, provides practical guidance for freight brokers and logistics companies on using Trucker Tools’ Smart Capacity real-time carrier capacity and relationship management platform. Time to read: five minutes. When choosing the technology to use in your brokerage’s day-to-day operations, a solution’s ability to streamline manual tasks should be at the top of the list. Significant efficiency gains can be had when you automate daily activities such as making emails and phone calls to inquire about available freight loads, ETAs and the location of freight. Reducing the manual tasks associated with each load ultimately…
Tailwind Transportation Software provides small and mid-sized trucking companies, freight brokerages and third-party logistics providers with an all-in-one cloud-based transportation management system that centralizes data entry and storage. Tailwind’s TMS is built on a monthly-subscription model and includes robust support, including online training, instructional videos and in-app support. Customers can choose from Tailwind’s standard, pro and enterprise TMS versions according to the scale and volume of their businesses. The ability to search for freight capacity with greater efficiency is just one of the benefits offered by the integration between Trucker Tools’ Smart Capacity real-time carrier capacity and relationship management platform…
For the last 30 years, freight brokerage and logistics service provider Genpro has been providing integrated shipper and carrier solutions to food producers, retailers, distributors, wholesalers and other manufacturers in the U.S. domestic market. Genpro’s flexible model lets shippers and carriers partner with Genpro in a meaningful way and drive true value to its operations and supply chain. In a recent webinar with Trucker Tools, Genpro’s VP of Operations and Strategy Russ Bowen spoke about the value of the company’s partnerships with Trucker Tools and its strategic partner, MercuryGate. MercuryGate’s transportation management system and Trucker Tools’ Smart Capacity have helped…
On September 15-18, the Trucker Tools team will be in attendance at the 2019 in.sight User Conference + Expo in Houston, Texas, hosted by TMW Systems and its parent company, Trimble. The expo brings together transportation industry professionals and users of TMW Systems’ software from across the country. Expo attendees are invited to attend more than 350 educational sessions and experience the latest technology the industry has to offer in its exhibition hall. Networking events also will be held throughout the four-day expo. Learn How Trucker Tools’ Load Tracking Can Increase Freight Visibility, Efficiency and Shipper Satisfaction Even though most…
Autumn is here and for the transportation industry, that means that peak shipping season is in full swing! During the months of August, September, and October, most companies’ sales are on the rise as consumers prepare for the start of the school year and the upcoming winter holidays. As a result, rates and overall freight volume are usually at their highest at this time of year, which usually translates into an uptick in business for freight brokerages and third-party logistics providers. During this busy time of year, shippers may be more interested in continuous load tracking, especially when they’re moving…
Read time: 15 min Double your tracking compliance, guaranteed! Otherwise, the month is on us. Watch this recording of our webinar on our recent case study with Choptank Transport. Choptank Transport is leveraging Trucker Tools’ real-time data to increase its carrier adoption of tracking technology, freight location accuracy, continuous freight tracking, and operational efficiency. Learn how Choptank: Gained full load visibility from start-to-finishIncreased carrier adoption of tracking technologyImproved operational efficiencyProvided shippers with continuous, start-to-finish freight tracking information Watch the recording today! https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/15422149830540039 Q & A Transcript Tracy Neill: We did have several questions come in. So I'm going to read…
Today, even small and mid-sized freight brokerage and logistics firms have access to powerful data streams that can provide valuable insight into how your business operates and performs. Analyzing metrics such as shipping accuracy, average dwell time and manual check-call/load rates provides insight into what your business is doing well and where it can improve. Understanding efficiency metrics can help brokerage and 3PL owners make more informed decisions, control costs, choose technology with a high ROI and raise revenue. Trucker Tools’ real-time carrier capacity and relationship management platform, Smart Capacity, is built to help brokers and 3PLs automate many of…
This year’s National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is here! This week, Sept. 8-14, Trucker Tools and many others in the transportation industry and beyond are honoring professional truck drivers across this country. We’re saying a big thank you for all that you do, day in and day out. Thank you for making sure we have food on our tables every night, the clothes for our kids as they go back to school and all that we need to take care of our families. Thank you for driving those long hours, going the extra mile with service and for being there…
The 2019 produce season saw reduced freight markets due to severe weather and an increase in capacity, which kept freight rates lower than they were in 2018. Though rates have not been as high as last year, overall freight volume increased for the 2019 produce season. With multiple forces at work shaping the ebb and flow of the freight market, it can be difficult to predict exactly where rates will fall for the 2020 produce season. Regardless, carriers can be proactive in implementing best practices in the coming months to help ensure that the 2020 produce season is a profitable…
The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) is hosting its EDGE Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition September 15-18 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. Trucker Tools will be in attendance at this premier industry event that includes more than 30 hours of educational content, 150+ exhibitors and more than 25 hours of networking with more than 3,000 supply chain management professionals. Brokers and third-party logistics providers attend CSCMP’s annual EDGE conference and exhibition to learn about the latest supply chain developments and innovations. Trucker Tools is thrilled to bring its intelligent supply chain solutions to attendees who…
Company Snapshot: Syfan Logistics is a comprehensive third-party logistics (3PL) company that provides freight capacity, expedited delivery, freight management, and brokerage services to several industriesExpertise in Foodstuffs Delivery - well-versed in hauling deadline-sensitive, perishable food products.Syfan owns its own fleet of over-the-road Syfan Transport trucks and trailers Client Challenges: How to provide accurate, start-to-finish freight visibility to shippersFinding a tracking solution that is reliable, accurate and appealing to carriersApp-less tracking solutions failed to deliver on their promises of accurate and continuous visibility, as well as greater efficiency Solution: Migrated to Trucker Tools for accurate, real-time tracking and predictive load matching…
In our monthly link round-up, combat fear of missing out by checking out summaries of Trucker Tools’ top blogs from the last month. In this round-up, learn how achieving continuous, accurate freight visibility can be a win for all segments of the transportation industry, from brokers and 3PLs to shippers, carriers, and consumers. In our partner highlight feature, you can read how a shared focus on harnessing the power of technology to increase operational efficiency is at the heart of the partnership between McLeod Software and Trucker Tools. The final blog in this monthly round-up covers the Great American Trucking…
Freight visibility is a must have for brokers and 3PLs due to the more stringent expectations of shippers. Shippers expect to know where their load is at all times. Providing timely and accurate information to shippers is very important for brokers in order to stay ahead of the competition. Syfan Logistics faced significant challenges in providing accurate, start to finish freight visibility before they migrated to Trucker Tools. Carrier adoption of tracking apps is a huge challenge for brokers and 3PLs today, which causes low visibility. Syfan Logistics experienced higher carrier adoption after switching to Trucker Tools due to the…
The countdown is on! The 2019 Great American Trucking Show is fast approaching and we couldn’t be happier. On Aug. 22-24, we’ll be joining trucking professionals and vendors from all over the world for GATS’ 20th-anniversary meeting in Dallas, Texas. The Trucker Tools team looks forward to GATS every year because it’s an event that is made for and celebrates truckers, who are at the center of everything we do. At GATS, owner-operators and carriers can see new technologies and how they work, get additional training and check out new tools that can help them run their businesses better. With…
For the last 34 years, McLeod Software has led the way in creating intelligent software solutions for the transportation industry. With an emphasis on leveraging the power of sophisticated technology, McLeod Software’s solutions have helped transform the business operations of trucking, freight brokerage, third-party logistics and shippers across the country. The company has received numerous awards and accolades for its innovative and impactful solutions. In 2018, McLeod Software was ranked number 14 on FreightWave’s Freight.Tech25, which recognizes the most innovative and disruptive companies in the freight industry. McLeod Software’s solutions encompass freight brokerage management, dispatch operations management, fleet management, document…
Providing accurate and continuous visibility data to shippers is vital to third-party logistics providers and freight brokerages who want to stay ahead of their competitors. Trustworthy visibility data helps both segments of the transportation market provide precise ETAs to shippers. Reliable tracking information also allows 3PLs and brokers to be proactive in resolving shipping exceptions, unforeseen delays and other barriers to efficiency. When shippers receive accurate tracking data from brokerages and 3PLs, they can optimize their dock scheduling and shift human resources to accommodate freight pickup and delivery schedules as they change, offering greater overall efficiency for shippers as well.…
Freight visibility/tracking can benefit shippers, carriers, and brokers by optimizing operations for efficiency and building positive business relationships. Though freight visibility can benefit all segments of the supply chain, it’s still a target that is often missed. Most visibility solutions are plagued by low carrier adoption rates, lack of transparency, limited functionality and incorrect location data. Unlike many freight tracking options in the market today, Trucker Tools’ GPS-enabled freight tracking technology delivers on its promise of continuous, precise freight tracking while building trust between shippers, carriers and brokers. Shippers: Increase Operational Efficiency, Receive Accurate Load Arrival Times Instead of utilizing…
Truckers are the backbone of the American trucking, an industry that generated $800 billion in revenue in the U.S. economy in 2018. They haul approximately 10.5 billion tons of freight each year and move 70 percent of all goods that are transported within the United States. Each year, a trucker drives about 125,000 miles and spends an average of more than 240 nights away from home. All across the country, we depend on the daily work that truckers do and the sacrifices they make. Truckers ensure that there’s food on the shelves at the grocery store, that people get the…
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.…
Load Tracking is one of the 16 trucker-centric tools included in the Trucker Tools driver app. It is also a feature in Smart Capacity, Trucker Tools’ real-time carrier capacity and relationship management platform for brokers, fleet dispatchers, and third-party logistics (3PL) providers. In simple terms, Trucker Tools’ load tracking allows brokers and 3PLs to track the location of their loads from the start of the trip to finish. Trucker Tools’ load tracking platform works differently from many other freight tracking tools. Instead of relying solely on cell phone tower triangulation, as other freight tracking systems often do, Trucker Tools utilizes…
At Trucker Tools, we understand just how powerful data can be when it is shared across software systems and platforms. Real-time data exchange can increase the efficiency of daily operations, provide customers with highly accurate freight tracking information and help connect brokers and 3PLs with available capacity. That is why Trucker Tools forms partnership relationships with other service and software providers in the transportation industry. We recognize that software integration benefits everyone in the supply chain, from the owner-operator with a single truck and micro-carriers of 10 trucks or less to brokerages and third-party logistics (3PL) providers. Trucker Tools integrated…
In this age of two-day home delivery and automated delivery notifications, customers expect visibility throughout the supply chain. Whether it’s the shipper, distributor or consumer, everyone expects to be able to track the progress of their freight, purchase or package. As a result, freight visibility (freight tracking) has become an absolute must-have service offering for third-party logistics (3PL) providers. Many 3PLs, however, struggle to successfully implement technology-based tracking solutions. They often find it difficult to get buy-in from small carriers and owner-operators, who haul most of the freight in the United States. 3PL’s Revenue Growth Built on Strong Micro-carrier Network Choptank…
Living and working in the age of Big Data comes with its own specific challenges. For brokers, one of the greatest challenges is getting available capacity and tracking/visibility information in a matter of seconds instead of hours. The ability to exchange real-time, accurate information with truckers can be the difference between seeing an increase or decrease in revenue for a brokerage. Information Is Power Trucker Tools’ Smart Capacity carrier relationship and capacity management platform, which includes tracking, and free Trucker Tools driver app together form a real-time, automated communication channel between brokers, carriers, truckers and3PLs. Instead of relying on phone calls, emails or load…
Even if you are relatively new to the transportation industry, you have probably heard a lot about detention. Detention is when a trucker spends more time than expected at a shipper or receiver’s location waiting to load or unload freight. Why does detention occur? It can happen for a number of reasons on the shipper/receiver’s end, including inadequate staffing, overscheduling and the use of outdated technology. Detention is bad for truckers, carriers, brokers and customers because it reduces the overall efficiency and capacity of the supply chain. It affects truckers and carriers most significantly, because detention decreases revenue and increases…
Truckload freight capacity is the most highly fragmented, difficult to manage market segment in the transportation industry. Some 80 percent of available, over-the-road truckload capacity is provided by hundreds of thousands of single-truck owner-operators and “micro-carriers” with 9 trucks or less. It’s a market ripe for new digital collaboration technologies – particularly mobile smart-phone based tools and platforms -- that can help freight brokers grow by building better, more reliable capacity networks of trusted micro-carriers. More importantly, however, is how these platforms and mobile tools can also help thousands of small, independent truckers find loads faster, operate more efficiently, develop more…
Finding convenient and available parking is a significant problem for truckers. In a recent study, parking was ranked as the second-highest concern that truckers have today and as their number one cause of stress on the job. When truckers are unable to find parking, it increases the likelihood that they will violate hours of service limits, which becomes a safety and liability issue. Lack of parking also may lead truckers to park in unsafe areas and spend significant amounts of time trying to find parking, which results in lost revenue. Hours of Service Limits Truckers generally view truck stops and…
Tax season is upon us! If that statement makes you feel a creeping dread, you’re not alone. Preparing for tax filing and the filing itself can be stressful for both owner-operators and small trucking companies. Tax filing is a sort of reckoning of finances for the year and it’s something that every business owner must deal with. Establishing Good Habits There are ways for owner-operators and leaders of small trucking companies to reduce the stress of tax season. First among these is preparation. Whether you’ve set up your business as a sole proprietor, single member LLC, LLC partnership or corporation,…
For most of us in the United States, spring has either just arrived or it’s looming on the horizon. As the days grow longer, temperatures rise and roads become easier to navigate, business for owner-operators and small carriers tends to increase significantly. Here are some tips on how you can prepare for a busy and profitable spring and summer. Maintenance Make sure that your truck cooling systems are maintained and running properly in preparation for the heat of late spring and summer. This entails checking the levels and colors of antifreeze/coolant, which you should do every 500 hours/20,000 miles/three months…
If you’re in the trucking business, you’ve probably heard of The Mid-America Trucking Show or MATS for short, which began in the 1970s. Since then, it’s become one of the most important events of the year for truckers. It is a three-day conference for owner-operators and carriers that brings together brokers, shippers, 3PLs, truckers, owner-operators and vendors from all over the world to network, attend educational sessions and learn about new technologies and services. MATS will be held this March 28 through March 30 in Louisville, Ky., at the Kentucky Exhibition Center, near the Louisville International Airport. Over that three-day…
The capacity crunch of 2018 shined an unforgiving light on the issue of detention – making drivers wait excessively for their trucks to be loaded or unloaded at shipping docks. The ugly truth – poor planning practices by shippers increased anxiety with an already stressed-out driver community, created unnecessary inefficiencies and extra costs, and left badly-needed capacity sitting idle for an unacceptable amount of time, wasted on the sidelines. And in a market already short of drivers and tight on capacity, drivers have a choice: put up with shippers who waste their time, or reject those loads and gravitate to…