In this Trucker Tools blog series, Level Up Your Trucking Business, we’re providing you with tried and true ways to maximize your profit margins, operate more efficiently and create a solid foundation for your trucking business. With capacity shortages already at record-breaking levels, inventories low and continued congestion at ports, this peak shipping season likely will be an intense one for you as an owner operator or carrier. One of the best ways that you can reduce stress and increase productivity during peak shipping season is to use technology to your advantage during this extremely busy time. With the right tech, you can reduce the time that you spend on activities that don’t generate revenue and increase the time that you have available for driving and making money.
Check out these five time-saving tips for navigating this year’s intense peak shipping season.
1. Find, Book Quality Loads Faster with Digital Technology
Using digital freight matching technology can reduce the time that it takes for you to find and book quality loads. For example, the digital freight matching and load booking tools included in Trucker Tools’ app/free carrier platform let you search for loads with your favorite brokers in a matter of seconds. Instead of answering emails and phone calls from brokers or wasting time on load boards, you can find and book your loads instantly any time of day or night. It’s also easy to find and book backhauls with digital freight matching technology, which helps you reduce deadhead miles.
2. Reduce Check Calls with Transparent Digital Load Tracking
Check calls interrupt your workflow, whether you’re a driver behind the wheel or a carrier dispatcher. To save time during this year’s intense peak shipping season, consider using real-time load tracking technology for tracking broker loads. The load tracking tool included in Trucker Tools’ free app provides automated location updates to the broker in real-time. Most who use this technology see a reduction in check calls. Trucker Tools’ load tracking also provides complete transparency for drivers. As a trucker, when you’re actively tracking a load, you can see who is receiving the info and for what load. You also have the power to pause or cancel the track from the app.
3. Use App Tech To Document Detention
In a survey last month, we asked truckers and carriers like you from across North America about what your biggest challenges are. According to the survey results, detention remains the number one problem for owner operators and carriers like you. During peak shipping season, detention likely will increase, as will the amount of time that you may be detained. In order to get paid for detention time, be sure to use load tracking technology that helps you document your detention time. Taking screen shots of your load tracks showing your dwell time can help you make your case for detention pay.
4. Upload BOL, POD Documents To Get Paid Faster
Using technology that makes it easy for you to send digital copies of BOL and POD documents to brokers helps you get paid faster. Who doesn’t like that?! All-in-one mobile apps like Trucker Tools’ prompt you to upload BOL/POD documents when you finish tracking a load with the app. BOL/POD upload capability is a huge time saver because you don’t need to fax, scan or drop off these documents to the broker in order to get paid. It’s also more convenient for the brokers with whom you work.
5. Book and Pay for Overnight Parking in Advance
That last thing that you want to do at the end of a busy day is to drive around and look for a safe place to park, yet that’s what many truckers do. To save time during this intense peak shipping season, use technology that makes it easy for you to find and book secure parking in advance. With the Trucker Tools app, you can search for parking at rest areas, truck stops, public parking areas and private lots in a matter of seconds. Thanks to a partnership with TruckPark, you also can find, book and pay for paid overnight parking in advance directly in the Trucker Tools app.
For more time-saving tips that will come in handy during peak shipping season, be sure to check out Level Up Your Trucking Business: 10 Ways Trucker Tools Helps You Save Time on the Road.
To download Trucker Tools’ free mobile app, visit https://www.truckertools.com/carriers/.
