Highway App

Highway app has been around for a while and I am very familiar with it. Recently though, they have started wanting me to upload my photo ID. I refuse to put sensitive information like my DL on some website, we hear about hacking all the time. And I think a photo, address and dl# are pretty sensitive information. I currently have an email in to highway to see if there is a work around.

My question is this. Am I over reacting? I’m not the most tech savvy so maybe I’m making a mountain out of a mole hill. And two. Are you comfortable doing it?

 

I have a “Gas Buddy” app which works fine, however, lately it was been asking for more personal 411 which I keep ignoring and it still works. Also there has been some other personal apps that I have deleted for the same reason when they request personal 411. Knock on wood, so far I have not been hacked with the exception of junk emails which I report and never open them.

 

I agree with you 100%. These people try to inject themselves as gatekeepers and we always hear about breaches because they fail to uphold their responsibilities. Just a soft power play to gain more control over drivers that opens doors to identity theft, the only persons that needs to see you license is company HR or DOT and even then all they really need is the number. Plenty of illegals out there using fraudulent credential, and some cubicle dweller at Highway making 30K/year will be glad to sell the database for 5 grand cash and then there will be 48 "Senor Elmer Fudpuckers" driving around. This is social engineering and phising as a long slow game. Remember they said "download out app, it will help you out": and now you are getting this mission creep. I'm not comfortable with it, "Protect your CDL" applies and if they can't show a legitimate need for this and robust safeguards (not hot air), then they ain't getting it and if that means truckers aren't going to use their app then that is their problem not mine.

 

Highway app is a carrier on-boarding and compliance provider for many brokerages. At first it was nice because you didn’t have to fill out carrier packets for 25 different brokers. Now they want to use biometrics for security. They want you to upload a government issued photo ID and then scan your face. Just to make sure you are who you say you are. I have a real problem with scanning my ID and sending it god knows where to just be hacked and make it that much easier to steal my identity. Brokers are not required to do this step. Why am I as the carrier? Especially since I am an established carrier with great reviews.

 

Convenience always leads to loss of security. There's another thread about this recently too. You're not crazy. It's the desparate people with a lackadaisical and careless approach that allows this type of intrusion to continue. All it will take is enough carriers to stop using Highway for it to end .

Biggest obstacle to that happening is the current market. Too many bottom feeders swimming around dying a slow death grasping for every little penny. When the next ripple in the Matrix happens things will loosen up.

 

Why do they need your photo ID ? really, why ? Are they wanting you to show up in person and taking fingerprints, etc. ? No, so there is no way for them to really be sure you are who you say you are. The best security is keeping that stuff out of circulation, not putting it out there at 27 different places. You are an established carrier and have been doing this long enough, it might be a little pita having to send out broker packets if you pick up some new business but you can get along just fine without them. How do they do without truckers ? It seems they need to learn a lesson the hard way, or there is something shady coming down the road because there is really no legitimate need for them to have your CDL like they are a government agency.

 

I went around and around with the guy at highway. He said they handle all the information, but their privacy policy says they use a vendor. He says they are completely safe. I asked if there was zero chance of this information getting hacked. He did not answer. I asked if brokers had to provide this information, again he did not answer. I agree with you, and while it may temporarily hurt I am not providing this information. I don’t see why two factor authentication can’t accomplish the same goal.

 

They. Could not provide a clear answer. Just that they are implementing new biometric security protocols. I thought about uploading a dick pic.

 

Good for you to stand up. Unfortunately, too many will fold like lawn chairs.

I understand the need to reduce potential thefts and double brokering scams but a picture of your truck door with company name/USDOT given to the broker combined with the shipper taking a picture of the same has always been a safer bet.

I can easily doctor up some driver's licenses to say anything I want on them and upload it to Highway but it does not prove anything. Those manually taken pictures do though. This isn't about safety it's about control and data acquisition.

 

I guarantee they are selling your data - but then again, so is everyone.

I also think this is a genuine attempt to combat freight theft and fraud. I don't think it's going to be effective, but they're trying.