What is something that can make it easier?

I am wanting to help drivers!!!
​

Although I'm a computer programmer and not a driver, I have ridden with drivers and seen how it can be a very stressful job. I understand how important you people are to the economy.

I would like to make a phone application that would make your job easier.
However, since I'm not a driver I don't know what would help, so I was hoping y'all could give me some ideas?

It could be something that helps with log books, 34 hour restarts, load numbers, or even something to help with dispatchers! Anything that would help make it easier for y'all!

Do any of y'all have any ideas?

Please share them!!!

 

A faster machine than these 80s Qualcomm black boxes
with one touch options.

If I could just snap a picture on my phone of the bill and cash receipts that would save me hassle against unwilling trans flows.

For truck stops a number I could text and report to the desk nefarious bums and the like.

 

Something that is adjustable (for frequency) and announces how much time is left until the mandatory 30 minute break is required, how many hours are left for the day/week, a GPS-like function that announces (audibly) how far (distance), miles-per gallon and fuel consumption and predictions, directions, estimates driving time, load and unload times (based on loads and weights that we program in) etc. Something that incorporates all of this (and some other things, give me enough time and I can give you a list) into one gadget or app would be awesome as heck. The audible announcing would be key for me, every hour, 1/2 hour, 15 minutes, etc., programmed to announce as frequently as necessary or wanted.

 

I'd like to have a tool which could perform multiple preset searches on load boards several times per day. Such as F, D 150 mile radius of Chicago, same parameters for Baltimore, Nashville, Houston, Kansas City, etc... and return the number of available loads per day, then put it on a line graph for me. Load volume isn't everything, but it would be nice to see which areas are expanding, which are shrinking, if there are certain days of the week when more loads are available, etc... Is something like that possible ?

 

Theres an APP for that.. I have them both, Transflo and Trip-pak

 

* I'd call it the Cowboy Trucker app;

*ECM plug from my phone to my ECM, tune on the fly, pull back error codes. Even if its just with a windows phone.

*Real Time Traffic

*Truck stop locations and real time fuel pricing, parking rates etc. Before you exit. All of them, not just the popular ones.

*Access to a real time repeater to channel 19, with selective localities.

*Integrated weather system to future destinations prior to departure on a trip meter.

* open source, so it can be a masterpiece

* integrate the EMS and local authority scanner frequencies

 

Why do we need more technology to do our thinking for us???? There are some apps that make sense, like the CAT scale one, and a few others that look like they could be useful, but if you can't remember when you need to take your 30 minute break, or when your 11 or 14 runs out, or can't get someplace without a GPS then there are some issues there.

People want all this technology, but then pass on (don't have or don't turn on) the one gadget that can save so much headache, stupid questions, and possibly a life or two . . . the CB. I just love it when there is a brake check, and someone comes on the CB wanting to know why traffic is stopped, when it has been the topic of discussion for the past 15 minutes. I wonder how many of these accidents where a driver slams into a line of traffic could have been prevented by having the CB on. How many drivers could have avoided other issues just by having the CB turned on.

 

Sounds like many of the users here need to hire a competent secretary or butler, and all problems would be solved.

But to the OP, I had the same idea but as I began to do research and looked into the reality that the trucker segment is relatively small, too small to support any significant ad-based revenue, and that truckers are not known to shell out money for something they can't see and touch, and that research proves that every year, more and more will ONLY download free apps, I backed off. But if you proceed make sure you realize truckers own android 5 to 1 over IOS, and it's almost inconceivable to produce ONLY an Android app so be prepared to spend a lot of time and money for development of both, but only 1 will stand half a chance.

 

Really? Trucking to small to support an app? And where do you get the numbers of android 5-1. Most every driver I see has an I-phone but maybe I'm hanging out at the wrong places.
Allow me to mention a few app. that have done well in the trucking" in cab trip pack. different gps, how about the sunset to sunrise, how about weather reporting, some are using log book apps. .
And us drivers do shell out a lot of money for technogy and electronics. Especially apps and gps.

I personally would like to see an app. that would use the gps to get track of miles in each state as I have to report this to IFTA.

 

The trucking segment that wants an "app" is limited because you can throw out all of the union line haul drivers, the local P&D drivers, many of the private carrier drivers, the "local drivers", etc and that is a lot to eliminate. The app market IMO is limited to the "typical truckload carrier driver". Ad supported apps are typically marketed to the "general public consumer" (i.e. not marketed to a particular employment segment) where there are 90 million plus potential down-loaders and users. And this article is one of dozens that say the same thing regarding app pricing. And you have to have 10s of thousands of apps out there being used an average of 4 hours week per user to realize click-through rates substantial enough to consider worthwhile. Just viewing an ad doen't pay anybody anything more then peanuts even in massive numbers. Who clicks on ads? My point is you have to market to HUGE markets and not highly specialized markets unless you can put a worthwhile price on the app and can justify the cost with productivity improvement.

And if you believe in polls I'd direct you to this technology poll I understand it may not be an entirely accurate representation of the industry but you have to admit the numbers are hard to ignore.