General Purpose Trips Database Software App?

Not sure how to word the title but I'm looking for a database solution that a company driver could use to track their loads, revenue, fuel MPG, reimbursements, expenses, "diary", etc utilizing a cloud database and accessible from a variety of front ends (Mac, android, windows, iPhone etc)

I would assume someone has built something more or less universal for the company driver and maybe also for the lease operator or owner operator. I'm thinking perhaps something built with Filemaker Pro perhaps?

Anyone seen a pre-built solution similar to this that can be customized? I will see if someone comes back with some reply but in the mean time I'm going to work on building something that works for me, but will build in a way that can be used by a variety of drivers types (company, lease, CPM, percentage pay, etc) I'm thinking of using Filemaker as it seems to be the most universal and relatively easy to work with and only about $10 month. I may get into Filemaker and find it's not the optimal solution but we'll see. I havenever used Filemaker but I consider myself pretty savvy regarding database backends, forms and reporting solutions.

I want something beyond a "spreadsheet solution" that is clunky and not user friendly, especially across multiple platforms and not well suited to central database (cloud) friendly to access and insert/update current information from any smartphone or pad device or computer.

 

That did not take long. Come to find out you have to buy the server module (to allow centralized cloud data) and this is $29 moth. Not sure that's feasible. Need to look for other cloud solution to host the database (data)

 

I know it can but that's not what I want. A polished version of what I'm thinking will make an excel user wonder what they were doing screwing around with excel or any other spreadsheet software. Will be much faster and easier to work with and report on.

 

I think I may have found a good cloud solution for $5 month and includes hosted database ($10/month for backups and other features) I'm doing the 15 day free trial on their most basic offering. (Zoho.com)

The basic design in a desktop/laptop web browser is easy enough, but will have to see how this works from within a smartphone or tablet but initial impressions are favorable at this very early stage. It allows for subforms (fuel, expenses, advances, etc)

I have not yet delved into it's "reporting" features. But I assume you can export out to PDF/email and include calculated fields and group sums, on selected date ranges (income for a month or quarter for instance) As well as basic things like monthly fuel costs and MPG

Anyway, I'll play around with it a while and report back as I get deeper into it to determine it's possibilities. But for those with somewhat advanced computer skills and database design knowledge and who want the ability to build a database that can be accessed from multiple users and/or devices, from anywhere, this may be something to look into.

I had built a fully functional iPhone app that was actually quite extensive but it wasn't ready for prime-time and since I stopped with it's development and stopped keeping it current, it no longer works in current iOS builds, plus it was not cloud based and accessible from other types of devices/computers so I did not see much of a market for it.

BTW, in my search, I had ran into a few other options that were from Russian developers and sources. I passed on those.

 

I'm not interested in "accounting" software so much as I'm looking for something more geared to the company driver keeping tack of what is owed them and how they are performing in terms of miles, MPG, revenue projections, reimbursements, etc. Also it would give them something to compare their pay stubs to to insure they are getting what they are owed ... to sort of "reconcile" their pay stubs to what they have inputted.

Most are happy with a "paper system" and I am too, but many would then input the data from the "paper system" into the database (instead of a clunky spreadsheet only accessible from one computer) as time permitted to perform accurate calculations (reports) and have the data as a permanent "diary" of sorts.

Zoho looks promising. The data is centrally located and accessible from any web browser, as well as any android or iOS device and the [cloud] service is only $5 month presently, and the smartphone apps are free.

Ideally you would input the data at a more speedy and comfortable laptop or home computer, but you could review/edit the data and view screen reports and print/view/email PDF reports at any smartphone from any location