General Purpose Trips Database Software App?

I've considered cloud file sharing but I'm not interested in sharing an app's data with other users, but only want it readily available to the one end user, from any device. My app concept is not intended for "small fleets" but rather an individual driver.

But mostly, I just don't like the concept of a "flat database" (spreadsheet) that is very difficult to work with and easy to "mess up" unintentionally, especially when working with it from the limitations of a small-screen smartphone.

I personally had rather work with "forms" for data entry/edits, as well as review of data and "onscreen reports". I'm going to do this for myself anyway. Once I get the bugs worked out (if I can get it that far), and it can be used by a variety of different driver types (CPM, percentage, per-trip, etc) I'll make it available to a few beta volunteers and see where it goes.

Admittedly this software is difficult to master to make for a truly functional and desirable piece of customized software, that works across multiple platforms, but nothing that's worth doing is easy.

 

I have built very extensive custom applications using Microsoft Access and OpenOffice but it's a shame there is no easy way to port those applications over to multi-platform (smartphone) compatible apps that still function at least somewhat the way they do on a desktop, and with current data that does not need to be "synchronized" (as in SQL data on a hosted server)

Setting up relational database apps (to incorporate different data sets and relate them to a given parent record) with excel or other spreadsheet is as easy as herding cats. But then again, working with SQL data and from multiple platforms, in a common format is not easy either.

I can appreciate why developers charge $100+ dollars an hour for their expertise and mildly complex apps can cost $30-50k to build from the ground up, just for one version (Android or iOS)

 

Will do. Once I get past the initial learning curve of the software with designing the company driver app, the modified apps for owner op's will be relatively easy. Plus, I'll try and design them in such a way the user can add their own unique "items" and defaults to more or less customize it for their unique needs.

The initial learning curve is always the hardest. From what I've found so far with Zoho, with desktop data entry, the process will be fairly straight forward and quick, however doing data entry via a smartphone will be a bit more tedious, although not overly impossible.

In many respects there will be lot of similarities and between an o-o app and a co. driver app, yet there are unique requirements for the owner-op app. However, technically, an o-op would be a able use the co driver app almost as effectively insofar as tracking road expenses, advances, expected revenue, etc, however accommodations would need to be made for carrier deductions from settlements for various things at various times.

But I also plan on it being as useful as the driver decides to implement it. i.e if a user just wants to put in just some data and just some pay items, and just some reimbursement items and maybe not bother with tracking fuel, that's fine, but the more detailed the user is with data entry, the more useful the app will be. It will not be able to read minds. That said, I do plan on automating as much default data entry as possible where/when I can to save time and make more user friendly and less opportunity for data entry error.

I halfway expect to have something close to what I'd like by January, depending on how much time I'm able to spend with it and how much community help I can get from other Zoho developers as I try and navigate the many hurdles I'll come across.