starting an app

Worse, there is already an oversize load book/manual on the market that is quite thorough, and even that still insists you read your permits since states will change them and it is the responsibility of the driver to read, understand and follow that permit. Most people that haul oversize need to consult their permit and if need be the locality they are running through. It's not optional, you're required to sign the permit saying you've read it and understand it so the application will be useless. Your application won't be useful to the people that actually haul OS...hence it will be merely a curiosity for people that don't and make them feel...enlightened.

Now if you want an application that's useful for people, maybe one that helps a driver while inspecting his truck have a checklist of things to check that he can mark off while he does it.
Oh, wait a minute, that's what the DVIR is for.

 

I disagree with you regarding the usefulness of these books...or any for that matter. They can not be updated. If something changes the day after it is printed it is obsolete. An app would be constantly updated. Also, I am not aware of any books that remind drivers to turn on their beacon, or give a list of stopping places along the section of highway where they will run out of daylight. I have a very good oversize manual that is updated semi annually, but it is not practical to have this manual with each driver. This type of app would be a useful tool for drivers.

You are correct that some states have very detailed permits that list all of the restrictions a driver may encounter. You are also correct that drivers are responsible to follow any rules or restrictions listed on the permit. However many states have restrictions that are not listed on permits. I would suggest having a section of the app that would take the driver to the provision sheet of each state. This is where these additional regulations are often listed. I have a college degree and read contracts in legalese every day. I sometimes have difficulty determining exactly what the provision requires. This app would be a simple, condensed way for drivers to get the information they need.

The OP may have underestimated how complex the app would need to be to be a truly useful tool for those hauling OS.

 

Well, I hope I am wrong since I write and sell apps for smart phones, but as an application developer I would not go anywhere near this type of application. There are a few things I have learned from writing apps.

1. You need the largest TAM (total available market) possible. The market size for this one is really, really small. The poster that put it at 135 was being optimistic in my opinion.

2. Nobody will pay any money for an application. You will lose 95% of your market just by charging $1. I suspect truck drivers in general will be even more tight fisted with their money than the general population, and to top it off not all truck drivers have smart phones.

3. If the application idea is any good, someone has probably already written an application for it, since there are like 100,000 developers world wide.

4. You need to keep away from applications that need updating, or are not self-updating. The last thing you need is to waste time on an application that is not selling very well.

5. Appliations need to be kept really, really simple. Most people want to know how to use the application without spending even one minute reading about it.


IMHO this application would be constantly out of date, since the information would most likely come from a book and someone would need to get the latest book and update the application. Since there is not any money to be made in this application I doubt if that would occur. The only way I think this application would be successful would be if it is sponsered by the company that writes the book, and it is a companion to the book. Then the best way for the application developer to make money would be for the book publisher to pay the application developer. Sorry to sound like a pessimist, and I hope I am wrong.

 

I can see quitters point. I think the part you miss is that most apps are not used every day or are not really useful. Of course no one will pay to have their smart phone tell them where to have dinner. Almost all of my drivers use some form of gps. This is not free, and can be readily replaced by an atlas. But they still pay for it because it is useful. The information for hauling oversize is much more difficult to come by. If the oversize app was done well, I could see drivers subscribing to the service. You Might be right that a publisher of over size guides might be the bestperson to run an app like this.

 

Perhaps if it was an 3rd party ad on for GPS might be more useful???

 

Things change in the world...and how we access information has changed. If you went to someone working in the vinyl record industry in the 60s and told them " you'll be out of a job soon", they'd think you were crazy. We can say the same for almost every format of moving information (tape, compact disks, etc). I do think that the internet is here to stay and don't see anything on the horizon to replace it. Most all media has gone or is rapidly changing to digital. Soon you won't even find dvds. As the accessablilty and speed of networks develop, most information exchange will be done over a portable communications devices (smart phone). Where's the Star Trek geeks? Soon dumb phones will no longer be available or supported.
We are still in the begining stages of "apps" and how they enable us to improve our lives. I use several "trucking" apps multiple times a day and I would actually pay something for them. I use fuelbook constantly checking fuel prices on a lane. Most of the other apps are brand specific but still free. I think an app for oversize loads would be useful but I too believe people may be reluctant to purchase it based on not knowing what they are getting. You can browse through the books in the truck stop and even those don't have all the info you really want.

Now if you combined the app with a permitting service you might be able to financially make it happen. Anything to spped up getting permitted. It would be awesome to have a national clearinghouse for oversize loads that all states participated in where you authorization to haul such load could be downloaded to your phone once your particulars were uploaded. Of course that would mean the states would have to get along (chances of that? nil). It might be easier to develop an app to just provide up to date information on each state rather than gps tracking and reminders. If you have the timely info on your phone you can just scroll down it prior to entering that state. I do think that the app idea is a much more cost effective way to get the information out than publishing and distributing a book. Once that book is printed it's probably already out of date. Updating the app would be faster and most states don't change their laws every week. I don't think it would take a team of people to keep it up. Most states enact laws at certain times of the year (Jan 1, July 1, Oct 1,etc). That's when most of your changes would take effect. Anyways, you would have a disclaimer on the app just like the books. So instead of buying a book every year or so and still not having all the information, an app udated monthly or so would be worth something.

The key would be tying it into something else like a good (and affordable) permit service where you can put all your load, truck, axle info into the phone. Right now I do it all via the computer and it takes a little more time to boot up and connect the air card and such. The phone app is all about speeding things up.

I say go for it. In the end it's really only your time involved. It's not like you're buidling a water park or something.

 

You know I hate to be the negative guy. You have an idea, maybe you should go for it! I'm just saying from my experience that you should not limit your market size. A game appeals to everyone in the world, 11 million is really small compared to 6 Billion. This is the way I would look at this market and why I would not attempt to write an application like you are.

Total number of tractor trailer units in the USA 2 million (This is the number I think you should start working with not number of CDL's issued yearly)
Number of tractor trailer units that haul heavy loads across state lines (I am going to guess 1%) ---> 20,000

Number of truck drivers who have smart phones 25% (another guess) ----> 5,000

Percent of truck driver who might actually pay for an application 20% ---- > 1000

Number of truck drivers who will have heard about your application and are interested enough to by it 10% ---> 100

So, I project you will sell around 100 copies, but only 50 copies if you only write for either Android or iPhone. So, write a game about trucks, or write a simple program to make keeping logs easier, or a program that lets truckers and car driver know where smoky is hiding. I really hate writing this, because I really wish you well and nobody likes to hear the negative comments about someones passions, so no offense? I think it's neat that you are a truck driver and can write applications. There is quite a bit of skill involved in writing good applications, most people that can do it can make more money working and have an easier life as a programmer or database worker somewhere than as a truck driver. I tried the truck driving life style for awhile and found it was not for me and quit right before testing out. I actually liked driving a truck, just the other stuff I did not like, so we have something in common --- only you made a go of the truck driving part so I respect you for that and I did not, that is why I took the "quitter" name.

 

If I may ask Cpape, what book are you using that's updated semi-annually? thanks

 

Actually Quitter, he needs to look at both sides of any equation so don't worry about seeming to be too negative. If you have experience in developing apps then your words can prove very useful in his consideration.

However, your numbers are very innaccurate regarding the trucking industry and I don't fault you as you stated you were guessing and haven't been in the industry.

The cool thing about the trucking idustry is it is very vast. It encompasses everything in our lives. Make no mistake, this is a business, a hard one at that. If there was a tool that could help business I believe most savvy business owners would want it. Information is key. I subscribe to a rating tool I use for quotes and really wouldn't want to live without it for it's gotten us a lot business. I have subscribed to CRMs (salesforce) in the past and found them to be invaluable.

True, a lot of apps involve entertainment and that's where the app money is. I think is this trucking informational app is tied into seomthing else and isn't standing alone it has a good chance. There are many more than 5000 truckers with smart phones and there are way more than 2 million trucks on the road.

Everything is about supply chain velocity and I think we haven't even cracked the surface on this in the transportation sector.

I personally don't know a thing about the technical nature of developing an app. I am currently helping my father-in-laws good friend with some sales in developing an app associated with aviation which is a much smaller niche market than trucking. This has already drawn great interest from the EAA...but it is not a stand alone app.


I think this is a great debate and I hope all parties (whether they think they're negative or not) continue to post.