trucking software advice

We have tried most of the trucking software out there, I didn't like any of it simply because it was time consuming to set up and didn't do what I wanted when and where I wanted. My husband likes Quick Books Pro as he customized it to suit him. However I know a lot of O/O and small carriers that use PSC software and PC Miler both, I know that both are upgradeable for a fee. We use PC Miler Streets and Haz Mat version 18. Quick Books Pro, Drivers Daily Log, and use the fuel tax program that comes with our EFS account. I, personally made my own little program so to speak, in Access and Excel, this might be too complex for most folks unless they have the time and the knowledge to do the formulas in Excel and set up the database in Access.
In MHO you cannot do without either PC Miler or Pro Miles. The brokers and shippers, most of the time run what ever program they have on the short miles which most of the time the truck does not run that route.
To me they are all easy to use, just mostly point and click. Some are more complex than others and it depends on how much time you have or want to spend learning them.
What ever program(s) you decide on remember to back them up as well as your computer each time you use them. The first time you don't that will be the day the computer crashes and you loose everything. Of course the IRS doesn't care they just want the money. So I can't stress enough the importance of backing up everything every time you use it. I've spend a lot of time recovering data for folks that don't.
My two cents worth.
Happy Trails
NightWind

 

I'm only a company driver, I don't need any fancy taxation or high end programs. All I need is a mapping program that shows both low clearances AND weight limited bridges. Anyone know of a simple inexpensive program that has both of these options?

 

Why buy software, just use your trucker atlas.

 

I use the garmin street pilot it is a more expensive investment. but you can add your own avoidences once you know where they are. I've used it for 2 1/2 yrs now. Not exactlly what you are looking for thow.

 

I use ms streets and trips with gps atachment. If you already have a laptop, the software(with gps)will only cost you $99.00-$130.00 depending on where you purchase it.

True it dosent have truck info(low clearance, restricted routes, weight stations, ect.). Even if it did, I wouldnt trust it. If I was going into an area I was new to, I would check the pc route to the carrier atlus. If I found any info I would then transfer the info into the computer.

You can enter a little info and it will give you aprox. fuel usage/cost, and will let you know in advance when you will need to stop for fuel. It also has a great listing of near by info(gas stations, hotel, restarant, hospital, police, campgrounds, points of intrest, ect.)from any point on the map, or by total route. The main thing I use for on the truck is fuel and wal-mart. But it also comes in handy for hometime, camping ect.

Another thing that I like is that it has a nite mode that has a black background, and bright green streets. This makes it very easy to switch from looking at the screen to the road.

I dont know much about other systems, other than the stand alone systems seem to cost alot more, I think that even if you dont have a laptop, you could buy one and some software, and get alot more bang for your buck.

This is somewhat off the subject, but if you have a pc I would also advise you to try the Driver Daily Log(DDL) software. You can go online and download a 60 day free trial. Its a HOS log system that you do on your pc that you can print. Ive used it for sometime now and love it. And most of the DOT officers Ive come across seem to like it over paper logs.

God bless,

 

Greetings,

I am looking at getting into the trucking industry from the IT industry but have sort of hit a road block. I have a very bad back and take pain meds occasionally which I noticed are a bid no-no while driving. So maybe being a driver is out of the question unless I cen get my back into better shape.

I am still fascinated by the industry, largely because of the size (almost a Trillion dollar industry). Instead of driving I thought about using my current skill set to help the industry. I would like to write some programs to make you more efficient and take some of the paper-work load off of you. I'm guessing that most of your work is behind the wheel, but someone has to set up the loads and manage your time.

I'm interested in what software you use and if you have any complaints about it. Do any of you see any "holes" in the current solutions? Are there any major inconvienences which you feel should not be an issue, but are?

What I would like to do is make finding loads, and finding the "right loads" easier for OO's. This could be easily done by setting up a network and the software becomes the Broker/Agent which would probably save (or earn) you a great deal more money. (Would anyone be interested in something like this?)

If you have any questions, comments, suggestions or issues, I would love to hear them. I am going to be looking for some people who really know what they are doing to help out. In return I will give them free access to the software once written and they will have top seeding or placement when taking on jobs.

 

This concept seems interesting. However I am still not certain what/ how the software could search loadboards automatically to match location, trailer and amount that we typically would search for.. If possible please elaborate on you concept.

 

Thank you for your reply. Please remember that I am still a "layman" in this area so forgive my misuse of terms or exclusion of things that my be obvious to others.

Here is my vision of what the software would do.

The software would be a database located on a central server and you would connect to it via the internet. You would install client software on your computer that would allow you to receive loads and transmit your schedule and availability.

Here is the information that would be needed as far as I can think (remember that I have very little trucking experience, read none, except working on docks for 10 days..).
-Driver name
-State licensed in.
-home location (zip code)
-Certifications
-Background clearance (speeding tickets, DUI, feleony etc)
-Miles Driven
-hours driven in last 70 hours (to determine if you are available for a new "long haul")
-Type of trailers you own or have immediate access to
-Insurance type
-Accident record
-Hazmat credentials
-Schedule
-Future load schedule (any consistent/repeating loads that you always do)
-Type of Tractor/truck (to determine type of load you can pull..?)
-Restrictions (ie, no extreme cold weather, won't drive to Kalifornia, etc)
-International "clearance" (whatever that may be)
-Anything else which may be of importance. I'm sure there are a lot of things I am missing but these can be added later.

Now you have this client on your computer and it will have all the above data entered into the database. The computer and database will know when you are scheduled to be home from a load or if you are at home waiting for a load. There will also be an option to add a GPS tracking system to the truck (I've supported Cadec's on 200+ trucks) which can track your truck and give as much or as little feedback to you as you wish (you can access all the info if you want and limit what is submitted ie speed, This will allow suppliers to view your driving record. Locations/destinations can be blocked out. Everything can be tailored to the USER). These GPS systems can interface with my dispatch database and give an ETA and estimate when you will be available for a new load.

Now the supplier side.

The supplier has a load that is very critical. He wants a veteran driver with hazmat and maybe clearance for a Mil base. They look in the system and find that there are 3 local drivers which fit this profile and 2 are half way across the country. The one driver that is left is on their way to unload but has another load waiting. This program will be able to see that the other load is a basic load and can be dispatched to another driver. An automated message can be sent to the scheduled driver notifying him of the situation (can be a text message or a pre-recorded voice message, whatever is safest). The driver can accept the change or deny it. This can be done within 2-4 minutes of the submission of the "sensitive" load. If the driver accepts it, he will get new orders sent to him via his preferred method of communication. Now his old load will be sent to any of the local truckers within the system who are on standby waiting for a load.
Now, if the user denies the load, the system will search for the nearest available trucker with the specified credentials, notify then and ask for acceptance. The program will be able to factor in distance from home "dock/location" vs waiting for one of the local truckers to return from their scheduled trips.

Basically with enough variables entered into the equation, all dispatch can basically be automated to a large degree. There will always be a need for some human interface but it can be reduced by a large amount.

When I would do work in the dispatch room at the trucking company I worked for, I was amazed at the man power needed to do what was being done and the errors that were occurring b/c of the dispatchers. i figured out a fairly simple way of eliminating 80-90% of what the dispatchers do and automating it so it is more efficient for the truckers.

In this program I would also allow the truckers to keep their logs if they so chose to do it. I would also allow them to track any and all maintenance on their truck. It would alert them when they were in need of some mandatory work, inspection etc. The could keep track of gas mileage and how specific gas station's gas worked with their vehicle (I'm not sure if trucks are the same as cars, but my car doesn't like some gas stations). I would also try to incorporate a traffic warning system which would alert the truckers hours before getting to a very congested area (if the congestion happen hours prior). I would basically like to make an all inclusive software package which would be the truckers "best friend" when it comes to managing their rig.

I have always been in business to help others and have tried to make a living doing so. I have found that it is sometimes very difficult to do so and that you need to look out for #1. My plan here is to help truckers help themselves. I've heard a lot of bad stories about brokers and I am thinking that I may be able to do something about this. The truckers are the ones breaking their backs and sitting behind the wheel, the brokers are pushing paper and making calls. While both need each other (Brokers especially), I think that having an option like this will lead to a more stream lined industry and create a better work environment for truckers.

I am also very interested in using this software for emergency response to natural disasters. I think this software could be invaluable and a life saver in such a situation.