Will Apps Revolutionize the Owner-Operator Trucking Business?

By: ClassADrivers.com

After getting familiar with life on the road for a few years, many truckers opt to go into business for themselves. Upon buying their own truck, rookie owner-operators set out to start making their first runs.

Currently, load boards are the go-to places for owner-ops to find freight to haul. Here, drivers compete with other truckers to underbid each other.

And after you find a good load, it’s back to the load board again. Going to the boards each time can mean a lot of waiting and hoping.

Given enough time, this tactic may pay off. If clients get familiar with who you are. And they prefer you over other truckers.And you are able to get enough loads consistently.

As you can probably tell, that’s a lot of ifs and maybes.

App Solutions

Sifting through a long list of available runs on a load board is time-consuming, but it’s part of the job. By and large, the process is worth it for most owner-operators who get to choose their runs and keep more of the money

Nevertheless, the entire process can be improved. That’s where trucking apps come in. With just a click and a swipe,trucking apps can help owner-operators find loads and connect with clients.

These programs can be designed to take both shippers and truckers needs into consideration. Apps are a quick and easy way to share info, such as the load’s destination, price, and due date.

Apps can also use your phone’s geo-location to help find loads near you. And the app can then filter these loads by your own preferences of what you want to run.

Fortunately, such apps exist. And many of your fellow owner-operators are currently using them.

How Apps Work

Transfix is one of the most popular trucking apps on the market today with over 56,000 truckers that use the app to find their loads. If you are familiar with freight brokerages, Transfix is essentially a digital version of the industry.

There are a few key differences though. Unlike traditional freight brokerages, Transfix is designed to give truckers routes they most likely want when these preferred routes become available.

Here is how it works: The app remembers past accepted routes and truckers personal preferences, then the app compares that info to a trucker’s location. Overall, this process is much faster than sifting through load boards.

As an added bonus, some of these trucking apps may even save you money. For example, on average, traditional brokerage companies take 16% of the profit. Transfix has officially stated they take less than that.

Of course, Transfix is only one app, and were commend finding the one that you like best. Each of these apps has their own way of handling operations. So if you’re an owner-operator, give one of these apps a try.

With the bold promise of decreased downtime and increased pay, it looks like these trucking apps are aiming to revolutionize the trucking industry.