How To Optimize a Truck Booking App

Load boards are nothing new in the trucking industry. But the formatting, accessibility, and ease of use of load boards have gotten far better with truck booking apps. 

The app is like any other on your phone where you can receive notifications and updates. Access loads you’ve booked through the app for quick reference.

It’s a far more convenient way for trucking businesses and owner-operators to manage their business while they’re on the go. Learn more about how to get the most out of your app to build your business and schedule efficiently.

What Is a Truck Booking App? 

Online truck booking has helped the transportation industry keep up with increasing demands. Gone are the days when brokers and carriers had teams that spent all day on the phone working through a deal for one truckload.

Truck booking is now simpler and you can even do it during breaks while completing today’s load to keep your schedule booked. These apps offer the following valuable features:

• Search and find loads based on types and lanes to optimize your business within certain niches.
• View live load opportunities that are updated in real-time as brokers and carriers work out a deal so that you never waste time communicating about a load that’s already been brokered.
• Digital negotiations to get fair rates without tons of back-and-forth communication.
• Save and compare loads to find the most profitable, productive options.
• Build relationships with brokers digitally, or block those you don’t want to work with.
• Book a load instantly through the app.

How Does a Truck Booking App Work?

Truck load booking apps make navigating load boards way simpler than it is when using these sites on a mobile website browser. And the other big benefit of using a mobile app is that you can set up notifications for when you get a message back about loads or a new load is posted that meets your preferred criteria.

Notifications can help reduce the number of times you go out to a load board just to check for updates. A truck booking service requires a minor monthly subscription fee. However, these fees mirror what you’re paying for a load board anyway, so getting those features within an app should not cost your business extra.

Millions of truckers, carriers, brokers and shippers use load boards to broker loads and check in on the timelines for goods transportation. However, not every load board features a convenient app. Before choosing which load board to work with, review your options for ease of use when on the go.

Top Functions Truckers Use in a Truck Booking App

Load board app development is enabling truck drivers to focus on transporting loads and spend less administrative time working through the booking and communication side of the business. Here are the top functions a truck booking app offers.

Freight Matching 

Freight matching helps pair consignors and freight carriers through truck load boards. The carrier inputs costs for various lanes and the shipper inputs data on their freight needs. 

Then the app goes to work pairing up the best carriers for the job to make the work of each party fast, simple, and optimized. Carriers can find ideal work without scrolling through information on loads that are irrelevant to their business, which saves incredible amounts of time to build efficiency in the process.

Spot Rate Checks

Spot rate checks allow shippers to move a load at current market pricing based on real-time marketplace carrier supply and shipper demand. Shippers sometimes need these fast, short-term agreements due to unexpected shipments, unusual shipping lane requirements, or requirements to move non-standard loads. In these cases, the shipper can’t use its standard negotiated rates and partnerships with carriers. 

One-time loads are not ideal for most carriers due to the added administration of booking the load and fitting it into regularly scheduled loads. That’s why these spot rates help compensate carriers based on current market conditions.

They also help to make the agreement transactional in order to avoid back-and-forth negotiations. Drivers and carriers appreciate the opportunity to check rates regularly to get the best pricing for these on-time fee loads.

Instant Pay

Waiting for load payments 30 days after completing a load or whatever your traditional invoicing structure is can make it more challenging to balance your books and meet your financial commitments. 

Instant pay features within truck booking websites and apps help speed up the process so that when you complete the load, the money is in your account instantly.

Reducing Paperwork Load

Everything you need to book the best load jobs for your business is inside one convenient app. You can view your history and upcoming loads to plan and prepare for the day, week, or month ahead. 

Pull payment data for accounting purposes and look for work to fill gaps in your schedule all in one place. You can also communicate with shippers you work with to reduce email and phone communication, which can be time-consuming. 

Ensuring Compliance

Using a truck booking service can help ensure you meet all hours of service regulations while maximizing these daily and weekly hours to get the most out of your truck and driver resources. 

Review upcoming loads and requirements before taking on new work to ensure you remain compliant with these requirements without all the manual work to calculate the information.

Broker Credit Checks 

Before choosing to work with a broker, you want to ensure they are in good standing in the transportation community. One way of doing that is pulling a broker credit check. 

Load boards offer free broker credit checks to prevent doing business with brokers who are late with payments or fail to meet their financial commitments with carriers. This can help you be extremely selective in who you do business with through greater transparency.

What To Consider When Choosing a Truck Booking App

The industry has many digital truck booking options now that you can choose from. So with so many options, how can you select the one that works best for your business? Here are some top considerations before signing up for an app.

Costs

These apps come with a subscription fee. Most services charge a monthly subscription fee for use but be sure to review the full pricing structure before signing up. Carriers with multiple drivers and office staff should also review the per-user cost and any bulk user discounts to get the most out of their subscription.

Time Sensitivity

No one wants to waste time bidding on loads that have already been brokered. Real-time load data offers the most up-to-date information about shipper needs so you can make informed decisions about whether to quote the business or keep scrolling. 

Live loads ensure truckers get the most out of the service based on the time they commit to finding loads.

User-Friendly

The app has to be easy to use or it won’t save you all that much time. Apps should provide notifications and customization settings to populate the loads that best fit your requirements and interests. If they don’t, keep looking for the service that’s right for you.

Also, ensure that the app is updated regularly. Outdated apps will operate slowly on modern devices and newer operating systems.

Negotiation Options

Some apps allow the various parties involved in a load to negotiate rates instead of booking at current spot rates. This can help fill loads faster by enabling truckers and carriers to submit their most competitive bid for work.

Building Your Trucking Business with Convenient Mobile Tools

Truckers and carriers are always on the go. They need services that go with them and optimize their time while on federally-mandated breaks to ensure compliance with regulations. Mobile tools help truckers use this time well to review upcoming loads and connect with shippers to fill gaps in upcoming work.

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