Gone are the days when consumers used to reach out to the logistics service providers to track their shipments. In this digitally-progressive world, tech-savvy customers want everything on the go. Thanks to trucking apps, customers can get everything right at their fingertips.
Getting your logistics business automated via a trucking app seems to be the key to success in this ever-changing digital landscape. To gain a competitive edge, you need to have a trucking loads app that can help you with the automation of shipment management, thus minimizing human errors and ensuring utmost customer satisfaction.
Trucking app development can assist transporters in infusing technological advancements in their process and enhancing the customer experience by laying down live data anytime and anywhere. Managing and controlling the fleet is now possible with a feature-packed trucking application.
In this informative blog, we’ll guide you thoroughly to build an exceptional trucking app. It’ll also clear your doubts or questions regarding the benefits and cost when it comes to building a robust and feature-packed app for your logistics and transportation business. Read on to know more.
Why Go for Trucking App Development?
A leading Android and iPhone app development company knows that dominant business groups across the verticals prefer trucking apps. The vast global reliance on digitalization spearheads the growing adoption. Since “going online” is the thing today, it’s better to take your logistics and transportation business online to enjoy the following benefits:
- Payment Tracking: It is helpful for both transporters and drivers. You can get a clear view of past transactions and payment status. Concerning the transporters, they prefer to pay safely and securely for transportation. Furthermore, payment only happens after the delivery of the shipment, and they will be able to track every payment history within the trucking app.
- Reduction in Fuel Cost: The total shipment cost rests on the fuel cost. Logistics businesses fail to profit since trucks drive back empty. Logistics companies can now bring efficiency by embracing digital trucking solutions and keeping their fleet always packed. Drivers can pick loads based on a particular region and eventual destination.
- Enhanced Customer Experience: Digital trucking solutions give full transparency to customers. With a trucking GPS app, you can check the final rate of the shipment and get to know about the truck’s course. It bolsters and strengthens their loyalty and trust, and that’s certainly good for your business.
These are some unique ways a trucking app specially designed for your logistics business can maximize your ROI and soar high in the competitive market.
How Does a Trucking App Work?
A trucking app is similar to a digital broker. Shippers who need to deliver cargo get matched with carriers who are driving to the same destination.
Such a platform comprises three discrete mobile app interfaces (one for drivers, one for shippers, and one for carriers), including a web portal for the admin to direct both types of users. To get a better picture of how a trucking app works, the experts at our web development company have listed this in more detail.
- The shipper generates an order through the trucking dispatch application. Here, the shipper adds information regarding the cargo size, type, pickup and drop-off sites, and also the delivery date.
- The driver gets a list of orders in the trucking loads app. Based on the load and location, the driver rejects or accepts the order placed. After the driver accepts and picks the order, the platform imposes a delivery charge to the shipper. After the delivery of the cargo, the driver receives the money.
- The admin estimates the delivery rate based on the cargo type, weight, size, and delivery distance.
Today, many business groups are planning to invest in trucking app development since it’ll give them everything required for a logistics business to prosper. The stats of this very logistics idea is skyrocketing high. You can ask any reliable iOS and Android app development company to verify those stats.
Must-Have Features of a Trucking App
Providing attractive and functional features is the major attraction when it comes to app development. The same goes with your trucking app too. Your app should be packed with ergonomic features.
Each feature deals with different functionality. By reaching out to a mobile app development company, you can always ask them to incorporate such features in your application that tone with your business needs. Your trucking app should consist of three key interfaces: the carrier, the shipper, and the admin panel that run and head the show. Each profile features are different and have personalized functions for each side.
- Carrier/Driver Side
- Driver Registration: The carrier or driver should create a user profile that includes all the important details regarding their vehicle. This part should consist of a form that asks them about the particulars, like photographs, vehicle details like driver license expiration date, commercial permits, registration, etc.
- Order List: The carriers should be conscious of the assigned orders since it is considered an obligatory feature in the realm of the trucking business. This feature should present the state of shipment requirements. Often there are fragile orders, and carriers need to handle them with care and adjust their journey by keeping that in mind.
- Accept/Decline Orders: A carrier might not always be available to carry an order. That’s where this particular feature comes in handy. Through this feature, carriers could decline or accept an order based on the space available for their vehicle. Often the vehicle experiences breakdown; the carrier must be logical enough to decline the order based on the space.
- Order Search: Disputes are normal in every industry, and the logistics industry isn’t an exception. This functionality allows the carriers to look for any order that they’ve transported. You can also incorporate an advanced filter search functionality that can accelerate the process and help carriers look for the order based on date, distance, location, type, item, etc.
- Order Details: In any case of updates, the carriers should contact the shippers. The order detail section should convey to the carriers the nature of shipment and contact details of the shipper.
- Smart Payments: Your trucking app should’ve efficient payment features. This particular functionality allows the carriers to receive payments post-delivery of the consignment. It should be highly capable of calculating the overall amount without any addition or dedication. Integrating payment gateways is another good option for seamless operation.
- Efficient Maps: Maps are the oxygen of any carrier in the field of trucking. A trucking map app feature should help carriers be aware of their exact location and the next location in their way. A fully integrated trucking GPS app should inform the carriers of any upcoming eateries, motels, fuel stations, etc.
- Digital Documentation: Carriers should have a functionality that permits them to download or upload any bill related to loading and unloading. There are diverse documentation systems in the trucking business. A personalized section with a pre-built scanner can help them deliver ease of access with the administrators or platform.
- Live Notifications: A carrier should be informed of the upcoming motel or eatery while on the way. They should be notified live to ease up the process. Any notifications are helpful in the transportation business, and you should incorporate this particular functionality in your trucking app development project.
- Shipper Side
- Shipper Registration: Shippers are those who send their shipments, and they should be able to create their user profile on your trucking app. Shippers should be able to add their personal information, addresses, etc. You should make this sign-in process pretty simple so that your customers don’t face a length profile creation process.
- Order Placing: Shippers on your trucking app should be able to find available vehicles for transportation and place orders. For usefulness, you can ask for some basic shipment-related information like size, weight, destination, pick and drop locations, delivery date, etc.
Besides booking orders, this segment should also provide the users with special offers on the platform with exact details regarding contact information, estimated delivery date, and pricing.
- Online Documentation: This feature is a must for both shippers and drivers. It can be possible that the order requires a transport permit since it’s big in size. Thus, for seamless transportation, documents should be uploaded in a clear-cut way. Make sure you incorporate a built-in document scanner within the trucking app.
- Payment Gateway: A well-integrated payment gateway is required to pay the carrier post-delivery of the shipment via the trucking app. Your end-users can pay the sum through diverse banking methods with the help of payment gateways to ease the process of collecting money.
- Real-Time Order Tracking: Shippers are always concerned with their package related to timely delivery. A seamless trucking navigation app should be fused with maps and provide the carrier’s live location. This feature can help you in building a strong bond with your customers.
- Admin Panel
- Advanced Security: A trucking loads app contains a lot of sensitive data, and customers are concerned regarding data security. You should incorporate two-factor verification to mitigate any unauthorized access and data violation to your app.
- Dashboard: As a leading front-end development company, we know that the dashboard of your trucking app should be detailed since it can help you keep an eye on every single thing that’s happening. It should consist of current and upcoming orders, completed deliveries, etc., to ease your pressure.
- Carrier Queries: There exists a fair share of queries whenever there’s a big operation. Your trucking app should also have a section for queries along with a dedicated section that notifies you about the new set of drivers wishing to join your agency.
- Proficient Billing: Billing and invoicing is probably the most important region for a service-based business. Admins should have a billing feature that can help them reject or approve the bills generated by the carriers or shippers.
- Trip Log Reports: The data of the trips that have been conducted via your platform should be presented to the admins. It’ll help them get the overall estimate of the trips conducted on your platform, like miles covered, fulfilled orders, etc.
Besides these basic features, you can also incorporate some additional advanced features and functionalities into your trucking app development project to move streets ahead of your competitors. For example:
- Built-in messaging;
- Weather updates;
- Live traffic analytics;
- Built-in calendar;
- Fuel prices map.
Factors Influencing the Trucking App Development Cost
Cost is where your app development idea rests on. As the most sought-after app development agency, we’ve listed some major factors that determine the cost of your trucking app development project.
- Technology Stack
The tech stack is the pillar of any app. The stack type you go for will influence the operational potentiality of your trucking app since this is the only thing that provides swiftness and robustness.
A high-end tech stack with numerous APIs will give you an app that’s sturdy from every corner. The cost might go up, but if looked at the future, it’s worth investing.
- Number of Features
To make your trucking app robust with regard to functionality, you need to incorporate certain features in your app development project. Remember, the total number of features is translated to the development of a robust trucking app.
You should incorporate basic features and then go for premium or advanced features. It’ll give you a clear picture of how much money you invest in incorporating features in your app development project.
- Choice of Development Partner
The most vital element of the development process is a trusted and reliable app development partner. You can go for a freelance app development team that does not weigh heavy on your pockets, but the quality and maintenance are below-par.
In contrast, hiring a top-notch mobile app development company will hand you the exact app you desire without compromising the quality.
- Number of Platforms
Depending on your budget, you can build a native trucking app on Android or iOS platforms or cross-platform. Developing an app on a single platform will cost you less compared to both platforms. However, you should keep in mind that not everyone uses the same device.
The Bottom Line
The logistics market provides a ton of opportunities together with a huge user base. There are loads of trucking apps in the market, but they are short of basic or advanced features and functionalities. But you can give them the type of app today’s user demands by going through the features mentioned above, and trust us; there is plenty of room to build such cutting-edge apps.
AppStudio can assist you in developing robust trucking apps. Our app development team is well-versed with all the tools and tech stacks and has delivered countless trucking apps with excellent feedback and great ratings across the verticals. Contact AppStudio’s team to discuss your project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What are some of the good trucking apps available in the app stores?
A few good trucking apps are available in the iOS and Android market that are profitable and popular because of their efficiency and robustness.
Uber Freight, Cargomatic, and Convoy are some of the feature-rich trucking apps available on the app store.
Q2. Are there any monetization strategies for a trucking app?
Adding premier app features and on-demand delivery solutions can be incorporated to monetize your trucking app.
- If you have your personal fleet, you can receive money straight away from shippers. You can also give your carriers a bonus that’s earned through on-demand delivery after the end of the month.
- If you don’t have a personal fleet, you can put forward premier app features for your users to unlock. It’ll include features such as live vehicle tracking, insurance, packing, ERP integration, etc. You can also ask for 10-20% service charges estimated from each order placed through a platform.
Q3. How long will it take to develop a trucking app?
The time of your trucking app development project cannot be exactly predicted because it depends on many factors.
The app development time depends on the kind of features and functionalities you want to incorporate. However, if you reach out to a reputed mobile app development agency, you can get a little understanding of the time needed to develop your trucking app that’s completely ready to hit the market.
