Oct 12, 2022

How Truck Route Optimization Can Improve Your Fleet’s Productivity and Driver Safety

Truck drivers provide an essential service around the world. They are the ones that hit the road for several hours at a time, even days, to transport critical goods that consumers need, from medicine to food and clothing. Yet, life on the road is not easy. It can be a lonely life, rife with risk and quite gruelling. The nature of the job requires drivers to be mentally and physically strong and capable of driving and being attentive for many miles without falling asleep behind the wheel. A person needs a lot of stamina to stay awake after driving for several hours at a time, which can be pretty taxing

While the job certainly has its bonuses and benefits, the fact remains that being a truck driver means facing specific challenges unique to the trucking industry.

If you are an employer in the trucking industry, driver safety ought to be your top priority. Every time your drivers climb into one of your fleet vehicles, they risk their physical wellbeing and even their lives, as well as that of other drivers and pedestrians.

According to the US Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), large trucks accounted for 8.9% of the vehicles in fatal crashes in 2020, with 4,842 large trucks involved in fatal crashes. The good news for the industry is that means 91% of the vehicles involved in fatal crashes were not large trucks. Nevertheless, with grim statistics like these, ensuring the safety of your drivers is a pertinent responsibility that your organization cannot afford to ignore.

Not only is it in the best interests of your driver’s wellbeing, but it is also important for the profitability and sustainability of your trucking company. Route planning software enables you to improve your truck driver safety while also improving efficiency and productivity.

Challenges truck drivers face.

Truck drivers spend most of their time on the road travelling from state to state, city to city, and people often don’t appreciate how challenging this can be. Truck parking is continuously ranked as one of truck drivers’ main challenges. Struggling to find available truck parking can create dangerous situations for drivers, forcing them to drive beyond their available HOS time in search of a suitable place to park. Paying overnight fees or wasting fuel getting to a truck stop to spend the night is not ideal for drivers, and with traditional truck and rest stops filling up quickly, truckers often have no other option but to park in potentially dangerous locations.

Similarly, finding other amenities, such as diners and rest stops, grab a bite to eat, or rehydrate, can be a challenge – especially when driving through a place you are unfamiliar with. Dehydration, in particular, poses a problem for truck drivers. When dehydrated, our brain function becomes reserved, leading to issues that impact mental clarity, reaction time, muscle function, and even our mood. Dehydration also affects blood volume causing headaches and dizziness. Proper hydration is vital for driver health and safety, so it is crucial to plan routes ahead of time. Route planning software like Trucker Path can improve efficiency and productivity while, more importantly, keeping drivers safe.

How can Trucker Path improve truck driver safety?

Trucker Path began its life as a truck-based navigation similar to many others, using GPS systems to find and plan trucking routes; however, thanks to its community of drivers, the app is consistently updated via millions of crowdsourced contributions that help drivers avoid dangerous travel situations and find suitable stops that meet their needs. Today, Trucker Path is the most relied upon real-truck navigation and mapping app in the trucking industry, with over 1 million monthly active users (MAUs). Built and engineered specifically for the truck driver, Trucker Path prioritizes the safety, comfort and wellbeing of drivers.

Trucker Path’s real-truck navigation recommends routes to avoid low overpasses, sharp turns, poor roads, and other factors to make the driver’s journey safer.

The Trucker Path app features all the key places for drivers to stop nationwide, along with ratings and reviews from their fellow truckers. They appreciate the straightforward, informative access to all the points of interest they need and the ability to filter the ones that matter to them most. These include:

Parking
Weigh Stations
Fuel Stops
Truck Washes
Truck Stops
Rest Areas
Truck Scales
Repair Shops
Restaurants
Hotels
And much more.

With Trucker Path, drivers can be in control of their journey by planning their route ahead of time or adjusting during their journey.

How can Trucker Path improve fleet productivity?

One of the biggest challenges of driving a truck on busy roads, especially in urban areas, is finding a parking place. Drivers can easily waste an hour a day looking for available parking, wasting time and eating into their available HOS. But with the Trucker Path app, they easily find available parking instead of driving around looking for space, saving valuable time and ensuring driver safety.

Fuel expenses are always a drain on profitability, especially with diesel prices and inflation at record levels. When you equip your drivers with Trucker Path, fleet managers can optimize their fuel spending and enjoy cost savings. The process could not be more straightforward. Simply enter the truck’s MPG and beginning tank volume in the operator portal. Trucker Path identifies your driver’s pre-determined fuel stops and fill levels, ensuring you’re always purchasing the cheapest fuel available along the route.

Trucker Path for Fleets.

Improved routing efficiency improves every function of your trucking operation, including driver safety.

If you’re a trucking fleet company looking to equip your drivers with truck-specific navigation, fuel optimization, available parking, and much more, all in an app customized with your branding, Trucker Path For Fleets is the solution for you.

You and your drivers will appreciate the safety and productivity benefits Trucker Path provides.

Fleet owners can visit our website for more information on how to offer the Trucker Path app to their drivers.

Highest and Lowest Rated Major US Trucking Corridors based on Points of Interest (POI) Ratings

Sep 21, 2022

Where brokers and carriers can find common ground Trucker Path enables brokers to get loads in front of 1 million-plus monthly app users Brokers have thousands of loads that must be moved each year, and finding the capacity to fill such a large amount requires as much exposure as possible. The problem is that reaching a vast number of qualified carriers in one place isn’t easy, especially in ever-shifting market conditions. If you are an employer in the trucking industry, driver safety ought to be your top priority. Every time your drivers climb into one of your fleet vehicles, they risk their physical wellbeing and even their lives, as well as that of other drivers and pedestrians. Navigating the current spot market has become tricky for carriers over the last several months. Readily available capacity has pushed the pricing power dial in favor of shippers, making load procurement in preferred lanes with fair rates more challenging to secure. However, paying for and searching through multiple load boards to find the best loads strains already pinched operating budgets. It also eats up precious time that could be spent moving freight. <a href= "https://truckerpath.com/">TruckerPath</a> bridges the gap between brokers and carriers. Over 1,000 brokers post loads on the fastest-growing load board, <a href= "https://truckerpath.com/truckloads/free-load-board/">TruckLoads,</a> to grow their networks and get in front of the 1 million active drivers and owner-operators that make up the Trucker Path community. Owner-operators can view, negotiate and secure loads from trusted brokers in one place with TruckLoads, which is available via the Trucker Path app or on the various app stores. Brokers can post thousands of loads in minutes via multiple integration options, including application programming interface (API),file transfer protocol (FTP),electronic data interchange (EDI),email or choose from several other options. “The current freight market is very challenging for both carriers and brokers,” said Chris Oliver, chief marketing officer at Trucker Path. “Enabling brokers to increase the visibility of their loads and making it easy for Trucker Path users to secure them provides value to everyone, including consumers of the freight being moved.” Traditionally, carriers and brokers engage in back-and-forth calls to discuss load details, which can often be frustrating for all involved. With Trucker Path, carriers receive all of the necessary load information upfront when they secure a load, allowing them to quickly get moving and saving everybody time. After a load is procured, it is automatically sent to the Trucker Path app, where drivers can then access all the insight needed to get the load from the origin to the destination safely, efficiently and comfortably. The Trucker Path driver app provides access to mapping and navigation tools, as well as providing other essential knowledge along routes, including: <ul> <li>Real-time, predictive parking availability at more than 20,000 truck stops.</li> <li>Weigh station status and queue times.</li> <li>Shipping dock ratings, reviews, photos, amenities, detention reporting and navigation showing exactly where trucks enter/exit the facility.</li> <li>Fuel prices at thousands of locations, updated multiple times daily.</li> <li>Ratings, reviews, photos and listings of over 300,000 trucker-centric points of interest, including rest areas, fuel locations, truck washes and scales, shipping facilities, repair shops, restaurants, hotels and more.</li> </ul> The traditional process of paperwork submission has long caused headaches for drivers and brokers alike. Exchanging important documents can bring what was a smooth procurement and delivery process to a grinding halt. Many ways of submitting those documents cause a number of problems, including being unsearchable due to empty or indiscernible subject lines, becoming buried in an email chain or never even getting attached to an email at all. With Trucker Path, once a load has been delivered, drivers can quickly scan and upload all of the applicable paperwork for the job — a streamlined and organized way to provide brokers with what they need to process payments. The result is both parties getting paid and quickly moving on to their next load. “TruckLoads is another example of how Trucker Path builds technology with the driver in mind, and brokers see the value in this when posting their freight with us,” Oliver said. “The simplified procurement and streamlined communication processes simplify the freight movement process and minimize operational headaches for everyone involved.” Trucker Path’s TruckLoads board provides a seamless load posting, securing, delivering and completion experience that increases efficiency and productivity for both the broker and carrier. <a href= "https://truckerpath.com/truckloads/free-load-board/">To learn more about TruckerPath and its load board being used by a vast network of brokers and carriers, click here.</a>

Oct 29, 2022

The Pros and Cons of Fuel Optimization Tools for Trucking With diesel prices up more than $2.30 a gallon from this time last year, finding the best prices at the pump is about more than bragging rights these days. It’s survival for owner operators and serious impact to the bottom line of fleets. Fuel optimization tools, like the one in our Trucker Path COMMAND platform, hold huge promise. But that promise comes with a few “ifs” that truckers, fleet managers and fleet owners need to give heavy consideration to. Everyone who’s ever hunted best fuel prices knows the thrill of bagging the lowest price on the lane—as well as that empty feeling that comes from wondering whether the miles and time you spent finding 5-cents a gallon in savings was a wash. Or worse yet, ended up costing you more. Let’s lay bare the pros and cons of fuel optimization tools and present five real-lane examples of when a fuel optimization app would be a winner or an occasion for whining. Pros of Fuel Optimization Tools <li>Thousands of dollars in fuel savings, depending on the lane</li> <li>Removes decision-making. Dispatchers provide specific fuel stops in addition to the navigation for the route</li> <li>Tools stipulate everything: the where, when and how much fuel to purchase</li> <li>Out-of-route miles accounted for in fuel stop recommendations</li> <li>Every detail considered. Fuel plan accounts for equipment mpg, existing fuel levels and load weight </li> Cons of Fuel Optimization Tools <li>Out-of-route miles, while generally limited to less than a few miles per stop, can negate some or all of the savings achieved through lower fuel prices</li> <li>Tools often prescribe more fuel stops. More time spent fueling eats into HOS and increases operating costs</li> <li>Added time. Driving further to low-cost pumps and adding stops can threaten tight delivery windows</li> <li>Drivers don’t get to choose their favorite stops for food and amenities</li> <li>High cost of technology as many optimization tools are designed for larger fleets</li> Success Depends on Number of Stops An analysis of results from a sample of lanes compiled through our Trucker Path COMMAND platform and the Smart Fuel Planner revealed that the true value of a fuel optimization tool comes down to the number of stops prescribed. With a fuel optimized route, drivers often make more stops than they would with a “drive-til-near-empty” strategy. When the cost of making those extra stops outweighs the savings benefits, it’s best to opt out. The good news is that in most cases and most lanes throughout the U.S. using a fuel optimization tool is well worth it, even when you consider the additional stops. Background Into Our Analysis In our analysis, we quantified the fuel savings that could be garnered at today’s diesel prices using our Smart Fuel Planner for five sample lanes. Then we determined the number of stops a driver would make filling up whenever they were near empty on long-haul runs—about every 945 miles by our estimate. We compared those numbers with the number of stops a fuel-optimized route would require. Most of the time there were more stops required on fuel optimized routes. To estimate the cost associated with the downtime that comes from these extra stops, we determined the average fuel stop is a half hour. What’s that half hour translate to in dollars? We used the American Transportation Research Institute’s 2021 estimate for the operational costs of trucking. They put the number at $66.87 per hour, which we increased to $70 per hour to adjust for inflation. All the results are based on lanes input into Trucker Path COMMAND Smart Fuel Planner, assuming a 100-gallon starting fill, 135-gallon tank, and 7 mpg for an 80,000-pound truck. We captured the fuel price data one day in June 2022. While data for the sample routes below were all gathered at the same time, it's important to note that fuel savings vary day-to-day and by lane. One day a stop may be lowest, and the next day, not so much. Savings Analysis for 5 Common Lanes Chicago to San Francisco: 6 Additional Stops Roundtrip - Annual Savings of $7,909 On a single roundtrip that would mean $659 in savings and 6 extra fuel stops. <img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2022/07/Picture2.jpg" alt="" Width=600 /> <center>Exhibit 1. Trucker Path COMMAND Smart Fuel Planner for one-way Chicago to San Francisco trip. </center> Seattle to Washington D.C.: 5 Additional Stops Roundtrip - Annual Savings of $3,132 On a fuel-optimized roundtrip that would mean $261 in net savings and 5 extra fuel stops. Looks like fuel optimizer is paying for dinners. New Orleans to Denver: 1 Additional Stop Roundtrip - Annual Savings of $492 On a fuel-optimized roundtrip that would mean $41 in net savings and 1 extra fuel stop. Worth it? Sure. Especially at a fleet scale. Los Angeles to Dallas: 1 Additional Stop Roundtrip - Annual Savings of $9,768 On a fuel-optimized roundtrip that would mean $814 in net savings and 1 extra fuel stop. Clearly this lane was the optimization of the nation. Miami to NYC: 3 Additional Stops Roundtrip - Annual Savings of $0 In this case, fuel optimization netted no savings when you figured in the 3 additional stops. It’s a good example of how some days, on some lanes the extra stops make fuel optimization not worth it. A Key Solution for Today’s Fuel Crunch Our analysis showed that in almost all cases fuel optimization tools can save money on fuel. The exception is that many times it may require more fuel stops than driving until the driver is near empty. In our analysis, this case was an outlier and didn’t result in a loss. That makes fuel optimization tools, like what’s in Trucker Path COMMAND, a key tool in today’s economy. Diesel prices are higher than they’ve ever been and the chances are slim of the federal government rolling back taxes like they did for gas. The time to optimize is now. There is real money to be saved out there with smart and dynamic fuel-finding solutions—especially for ones that make it easy for drivers by considering all the variables and curating fuel-friendly routes for them.

Jul 20, 2022