RESTON, Va. – Trucker Tools , which provides real-time shipment visibility, trip planning, freight-matching and automated booking tools for freight brokers and truckload carriers, has announced two initiatives designed to help brokers and truckers overcome the unprecedented challenges of sourcing, securing and managing transportation operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company has launched two initiatives, effective Friday, March 27:
- Waiver of overage fees and enabling unlimited use of the Trucker Tool platform for real-time visibility of truckload shipments in transit, as well as when and where trucks are available for their next load. The fee waiver is in effect for 60 days and applies to current and new customers.
- A new, COVID-19 section of the Trucker Tools Mobile Driver App, serving as a clearinghouse for information, resources and other support services to help truckload providers manage the challenges of operating safely and successfully in the current pandemic environment. Nearly 900,000 independent owner-operators and some 130,000 small-fleet operators utilize Trucker Tools’ mobile driver app.
“Shippers have heightened interest in the safe and secure transit of their goods – and meeting critical on-time delivery deadlines,” said Prasad Gollapalli, founder and chief executive of Trucker Tools. The company, he noted, has seen a nearly 25 percent increase in loads tracked on its platform this month.
The Trucker Tools real-time visibility platform is 100% GPS-based and provides precise shipment location information on-demand, to a smartphone, laptop, tablet or desktop computer. It’s integrated with the Trucker Tools mobile driver app and provides automated, continual updates of truck location and a visual display of the route from origin to destination. Truck locations are updated every five minutes using the GPS technology native to the trucker’s smart phone.
The impact of COVID-19 has cut staffing levels and reduced hours at loading and receiving docks, creating additional challenges for truck scheduling and transit times. “It’s a difficult time for everyone, from health care workers on the front lines, to brokers working from home arranging shipment of urgent goods, and truckers trying to make pickups or deliveries where access to shipper locations is changing daily,” Gollapalli said. “Automated, real-time shipment tracking removes the burden of having to call the truck to see if they’re available or to get shipment status updates. Our platform also alerts truckers to changes in shipper requirements, special instructions or protocols, so they can manage for delays or reroutes.”
The principal objective, Gollapalli emphasized, is to “provide tools for brokers and shippers to stay connected with critical capacity, and help drivers stay safe, keep shippers informed and navigate these difficult times successfully so the nation’s need for reliable transportation of urgent supplies continues to be met.” He added.
For more information, visit truckertools.com.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
