If there’s one word in the business world that everyone wants, it’s efficiency. How efficient is that task? How can we make our work more efficient? (Hint: it often means “how can we do this cheaper?”) Developing complete trucking software fits into that mindset. For independent truckers and owner operators, this isn’t just a mindset. It’s a necessity for people who sell their time and services to streamline their paperwork so they have more time available to sell. That’s simple enough, right? Efficient trucking software isn’t optional. It’s a vital part of a successful trucking business.
Efficient trucking software is a single system that captures each piece of trip data one time — dispatch, miles, fuel, maintenance and expenses — and then reuses that same data for invoices, IFTA and IRP reports, and profit and loss reporting. For an owner-operator, that means entering a number once instead of re-typing it for every task.
Buying for a trucker in your life? Here are the best gifts for truck drivers, including why software earns a spot on the list.
Choosing between the big fleet systems and something built for a smaller operation? Here is a closer look at trucking software for owner-operators and small fleets.
Lessons from the Fast Food Stop
I stopped at a fast-food restaurant last week. I placed my order and moved to the pickup point. The place was hopping. Lots of people eating, ready to place their orders, and waiting to pick up their food. I got my self-served Pepsi and looked around the kitchen. One man handled the burger prep. His ground meat was premeasured in lumps, dropped on the griddle, smashed, and fried.
Then he walked five steps from the griddle to where the buns were prepped for my extra pickles, no cheese or onion order. Then he walked five steps back to get the next sandwich order.
He physically carried that burger, dripping with grease, six feet away to lay it on a toasted bun that had been carried about three feet to the fixings station.
It has to be the most inefficient fast food prep I’ve ever seen.
As a child of an engineer, I’ve heard about “efficiencies” all my life. This burger prep process broke every rule.
Trucking Efficiency: Questions to Ask Yourself
Think about it.
- The guy running the grill had to walk 10 steps for every burger.
- Their service was… adequate. My burger was hot when I got it. My fries were not.
- He dripped grease on the floor.
- Someone has to clean it up regularly – it’s not safe or sanitary.
Think about your trucking software.
Are you entering data multiple times for each step? Ret con entry? Dispatch? Routing? Invoicing?
Are you getting reports that use the same data?
- IFTA and IRP?
- Tracking maintenance records and scheduling work to be done?
- Dispatch and invoices?
- New invoices and past due invoices?
- Expenses and revenues?
Or do you have to re-enter the data for each use?
Is your free Google-based doc/spreadsheet system efficiently handling all of these for you with one entry?
Many truckers use multiple programs that weren’t built for their industry — we built ours specifically with truckers in mind.
Efficient Trucking Software for Owner-Operators Starts Here
TruckingOffice was among the first to offer cloud-based trucking software. Back when everyone worried about keeping their data safe on their computer back home, we developed a cloud-based data storage that could be accessed from anywhere a trucker could get on the Internet. Every part of the TruckingOffice PRO system was built to be efficient with the trucker’s time.
Now with automatic uploads of ret cons and expenses, TruckingOffice PRO isn’t sticking to the same-old same-old. We’re working to make running your trucking business faster, smoother, and easier.
Using the data from the TruckingOffice ELD, you can be confident you’ll have the most accurate IFTA and IRP reports. No more worries about underpaying or overpaying taxes.
Entering receipts from maintenance work creates accurate reports for tax purposes and fills the DOT requirements for tracking repairs on your rig. Invoices will accurately include accessory charges like lumpers, tolls, and detention fees.
If you’re looking to improve your trucking company’s efficiency, give TruckingOffice PRO trucking software. We have a free trial for you to explore the entire TruckingOffice program. The next time you’re eating a burger and fries, consider taking a look at how efficient trucking software can improve your trucking business.
Frequently Asked Questions About Trucking Software
What is efficient trucking software?
Efficient trucking software is a single system that captures each piece of trip data one time and then reuses it for dispatch, invoicing, IFTA and IRP reports, and maintenance records. The test is simple: if you have to enter the same number twice, your software is not efficient.
Do owner-operators really need trucking software?
Independent truckers and owner-operators sell their time and services, so every hour spent re-typing paperwork is an hour that cannot be sold. Streamlining that paperwork so more time is available to sell is not optional for a small operation. It is a vital part of running a successful trucking business.
Can I run my trucking business on free spreadsheets instead?
You can, but ask whether a free document and spreadsheet system handles IFTA and IRP, maintenance records and scheduling, dispatch and invoices, past-due invoices, and expenses and revenues from one entry. Many truckers end up running several programs that were never built for their industry, and re-enter the same data in each one.
How does an ELD make IFTA and IRP reporting more accurate?
TruckingOffice PRO builds your IFTA and IRP reports from the data recorded by the TruckingOffice ELD rather than from numbers you re-key by hand. That means you can be confident you have the most accurate IFTA and IRP reports, with no more worries about underpaying or overpaying taxes.
How do I tell if my current trucking software is efficient?
Walk your own workflow and count the entries. Are you entering data multiple times for each step, including rate confirmation entry, dispatch, routing and invoicing? Do your reports reuse data you already entered, or do you re-enter it for each use? If one entry does not cover IFTA and IRP, maintenance, dispatch, invoices and expenses, every extra entry is a wasted step.
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