Today, to make their life easier on the road, straight truck or tractor-trailer drivers use trucking apps.
As a consequence of that, many fleet owners and truck drivers rely on their cell phones or tablets to complete their loads because these technologies provide better industry-specific information and communication between all entities in the load chain.
Some trucking companies require their drivers to install specific apps on their smartphones to smooth out day-to-day operations.
The problem with so many trucking apps is that it gets harder to select the most useful for the truck driver's needs.
Below, find a list of popular apps used by truck drivers.
Caution
Remember to never use your phone while driving. FMCSA considers using hand-held devices while driving a serious violation. Actions like texting while driving can result in fines or driver disqualification.
1. Trucker path
Trucker Path is a popular truck-driving app in North America providing trip planning and mapping option and many more.
Truck drivers can set the necessary information that they are interested in and the app will provide that info.
The app provides information with helpful reviews from other trucker drivers for over 7,000 truck stops in the United States and Canada. It also provides information on parking availability and weigh stations and scales as you drive.
Available: App Store and Google Play
2. Google Maps
Google Maps is useful for truck drivers. It’s not an app for mobile phones but rather a mobile-friendly web link.
Thanks to that, this tool is successfully used on smartphones or gadgets.
Google Maps offers satellite and street view features.
The satellite view allows you to see the truck's location from an overhead position.
The 360-degree street view allows you to see exactly how the delivery place looks like. Where is the main entrance? How many docks does it have?
Google Maps can be easily accessed from iPhones or Android phones and it's free.
3. CoPilot
CoPilot GPS for truckers app is designed to meet the needs of all drivers and vehicle types to help them safely navigate the roads.
The CoPilot GPS app includes the following features:
- By avoiding low bridges and truck restricted-roads, it keeps you out of trouble.
- It provides driver-friendly and non-distracting guidance.
- Plans optimized trips for your vehicle.
- Deliver on time and get precise ETA with real-time traffic.
Available: App Store and Google Play.
2. Trucker tools
This is another popular app for truckers.
Trucker Tools app features a robust truck stop guide that helps to plan your next stop before you head out on the road.
The app identifies available truck stops on your route and helps booking your place at these truck stops, rest areas, weigh stations, parking, truck washes and even Walmart locations prior to arriving at them.
With all these information at hand a trucker's life becomes much easier on the road.
Available: App Store and Google Play
3. MyRadar
MyRadar is a weather app that displays live animated weather radar around your vehicle's current location allowing you to see what is coming your way.
This app also can send tornado, hurricane, or any other severe alerts whenever these are upgrading or downgrading. One of the most useful feature in MyRadar is the rain alerts.
The application will send you an alert up to an hour in advance as to when the rain will arrive at your current location including details on intensity and duration.
Available: App Store and Google Play.
4. Park My Truck
The National Association of Truck Stop Operators have set up this app to show you available nearby parking locations (within 50-250 miles of your current location).
Available: App Store and Google Play.
5. CamScanner
CamScanner is a scanner app that turns your phone into images to PDF converter.
If you deal with paperwork on the road you’ll find this application useful.
Available: App Store and Google Play.
6. Waze
Accidents, road construction, and traffic jams can seriously put you behind schedule.
With the Waze app, get traffic updates in real-time.
The app sends you alerts, provided by real people, about upcoming traffic, police, and other hazards on the road.
The Waze app gives you time to prepare in advance for the above circumstances and avoid any negative consequences.
Available: App Store and Google Play
7. Weigh My Truck
Weigh My Truck is an app made by the CAT Scale.
Weigh My Truck app lets you set up an account at WeighMyTruck.com, and then use it when weighing your load.
The app automatically locates the CAT scale you’re on and syncs it to your online account to maintain your history.
With Weight My Truck, you can weigh your truck, pay with your smartphone, and have your scale tickets sent by PDF to five different email addresses. If you need a hard copy, you can pick it up inside the station up to an hour after you weigh.
Available: App Store and Google Play
8. DriveWyze
The Drivewyze mobile app detects weigh stations and inspection sites across North America and provides you with a way to bypass them.
When you are two miles away from them, the app automatically alerts you and sends a bypass request.
Drivewyze lets you know if you need to pull into the site or if you can keep rolling.
Available: App Store and Google Play
9. GasBuddy
GasBuddy is an app that helps truck drivers to find fuel stations and view gas prices across the country.
The app shows prices at the closest fuels stations near you so you can compare costs and find the best deals on the road.
GasBuddy includes a trip cost calculator, station outage tracker, gas price map and log to track your fuel purchases.
Also, it can monitor your driving habits and inform you when you’re wasting gas and money.
Available: App Store and Google Play
10. Spotify
Spotify is a great way to fill those hours on the road.
Spotify is an app that allows you to listen to your favorite music. Listen to your favorites or discover new songs based on decade, genre, or location. You can create your playlists and then listen to them while driving.
Available: App Store and Google Play
11. The Weather Channel
Bad weather may affect your driving ability, which may impact your estimated arrival time.
To prevent such poor consequences, get accurate weather updates wherever you are with The Weather Channel’s mobile app.
Truckers use this app to plan for severe weather on their route in advance.
The Weather Channel app lets you easily view radars and forecasts up to two weeks in advanc. so that you can be prepared.
Available: App Store and Google Play
12. My Fitness Pal
Eating well on the road is hard.
The My Fitness Pal app helps truck drivers to track their meals and movement.
Use the app's nutritional insights to plan future meals or make healthier choices when ordering out.
My Fitness Pal app lets you choose foods from its database, which includes many meals from restaurants and fast food establishments.
Available: App Store and Google Play
13. Rolling Strong
Rolling Strong is a health and wellness app made specifically for professional truck drivers.
This trucking app offers wellness coaching and workout routines for the days you’re on the road. Its AI guides you to create a diet and a workout plan to fit your driving goals.
In addition to the above, the Rolling Strong app lets you log food, water and and remind you when it’s time to hydrate.
Available: App Store and Google Play
14. Love's Connect
With the Love's Connect app get rewarded for visits to Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores and Speedco. locations across the country.
Truck drivers earn shower and drink credits when they fuel up at Love’s.
You can also check in for showers directly from the app.
Available: App Store and Google Play
15. Pilot Flying J
The Pilot Flying app also provides you with an option to earn credits that you can later spend on free showers or drinks.
You can also view the available amenities at each Pilot Flying J location, check parking, and reserve showers from the app.
Available: App Store and Google Play
16. PrePass Motion
According to PrePass Motion, the app integrates with the in-cab transponder and Advance Vehicle Identification (AVI) reader, so you can continue driving on the main road without stopping at a weigh scale.
If you come across a weigh station without transponder readers, the app uses motion mobile sensors to receive and send the signals.
PrePass MOTION pre-clearance network is available in 42 states across the USA; even in Alaska.
Additionally, in California, you can bypass 37 weigh stations and inspection sites using the app. How cool is that?
Don’t forget, users enjoy a toll payment service in most states.
Just like its competitor, you won’t get a pass in all weigh stations nationwide.
Besides that, it doesn’t cover Canada which is a shame if you cross the border.
The cost? Well, it’s free up to some point, but if you want to enjoy certain privileges, you have to pay subscription fees.
Available: App Store and Google Play.
17. Transflo Mobile
Transflo Mobile app is one of the best mobile scanning apps in the trucking industry. It helps scan and improve the quality of the paperwork for billing purposes.
Available: App Store and Google Play.