Trucker Tools launches initiatives to help brokers, truckers on the front lines of COVID-19 fight

Life just got a little easier for beleaguered truck drivers and brokers dealing with newly fractured freight patterns due to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting supply chains.

Trucker Tools, a Reston, Va.-based company that provides trip planning, shipment visibility, predictive freight matching and automated booking solutions for the transportation industry, is helping drivers and brokers overcome the unprecedented challenges of sourcing, securing and managing transportation operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, Trucker Tools is:

• Waiving overage fees for users of nationwide digital freight tracking service and is providing unlimited use of real-time shipment visibility platform for 60 days;
• Adding new “COVID-19” section to mobile driver app, and is launching a clearinghouse detailing key information, support resources, operational tips to help truckers manage during crisis

Trucker Tools says nearly 900,000 independent owner-operators and some 130,000 small-fleet operators utilize its mobile driver app. The Trucker Tools real-time visibility platform is 100-percent 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.

“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. He said the company has seen a nearly 25 percent increase in loads tracked on its platform this month.

The COVID-19 section is a new feature on the mobile driver app. It’s a repository of information about brokers, shippers and other businesses offering specific resources and aid to truck drivers.

The clearinghouse will include user-provided links and information on things like special actions brokers have taken to ease the burden on truckers, restaurants providing take-out services for truckers, additional parking locations, nearby hospitals and medical offices, and retail locations like Wal-mart where drivers can buy groceries and supplies. The information also is available at this link on the Trucker Tools website and will be continually updated.

Several logistics providers and freight brokers already are on board with the clearinghouse, providing information on specific actions they’ve taken to support truckers.  Among them:

BNSF Logistics has suspended through April 30 Quick Pay processing fees for all qualified carriers currently enrolled in the program. 

“BNSF Logistics greatly values our carrier partners and are committed to helping them successfully operate their business through this challenging time,” said Lance O’Daniel, BNSF Logistics’ vice president of supply chain solutions. 

Kingsgate Logistics has waived all payment processing and EFS check fees (usually $20) for carriers, reducing carrier expense and speeding up reimbursements for accessorial charges.  Expanded use of Book it Now automated booking makes more shipments available through this tool to help carriers find and secure loads and reloads faster, the company said.

“If we can free up time – and capital – for carriers, it helps them stay solvent and keeps the supply chain moving,” said Tom Curee, Kingsgate’s senior vice president, strategy and innovation.

Curee told LM that it has heard from drivers who say it’s become more difficult to have more access to funds because of disruptions in their normal patterns.

“This is a small thing we can do to help our carrier base,” Curee said. "That way they don’t have to float those charges. That’s a great thing for them. It’s great for our customers.

“The drivers already have a lot on their shoulders,” Curee added. “We’re trying to reduce their stress and make this a bit more seamless to them.”

Typically owner-operators will reach out for an EFS check in order to pay for unloading fees, typically called “lumper charges.” Now they don’t have to worry about those electronic fee charges.

“They don’t need to worry, ‘If I take this money now, will  I have to worry about a $20 charge?’” Curee said. “Internally, we changed and created a whole new set up in our system to handle COVID-19. We have no clue when it will change. It’s in our system indefinitely.”

In another bright spot for drivers, Choptank Transport is providing hot meals for truckers making pickups and deliveries at Choptank facilities. It also designated sanitized rest areas and bathrooms, and gift bags with hand sanitizer and wipes, water, soft drinks, snacks, a safety vest and other personal care and protective gear.

“Truckers have an already difficult job that’s made even more stressful in this environment,” said Geoff Turner, president of Choptank. “We’ll learn from this in ways that will make us better partners and appreciate more than ever the sacrifices professional truckers make to support our communities and keep our supply chains flowing.”

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 of Trucker Tools 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.”

“We encourage other industry participants to stand with us in support of our nation’s truckers,” Gollapalli added. :Any broker, shipper, 3PL, warehouse operator or organization providing a special service or benefit for truckers is welcome to share their efforts with us; we will include your initiative in this special COVID-19 driver’s resource.”

The Trucker Tools multi-functional, multi-party mobile app is provided free of charge to independent truckers and small fleets. In addition to the COVID-19 support information, company says its app has 16 of the most sought-after features and functions truckers use to find and book freight, provide automated tracking, and operate and manage their business while on the road.