The complexity of the modern supply chain can make it difficult for you to know what’s happening from time to time. All these complexities lead to inefficiency, increased risk, and performance issues. In order to drive business success, your brand must have visibility into the supply chain.

An overall greater visibility can help you fight supply chain challenges by introducing a strategy that will give you the insight you need. To maintain the visibility and track the freight transportation you can take the support of a well-developed truck logistics app.

Well, ever since the Uber app became a worldwide success, every service that deals with logistics and transportation want uberization for more growth. To address your inquiries, here is our article on trucking app development.

Uber is not just an on-demand app, it’s a part of sharing economy. It has changed the entire relationship between consumers and service providers. Freight industry is one of the sectors that have experienced a revolutionary change. We can understand your curiosity and the vital question about trucking app?

According to the American Trucking Association, trucks move 84% of total freight in the US and the other 16% of all freight spending is for shipping and flying.

The trucking market is estimated to be over $800 billion and the amount of cargo moved by trucks will grow at 27% by 2027.

ATA also forecasted that between 2016 and 2027, overall freight tonnage will grow a total of 35%. Over that same time frame, the amount of freight moved by trucks will grow slightly less at 27%.

“No one can know exactly what the future holds for our economy and industry, but Freight Forecast has proven to be a valuable tool for everyone from industry leaders to government policy makers,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear.

Problems faced by the logistics industry

It is seen that local trucking companies are often inefficient. One challenge is the repositioning of empty containers which is almost as costly as moving a full container. Often containers are transported empty because no cargo is found for the return journey. The longer the trucks wait to be loaded, the higher is the charges of maintaining it.

The second challenge is while moving a cargo, a shipping company usually needs to contact freight agents that will connect them with a carrier. The shipping companies pay these agents up to a 20 % commission, and unfortunately, the whole process is not transparent.

Solutions for shippers and truckers

If you are thinking to develop a delivery logistics app, you are on the right path. If your mobile app development is done properly, it can bridge the gap between shippers and truckers, eliminating the need for an agent. As there would be no agent cost, it will save your expenses too. It will directly establish a connection between the shippers and the carriers.

It will also solve the empty container repositioning issue. Due to easy-access and direct communication, truck drivers can get the required information from you and other parties. It means they can regularly carry new cargo whenever needed. Apart from logistics companies, the live location helps the shippers to track goods in real-time. Another pivotal thing is that transparent pricing data help customers understand the right price.

Undoubtedly, competition in this sector is high and customers are seeking better care services. As a company, it’s a fair idea to tailor a logistics service that offers clients a customized solution. Additionally, your trucking app has to be transparent and user-friendly. Also, the app features must replace a real consultant and offer users comprehensive data about their services.

Necessary things to create an app

You have to take the support of a professional team to build a feature-rich app. Don’t hesitate to learn from competitor’s approach. A good go to marketing strategy for trucking app will increase your revenue and make your brand stand out.

You may already know that such logistics apps come with two options – one is for service providers and another is for consumers whether B2B or B2C. Both the parties have different needs and so, features are different for each one. Let’s see how the key features differ from truckers’ app to shippers’ app.

Note For Truckers App: You have to offer your customers with legitimate carriers through the platform. The more reliable a carrier is, the more shippers will be willing to move their goods using your application. You need to check the trucker’s license, inspects the vehicle and pre-screen the driver before listing them on your logistics app.

Note For Shippers App: The shippers should be able to use your transportation app with ease to find a truck in their area. To build a car tracking app, ask the development team about the integration of aggregator features. You need to aggregate carriers for shippers to select from, notify the shippers once the consignment has been accepted by the driver.

Bonus Tips to add value to your logistics app

Payment Option: Taking the new invention into account, you can add features that will make your application unique. If you are looking for an alternative of wallet, NFC-based payments are one of the secured options. Near Field Communication (NFC) is the technology that allows two devices like your phone and a payment terminal to connect with each other when they are close together. It enables contactless payments.

NFC tags and Android Beam are some of the features which can help you to integrate NFC-based payment mode on your logistics app.

Asset tracking and management: There are several ways you can manage the inventory. One is with QR codes to identify each individual assets. Giant courier companies like DHL express has the barcode scanning function on their Active Tracing app. This function removes the need for workers to enter in long track and trace the numbers. In order to read QR codes, your logistics app users need to open the scanner app, hold it over the code and wait for seconds to receive the message.

Another option for managing inventory is using Bluetooth Low Energy beacons. Installing beacons are a little expensive affair, however, in future giant companies will opt it as this technology offers more accurate data about asset locations.

The logistics industry would surely benefit from having a trucking app. It will reduce expenses, improve transparency across a company’s entire supply chain and most importantly prevent the trucks from taking an empty trip.

Thinking to build a logistics app? We look forward to helping in truck app development.

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