Apps play role in trucking efficiency

Logistics agencies may need to rethink the way they access important applications, given the availability of apps within the trucking industry. Apps not only affect the everyday performance of drivers, but the ability of managers to make decisions based on gathered data. The key to better management may be effective deployment of these apps across the enterprise.

In a press release from January, the American Trucking Association referenced data from national administrations when acknowledging how safe the industry currently is. The source stated that fatality rates fell by more than 4.75 percent since 2014. 

"The key to better management may be effective deployment of these apps."

Apps also stand to help truckers manage their time and eliminate unnecessary middlemen. "Inevitably, a bunch of startups are now seeking to make the business cheaper, quicker and more transparent by replacing the brokers with mobile-app platforms that match shippers' loads with available trucks and truckers," a recent Economist article notes. "Drivers' hours are restricted by law, so anything that helps them cut the time spent behind the wheel with no load (and thus no pay) is a bonus.

On the operational side, apps that truckers have to use themselves come with the danger of taking eyes off of the road and putting them at risk. The best solution could involve identifying which apps make the most sense for an organization and porting them seamlessly into an accessible format. The smoother this process is, the less time drivers could have to spend with hands off of the wheel.

With a Web browser-based terminal emulator, organizations will seamlessly place legacy applications at their users' fingertips as they adopt new technologies, like tablets. Inventu's Flynet Viewer helps companies place important functions in a secure, browser-friendly environment that will accommodate future updates of well-known software.