How Truck Route Optimization Can Improve Your Fleet’s Productivity and Driver Safety

Truck drivers provide an essential service around the world. They are the ones that hit the road for several hours at a time, even days, to transport critical goods that consumers need, from medicine to food and clothing. Yet, life on the road is not easy. It can be a lonely life, rife with risk and quite gruelling. The nature of the job requires drivers to be mentally and physically strong and capable of driving and being attentive for many miles without falling asleep behind the wheel. A person needs a lot of stamina to stay awake after driving for several hours at a time, which can be pretty taxing

While the job certainly has its bonuses and benefits, the fact remains that being a truck driver means facing specific challenges unique to the trucking industry.

If you are an employer in the trucking industry, driver safety ought to be your top priority. Every time your drivers climb into one of your fleet vehicles, they risk their physical wellbeing and even their lives, as well as that of other drivers and pedestrians.

According to the US Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), large trucks accounted for 8.9% of the vehicles in fatal crashes in 2020, with 4,842 large trucks involved in fatal crashes. The good news for the industry is that means 91% of the vehicles involved in fatal crashes were not large trucks. Nevertheless, with grim statistics like these, ensuring the safety of your drivers is a pertinent responsibility that your organization cannot afford to ignore.

Not only is it in the best interests of your driver’s wellbeing, but it is also important for the profitability and sustainability of your trucking company. Route planning software enables you to improve your truck driver safety while also improving efficiency and productivity.

Challenges truck drivers face.

Truck drivers spend most of their time on the road travelling from state to state, city to city, and people often don’t appreciate how challenging this can be. Truck parking is continuously ranked as one of truck drivers’ main challenges. Struggling to find available truck parking can create dangerous situations for drivers, forcing them to drive beyond their available HOS time in search of a suitable place to park. Paying overnight fees or wasting fuel getting to a truck stop to spend the night is not ideal for drivers, and with traditional truck and rest stops filling up quickly, truckers often have no other option but to park in potentially dangerous locations.

Similarly, finding other amenities, such as diners and rest stops, grab a bite to eat, or rehydrate, can be a challenge – especially when driving through a place you are unfamiliar with. Dehydration, in particular, poses a problem for truck drivers. When dehydrated, our brain function becomes reserved, leading to issues that impact mental clarity, reaction time, muscle function, and even our mood. Dehydration also affects blood volume causing headaches and dizziness. Proper hydration is vital for driver health and safety, so it is crucial to plan routes ahead of time. Route planning software like Trucker Path can improve efficiency and productivity while, more importantly, keeping drivers safe.

How can Trucker Path improve truck driver safety?

Trucker Path began its life as a truck-based navigation similar to many others, using GPS systems to find and plan trucking routes; however, thanks to its community of drivers, the app is consistently updated via millions of crowdsourced contributions that help drivers avoid dangerous travel situations and find suitable stops that meet their needs. Today, Trucker Path is the most relied upon real-truck navigation and mapping app in the trucking industry, with over 1 million monthly active users (MAUs). Built and engineered specifically for the truck driver, Trucker Path prioritizes the safety, comfort and wellbeing of drivers.

Trucker Path’s real-truck navigation recommends routes to avoid low overpasses, sharp turns, poor roads, and other factors to make the driver’s journey safer.

The Trucker Path app features all the key places for drivers to stop nationwide, along with ratings and reviews from their fellow truckers. They appreciate the straightforward, informative access to all the points of interest they need and the ability to filter the ones that matter to them most. These include:

• Parking
• Weigh Stations
• Fuel Stops
• Truck Washes
• Truck Stops
• Rest Areas
• Truck Scales
• Repair Shops
• Restaurants
• Hotels
• And much more.

With Trucker Path, drivers can be in control of their journey by planning their route ahead of time or adjusting during their journey.

How can Trucker Path improve fleet productivity?

One of the biggest challenges of driving a truck on busy roads, especially in urban areas, is finding a parking place. Drivers can easily waste an hour a day looking for available parking, wasting time and eating into their available HOS. But with the Trucker Path app, they easily find available parking instead of driving around looking for space, saving valuable time and ensuring driver safety.

Fuel expenses are always a drain on profitability, especially with diesel prices and inflation at record levels. When you equip your drivers with Trucker Path, fleet managers can optimize their fuel spending and enjoy cost savings. The process could not be more straightforward. Simply enter the truck’s MPG and beginning tank volume in the operator portal. Trucker Path identifies your driver’s pre-determined fuel stops and fill levels, ensuring you’re always purchasing the cheapest fuel available along the route.

Trucker Path for Fleets.

Improved routing efficiency improves every function of your trucking operation, including driver safety.

If you’re a trucking fleet company looking to equip your drivers with truck-specific navigation, fuel optimization, available parking, and much more, all in an app customized with your branding, Trucker Path For Fleets is the solution for you.

You and your drivers will appreciate the safety and productivity benefits Trucker Path provides.

Fleet owners can visit our website for more information on how to offer the Trucker Path app to their drivers.