5 Apps that Every Trucker Needs in Their Life

Listen in! Pick up some expert advice to a reader's question that we selected from CyberSchmooz.

There's a certain romance to the life of a long-haul truck driver. Truckers get to drive down the open road, see the country, talk to their friends on the radio, and carry a small apartment in the cab with them. It's not all fun and games, however. To that end, we've compiled a list of some of the most useful smartphone apps for truck drivers. And whether you're behind the wheel of a Kenworth T660 or a Peterbilt 579, these are the apps for you. Be safe out there and watch for Smokey the Bear, good buddies.

TruckSmart

Life on the road can be difficult, and reserving parking locations, researching local gas prices, and optimal routes is a real pain in the neck. Knowing this, TruckSmart developed an easy-to-use app with an intuitive design to make truck life easier to manage.

In conjunction with this, TruckSmart allows you to pay for rest-stop accommodations and hygiene facilities from the comfort of your phone. The next time you roll into town, you'll want to use TruckSmart to make your stay much easier to manage! Here are a few of the features you can explore after installation:

Restaurant information and location
Fuel details
TA, TA Express, and Petro locations
Shower and accommodation booking

BigRoad

Ask any trucker what the most important tool in the truck is, and they will all say the same thing: their logbook. The logbook acts as a testament of honest effort and good faith while out on the road. Whether you're getting pulled over for inspection or need to jot down a note, BigRoad has you covered. Here are some helpful additions that BigRoad provides its users with:

Clean and easy-to-read layout
Logging frameworks
Time remaining on your shift
Real-time violation notifications
Maintenance messages that get sent to fleet management

If you want to keep your rig up to code and eliminate errors from your logging, BigRoad is your solution. Never again will you be plagued with a pesky fine or be stuck without assistance during a maintenance issue!

Waze

While you're out on the road making deliveries, you can often lose yourself in the miles and forget the sense of community that surrounds the trucking world.

With Waze, you can join an active group of truckers that regularly communicate, share ideas and thoughts about their journey. If you want something to do during your downtime or while waiting for your next load, we suggest you check out Waze. Here are some interesting tidbits that you will find once you install Waze on your device:

Police presence in your area
Road conditions and things to look out for
Upcoming traffic jams
Accidents and emergency service information
Unforeseen detours
Smalltalk and chitchat with other drivers

Waze is the perfect app to stay updated with current events in your local area and maintain a social life. If the road is becoming dull and bland, we encourage you to try this app out.

Weigh My Truck by CAT Scale

When you find yourself under a tight deadline, the last thing you want to do is pull over and weigh your truck. Although it may seem like a small amount of time, every minute counts when you're in the driving business.

With that said, CAT Scale provides an app that can be used at your local weighing station for efficient monitorization. After you pay for your weighing services, a receipt gets emailed to you for further inspection. Never again will you waste precious time getting your weight checked!

DOT 511

Whatever state you find yourself in on your journey, DOT 511 is there to help. DOT 511 is a series of apps created for each state within the U.S. Each application will provide real-time updates and information about the state you're traveling through with pinpoint accuracy and pertinent details.

The beauty of DOT 511 is that they provide 24-7, 365-day service to all truckers in the nation. When you find yourself in an unknown state, and you don't know the lay of the land, turn to DOT 511 to help you out! After you make an account, downloading and using the application is a breeze.

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