How to Build a Fleet Management App For a Trucking Company?

Consider ditching spreadsheets and improving fleet management with GPS tracking, fuel supervision, and seamless communication through fleet management apps. Create a user-friendly app prioritizing efficiency and simplicity. Let’s explore the process together.

The trucking industry has undergone significant advancements over time. In between all the technological developments and the increasing competition, efficiency is the king. However managing a fleet of vehicles, drivers, and routes can be a bit of a complex task.

A well-designed fleet management app can be your key to efficiency – streamlining operations, reducing costs, and monitoring trucks on the road.

This piece of writing will walk you through the steps of building a fleet management application and what challenges will come your way if you don’t have one.

Let’s get started, but before that let’s understand what are fleet management apps.

What is a Fleet Management App?

A fleet management mobile application is software that helps trucking companies manage, organize, and control their vehicles remotely. The core objective of such applications is to ensure smooth fleet operations on and off roads while enhancing the overall fleet economy.

Fleet management apps provide a range of tools and features that enable various functions like

• Real-time tracking of vehicles
• Efficient route planning
• Driver performance monitoring
• Maintenance scheduling
• Data Analytics

Now that you know what fleet management apps are. Together let’s uncover all the challenges your business may face if you don’t have one.

Challenges Faced by Trucking Companies Without a Fleet Management App

For decades now, transportation has been the lifeline of trade and commerce for economies across the globe. Today the industry runs on quick, competitive, and efficient mobility.  It’s almost impossible to thrive without technology, automation, and software aid.

Here are the most encountered challenges by trucking companies that operate without a fleet management app –

• Limited Control and Visibility

Manually tracking trucks through phone calls or outdated tracking systems is time-consuming and unreliable. This lack of real-time location data makes it difficult to monitor driver progress, respond to delays, or optimize routes. Also in addition, Without in-depth insights into driver behavior and vehicle health, managers struggle to identify and address potential problems before they escalate. (Here’s where ADAS and DMS technologies come into the game).

• Inefficient Route Planning

Effective route planning is crucial for ensuring timely deliveries. In fact, without advanced tools like real-time visibility, tracking, communication, and more provided by these apps, companies often rely on manual or outdated methods for route planning. This can lead to inefficient routes, increased fuel costs, and longer travel times, ultimately affecting the company’s profits.

• High Fuel Costs

According to the report of Entrepreneur, 34% of fleet managers believe truck fuel costs are very high. With the help of a fleet management app fleet owners or managers can monitor fuel consumption patterns, react to sudden drops in fuel levels, investigate unscheduled fuel refills, and spot fuel-guzzling driving practices.

• Poor Driver Management or Miscommunication with Fleet Drivers

Managing a team of hundred drivers who are operating remotely can be a challenge. Driver management includes KYC, document verification, assigning trips, and monitoring driving behavior. Trucking companies may face difficulties in monitoring driver performance, ensuring compliance with regulations, and addressing issues such as fatigue or drowsiness. Moreover, poor driver management can lead to high turnover rates, increased accidents, and lower overall efficiency.

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How a Fleet Management App Eliminates All These Challenges

Real-Time Tracking and Optimized Routes

A fleet management app revolutionizes trucking operations by providing real-time tracking, optimizing route planning, and enhancing driver management. It ensures continuous visibility over the fleet, allowing for precise tracking of vehicle locations and timely deliveries.

The app utilizes advanced algorithms and plans to create efficient routes, reducing fuel costs and travel times.

Improved Driver Management

Comprehensive driver management features to improve performance monitoring and compliance, promoting safety and reducing turnover.

Preventative Maintenance

The app’s maintenance tracking capabilities ensure timely repairs and preventative upkeep, minimizing breakdowns and downtime. Companies can make informed decisions through detailed analytics and insights, optimizing overall performance.

Enhanced Customer Service

Improved tracking and communication enhance customer service by providing accurate delivery estimates and timely updates, leading to higher customer satisfaction and retention.

Now that you know all the challenges and how this one application caters to all these obstacles, you must surely be wondering how to build one.

The next section of this piece of writing covers how to build a fleet management app.

How to Build a Fleet Management App?

Building a fleet management app involves several key steps, from initial planning and design to development and deployment. Let’s get into the steps of creating a fleet management app.

Without elaborating on the technicalities involved in each step, we’ll give you a brief idea about how the development process flows. The below-mentioned steps will just be an overview of the entire process.

• Step 1- Defining the core objectives and requirements
• Step 2- Research the trends, features, and what is going on in the market.
• Step 3- Assemble a team of testers, and developers accordingly.
• Step 4- Create custom designs and user interfaces tailored to your brand.
• Step 5- Code the app from scratch or use development frameworks with the help of developers.
• Step 6- Conduct extensive testing for bugs, usability issues, and performance. This includes unit tests, integration tests, and user acceptance testing.
• Step 7- Set up servers, databases, and other infrastructure. Submit to app stores
• Step 8- Continuous monitoring, bug fixes, updates, and feature additions by your development team.

There are a few additional considerations that you should keep in mind while building a fleet management app like

• Prioritization of data security by implementing robust authentication, authorization, and encryption.
• Scalability to accommodate growth in the user base.
• Ensuring the app adheres to relevant regulations for the trucking industry (for instance ELD compliances, AIS 140 Guidelines, and more).

Now that you are aware of the basics of building a fleet management app, you must surely be wondering why all of this seems tiresome and costly. If you don’t want to start from scratch you can opt for a ready-to-deploy platform. That is easy to use and configure- Yes we are talking about  White-label fleet management solutions. The table below showcases the difference between the two, have a look.

Aspects	White Label App	Self-Built App
Definition	A pre-built application offered by a third-party provider is customizable for your brand.	Application built from scratch or customized extensively by your in-house team.
Development Time	Shorter, as the core functionality is already developed.	Longer, as the app is developed from the ground up.
Cost	Lower initial cost usually works on a subscription model i.e. per vehicle charges.	Higher initial cost, regular maintenance, and development costs.
Customization	Limited to the options provided by the white-label provider.	Extensive, and can be tailored to specific requirements.
Control	Limited control over core features and updates.	Full control over all aspects of the app.
Maintenance	Handled by the provider, included in the service fee.	Requires in-house resources for updates and bug fixes.
Time to Market	Faster, as the app is nearly market-ready.	Slower, due to the time needed for development and testing.
Technical Expertise Required	Minimal, mostly for regular operations and branding.	High, requires significant technical knowledge and expertise.
Scalability	Depends on the provider’s infrastructure and limits.	Can be designed to scale according to specific needs.
Innovation	Constrained by the provider’s roadmap.	Driven by the in-house team’s creativity and strategy.
Branding	Customizable within the limits of the provider’s framework.	Fully customizable to reflect the brand identity.

Both self-built apps and white-label platforms have their own pros and cons, but yes if you have limited time and have less-investment bandwidth, you can opt for white-label fleet management solutions.

Essential Features of a Truck Fleet Management App

Creating an effective truck fleet management app requires incorporating a range of features to ensure comprehensive management, efficient operations, and regulatory compliance.

The below table showcases the categories and features your app should have.

Solution	Essential Features
Real-Time Tracking	GPS tracking, real-time location updates,
Fleet Maintenance	Scheduled maintenance alerts, service history logs, diagnostic reporting
Driver Management	Driver profiles, hours of service (HOS) tracking, driver performance monitoring, Driver Application
Route Planning	Trip Planning, Estimated Time of Arrival, Proof of delivery, Route Deviation Alerts
Fuel Management	Fuel consumption tracking, fuel efficiency reports, fuel card integration, Refill and drainage alerts
Compliance & Reporting	Electronic Logging Device (ELD) compliance, IFTA reporting, DVIR,
Communication	In-app announcements, push notifications, emergency alerts
Document Management	Digital document storage, trip logs, expense receipts, 12-month history
Analytics & Reporting	Analytical dashboards, real-time analytics, performance metrics
Expense Management	Expense tracking, cost analysis, budget management

Final Words

Now that we are towards the end of this piece of writing, we hope that you have some clarity about how a fleet management app is built. With changing times a well-designed app has been very important in enhancing operational efficiency, reducing costs, and more.

Building fleet management serves you with an array of benefits but surely it can be a time-consuming and long process, white- label software solutions are one of the best alternatives to apps built from scratch.

Want to save time and at the same time get a fleet management app customized according to you?

TrackoBit can be your partner in this!

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FAQs

• What is the cost of using a fleet management app?

  The cost can vary widely depending on the features offered, the size of the fleet, and the provider. Some apps charge a monthly subscription fee per vehicle, while others may offer tiered pricing based on the number of vehicles and features required.

• How do fleet management apps enhance safety?

  Fleet management apps enhance safety by monitoring driver behavior (e.g., speeding, harsh braking), providing real-time alerts, scheduling regular maintenance to prevent breakdowns, and ensuring compliance with safety regulations.

• What features should I look for in a fleet management app?

  - Real-time GPS tracking
  - Maintenance scheduling and alerts
  - Fuel consumption tracking
  - Driver behavior monitoring
  - Route optimization
  - Compliance management
  - Reporting and analytics