How Owner-Operators Can Utilize Fleet Management Software

As an owner-operator, you might not think you need fleet management software. After all, it’s just one truck you need to worry about, right? Maybe, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need the same level of in-depth data and logistics as someone with a fleet of 50. 

The term “fleet management” can be misleading as you may assume it’s only valuable for someone with dozens of vehicles under their control. Instead, this is a widely used term to describe software that makes managing your owner-operator business easier across the board.

What is Fleet Management Software? (TMS)

Fleet management software, or a transportation management system (TMS), helps owners and managers keep track of vehicle data, maintain compliance, log hours, and so much more. 

While the scope of every software will vary, the underlying purpose is to offer a single platform to manage an entire suite of trucking business needs. 

If you do happen to manage a small fleet, then the right software can improve driver performance, accelerate dispatch, optimize delivery routes, manage paperwork, and help you avoid oversights that upset shippers. 

There are many types of features that fall under the TMS umbrella. These include: 

●     GPS navigation and tracking for all trucks and trailers.

●     Real-time diagnostics to ensure you stay on top of maintenance.

●     FMCSA-compliance tracking to prevent violations.

●     Traffic data to improve routing and delivery times.

●     Automated invoicing and billing services.

●     Customer service options to provide load progress updates and location notifications.

 If you’re new to trucking as an owner-operator, you might wonder what you’ve gotten yourself into. Between scheduling loads, filling out paperwork, invoicing, and budgeting, there often feels like there’s barely enough time to actually drive. 

That’s why a TMS is so important for every trucking professional — it helps them prioritize what matters most, provide the highest quality of customer service, and keep their business running flawlessly without losing hours from their precious work-life balance.

How Owner-Operators Can Streamline Their Business With a TMS

A TMS can help owner-operators process their loads faster, minimize errors, and simplify the managerial aspect of their job. While their main office might be a truck cab, they still have all the usual demands and responsibilities of a desk-bound business owner. 

What really sets an owner-operator apart from the average entrepreneur, however, is the unique demands of their industry. Trucking as an owner-operator means you’re the boss and employee. You call the shots, make sure they hit their target, and handle everything from dispatch to collections. 

It can be difficult staying on top of both the driver requirements and owner-operator responsibilities. Most owner-operators are used to the operational component. It’s owning their own business that can complicate their work life to the point it’s bordering on overwhelming. 

A dedicated TMS helps owner-operators streamline cumbersome tasks like bookkeeping, managing loads, planning routes, managing your rates, and billing shippers automatically.

Why Owner-Operators Choose Truckbase

At Truckbase, we put truckers first and focus on easy-to-use tools specifically for the smallest trucking companies. Whether they’ve been behind the wheel for decades or are starting out as an owner-operator, we know exactly what they need to find the greatest success in their careers. 

Trucking is both a lifestyle and job. It shapes an enormous part of your day, but it shouldn’t overtake your life. The business aspects of being an owner-operator can cause you to work round-the-clock. fleet 

This leaves you burnout and low on energy when it’s time to get behind the wheel and do what you do best. 

We’ve built our software around years of insider knowledge. We recognize the struggles, challenges, and needs drivers and owner-operators have. 

Thanks to our features, owner-operators are managing their businesses faster and easier. They choose us for our customer service, support, understanding, and, of course, easy and effective features. Let’s take a look at a few more closely.

Less Paperwork for Every Job

Our goal is to save you time and money while cutting down paperwork. This leaves room for you to actually enjoy trucking and taking in everything life has to offer on the road. You can upload documents directly from your cellphone to Truckbase, and even send loads to drivers via email or text message directly from our site.

Simple Interface

No specialized app or technology is required to use Truckbase. Simply log in to your account on our site and access all your business’s key information. Drivers can instantly update their load statuses, and you can send info to your phone or another driver’s in just 10 seconds. 

The easy-to-navigate design has made our website a simple yet powerful solution for modern fleet management.

Built-in Rate Calculator

You deserve to get paid for your work, but setting rates isn’t always straightforward. Our rate calculator helps you account for empty miles, adjust rates in seconds, and even negotiate better rates with your customers by providing insight into your rates per mile and costs over time.

Easy Invoicing

Our fleet billing software makes it easy to get paid faster. You can track all of your invoices in one place, see who’s paid, who’s outstanding, and how much you’ve earned. Keeping ongoing financial records helps you improve your business’s bottom line. If you use Quickbooks, you can use our software to manage your loads and instantly generate an invoice in Quickbooks with all the load information, rate, and attached documents as soon as it’s done.

A One-Stop-Shop for Document Storage

Trying to manage all of your clients’ data without software is a huge task, and it’s easy to miss minor details that could hinder your job performance or damage a relationship. Keep all the most important information in one place, and search for client profiles in seconds with our document storage feature. 

You can automatically upload documents from your phone or computer, and search for information by date, name, and more. Whenever you need to share something with a client, Truckbase makes it simple and straightforward to export documents to their recipients.

Simplified Load Management

Imagine being able to create a load in under a minute. With Truckbase, you can. Create loads manually or by forwarding rate confirmation emails to loads@truckbase.com. Then, have everything you need to know in one place, including the name of the shipper, broker, pick-up date, delivery deadline, and route.

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