The Evolution of Trucking Software for Owner-Operators: Scaling Operations in the Digital Age

Technology has revolutionized the way businesses operate. That includes owner-operators who are leveraging trucking software to build scalable, efficient, and profitable operations. By using innovative solutions, like TrueNorth’s all-in-one financial dashboard, small carriers can compete with the big boys.

Trucking Software for Owner-Operators: Innovation toward integration

It seems that after transportation management systems (TMSs) came to be in the 1990s, everybody built an app to do what was previously done manually, like tracking apps, paperwork apps, parking apps, and load board apps. That of course resulted in a landscape of siloed systems that couldn’t communicate with each other.

TrueNorth has changed the trucking software for owner-operators landscape by providing a single app to replace all other apps, giving owner-operators one place to manage their entire business. We help owner-operators make faster decisions with personalized data, including whether a load is profitable and how you stack up against the competition.  

Three steps toward scalability for owner-operators

Trucking software for owner-operators can help even the smallest carriers grow their businesses. A 2023 Owner Operator Land article, “Maximizing Profitability and Efficiency for Owner-Operator Trucking Businesses,” underscored the importance of technology.

“Integrate technology platforms and software solutions to unify load planning, routing, fuel efficiency, and time management efforts,” it said. By leveraging data, owner-operators can:

• Continuously assess performance.
• Identify areas for improvement.
• Make informed decisions to find the best load matches.

TrueNorth helps owner-operators scale their businesses in a multitude of ways, including:

• Financial clarity.
• The ability to conquer mountains of paperwork.
• Simplified load booking.

1. Financial clarity

A classic chokepoint for owner-operators occurs around financial clarity. Traditionally, owner-operators have had little insight into the revenue and cost balance and struggle to understand their exact financial picture until tax season, when it’s too late to adjust for greater revenues.

The Business Plan Shop said trucking industry-related software programs allow users to track their financial performance against their forecast and “have a friendly support team on standby to assist you when you are stuck.” That friendly support team also is more cost-efficient than hiring a CFO or bringing in an outside consultant.

TrueNorth’s trucking software for owner-operators shows carriers:

• How they are tracking toward their annual revenue goals.
• Their profitability per mile, per week, and per month.
• Where they can save money and make more money.

2. Conquering the paperwork mountain

“One of the key aspects of the owner-operator role is managing paperwork,” Cargox said. “This involves keeping track of invoices, receipts, and legal documents to ensure compliance with regulations. Providing exceptional customer support is crucial for building and maintaining client relationships. Effective load sourcing is another critical task determining an owner-operator’s success. It involves finding profitable loads and negotiating rates with brokers or shippers.”

Small owner-operators often lack the back-office administrative workforce necessary to stay ahead of the mountains of documents necessary to do business.

They also tend to manage their business out of their email inbox, receiving rate confirmations and sending proof of deliveries via email. Because carriers often work with dozens of brokers throughout the year, there is no clean way to track everything in an email inbox.

By moving traditional back-office processes to TrueNorth’s trucking software for owner-operators:

• Carriers can streamline their entire operations – and get paid faster.
• TrueNorth manages all load documents for owner-operators and their drivers.
• Rate confirmations, proof of delivery, and invoices are sent directly to freight brokers or factoring companies.

3. Load booking made simple

Often, owner-operators get stuck in a sort of survival loop, constantly searching for the next load to ensure that revenue streams stay steady. While this grind may result in a fair amount of business, it makes it difficult to step back, assess strategy, and scale operations.

TrueNorth’s AI works in the background, sending owner-operators the best load suggestions based on their preferences and history.

With our integrated load booking, owner-operators can:

• Easily assess which loads are most profitable.
• Take advantage of current hot zones.
• Determine whether a shipment is the right load using our breakeven calculator.
• Secure the next load with our backhaul recommendations.

Ready to scale your operations?

“Contrary to popular belief, the trucking industry is not controlled by a handful of large conglomerates,” a Forbes article said. “Instead, it’s a vibrant ecosystem of small businesses, with 95.8% operating fleets of 10 trucks or fewer and many operating as independent owner-operators.”

TrueNorth helps small owner-operators take charge of their business through our all-in-one mobile app, which provides access to resources normally reserved for large carriers. Search, book, and invoice loads all in one place — right from the palm of their hand.

Discover how TrueNorth’s trucking software for owner-operators provides full-cycle load management that helps you:

• Book better loads.
• Get paid faster.
• Track your profits.

Download TrueNorth today.

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