While growing startups like to dream of the company being around for the long haul, none do so quite like KeepTruckin. Making life easier for long-haul truck drivers is the immediate objective for this new mobile application. KeepTruckin allows truckers to complete their driving logs via smartphone.
Over 3 million drivers transport our goods around the country, and all of them are responsible for keeping meticulous logbooks of their hours traveled. This has been done traditionally with pen and paper – spreadsheets filled out by hand and then submitted either in person or by fax. KeepTruckin lets drivers fill out the same forms on its mobile app much faster and then send them by email (or fax).
The app replicates the appearance of paper logbooks so that they look familiar to drivers. It’s much easier to store records in the cloud than it is to keep track of reams of papers, which need to be on hand for frequent inspections. Since drivers are subject to Hours Of Service regulations that strictly govern the hours each person can stay on the road, KeepTruckin also supplies alerts if drivers are in danger of violations. This saves them from paying costly fines.
Submitting reports with the press of a button is much more efficient than searching for a fax machine. What’s more, truckers benefit from the app by being able to keep maintenance and freight records easily and by communicating with dispatchers quickly.
KeepTruckin improves life for fleet managers and dispatchers as well. They can store records in the cloud permanently, saving tremendous amounts of space. Automatic auditing of logs for violations saves time and energy. They have the advantage of being able to send messages to their drivers from their computer. If drivers consent, they can also track travel.
The app is free of charge at the moment, available on Android devices, iPhones and iPads. KeepTruckin looks to eventually make money by offering other fleet management and freight costs solutions.
Surely a road veteran came up with this industry-changing application? Not so. KeepTruckin CEO and Co-founder Shoaib Makani worked at Khosla Ventures prior to his startup. Before that, he was a business developer at AdMob and a product marketing manager at Google. His partner, Ryan Johns, was the Vice President of Technology at Tapjoy.
KeepTruckin has so far been fueled with $2.3 million in funding led by Google Ventures. Clearly I’m not the only one that thinks it’s brilliant and wonderful for truckers to be shown some technology love.
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[…] senses crave seeing something that I’ve never seen before. It’s been almost a year, but KeepTruckin continues to log miles around my cerebral cortex because it’s the only startup I can remember […]