The advent of technology has brought a multitude of changes that have made life easy for people from all walks of life, and truck drivers are no exemption. Nowadays, many highly functional and exceptional trucker apps are designed to save money, stress and time. Truckers with a mobile device that don't have these fantastic trucking apps are doing themselves a disservice and could be risking their safety. Whether your cell phone operates on the iOS or Android operating system, various apps can help your trucking business.

The Trend in the Use of Mobile Apps by Truckers

Statistics have shown that many truckers have embraced the use of handheld devices to take their businesses to the next level. Here are some statistics on the use of mobile applications by truck operators:

• 57% of truck operators make use of their mobile devices for their trucking business on a daily basis this year than the previous year
• 37% of truckers utilize their mobile devices for booking loads
• 35% of truckers use their handheld devices to bid for loads
• 33% of truck operators monitor gas prices, weather conditions as well as traffic conditions through their mobile apps
• 20% of truckers do not travel with their laptops and instead use their phones for accessing the internet
• 20% of truck operators access Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms via their phones to stay in touch with their family, loved ones, and friends

With these statistics, handheld devices with the right trucking apps are must-haves for truck operators.

Top Trucker Apps

Trucker Path
Trucker path is a commonly used trucker app that offers a wide range of vital information to truckers while they are behind the wheel. On both iOS and Android devices, more than a million truckers are using this fantastic app for navigating truck stops when moving from one place to another. This app can be used to find available parking areas, truck wash, weigh stations, repair shops, restaurants, fuel prices, dealer centers and other things that can make the journey of a truck operator stress-free and more enjoyable. Although there is a paid pro version of this mobile app, users can enjoy most of its features on the free version.

uShip Mobile
If you are going to make money as a truck operator, it is essential for you to consistently get people and businesses that you will ship loads for. uShip Mobile provides the assistance you need as it offers you an easy way to bid on loads. This trucker app is designed to allow owner-operator truckers to find loads that are near their locations and place bids. The app will notify them whether their proposal has been declined or accepted as well as afford them to the opportunity to get the details of bookings. By utilizing the GPS tracking, users of uShip Mobile can alert shippers and consignees.

GasBuddy
Considering that a trucker burns hundreds of gallons of diesel every week on average, the need to save costs on gas can never be overemphasized. If you would like to save money on gas, GasBuddy is one of the best trucker apps that come in handy. This free app functions through the aid of a community with various users across different locations that provide updated prices of diesel in different stations in both Canada and the US. Based on the information derived from this app, truckers can decide the best stations that will offer the best savings on fuel.

NOAA Radar
NOAA Radar is a real-time weather tracking app created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to allow people to monitor the weather. It is one of the most commonly used trucking apps for monitoring real-time and future patterns of the weather. Truckers can benefit from using this app to know the weather condition to expect in places they are passing through or going to. Using the weather monitoring system of the US government, NOAA Radar provides accurate weather forecasts for seven days, hybrid geographic maps, and snow depth. Though the app costs $1.99 to install and use, its benefits are undoubtedly worth more than the price.

FatSecret Calorie Counter
When you have to be on the road for several days, eating right is likely not going to be your priority. However, your tight schedule and commitment to helping your clients ship their loads should not jeopardize your health; therefore, take advantage of FatSecret Calorie Counter. This fantastic app allows truck operators to scan the barcodes on packaged foods to determine their nutritional information. In addition to using it to monitor daily calories, carbs, and fats, this app can also be used to get details of the nutrition information for foods that are served in many restaurants.

Waze
To get traffic alerts and successfully navigate in hazardous road or weather conditions, Waze gives users the details of any obstacles that they may encounter on their way and also provides any alternatives that are safer. Users can also rely on Waze to get information on the cheapest gas station nearby. This app comes with a beautiful, user-friendly interface that ensures that users will enjoy using it.

CamScanner
As you are moving from one place to another as a trucker, you get various tickets, receipts, and contracts you need to organize or file for future uses. The easiest way to organize or file them is by using CamScanner. This scanning app affords you the opportunity to scan these tickets, receipts, and contracts and save them to the cloud so that you can retrieve them to be faxed, printed or emailed later. With this app, you do not have to be bothered about losing your documents.

BigRoad Trucking Logbook
Among many other trucker apps available on iTunes and Android today, BigRoad Trucking Logbook stands out as the dependable app for calculating and tracking your logbook. Rather than going about with a paper logbook, you can easily access this app on your mobile device to locate weigh stations, estimate arrival time, and find trucker-friendly places such as truck stops, repair shops, and truck wash locations.

Xata Turnpike
Xata Turnpike has many convenient features, from providing fuel-saving options to electronic hours-of-service logs, driver productivity data, CSA risk scorecards, and speed management, Xata Turnpike serves as an advanced app that offers several solutions that can help truck operators optimize their businesses. If Xata Turnpike is used effectively and regularly by truckers and trucking fleet managers, they will never fall on the wrong side of regulatory laws and the cost of operation will be significantly reduced. This app is also one of the best trucking apps that can help fleet managers manage their fleets seamlessly with high efficiency.

iExit Trucks
As a truck operator plying a new or unknown route, you may be missing out on some of the truck-friendly businesses around your current location. Use iExit Trucks to find rest stops, lodging, fuel station, shopping malls, auto parts shops, restaurants, healthcare centers, and other critical truck-friendly businesses you need on your way.

TruckLogics
When it comes to managing trucking business, TruckLogics gets the job done correctly irrespective of the size of the fleet. With as little as $19.99/month, you can efficiently manage your trucks without needing any new hands. This app manages your payroll, invoices, maintenance, and dispatches and saves your records in the cloud so that you can retrieve your documents anytime you need them. It can also be used to send documents to anybody around the world with ease.

Skype
Whether you want to keep in touch with your family and friends or ensure communications with fellow drivers and dispatchers, Skype is the app you can always count on. This app keeps you connected to everyone that matters through free voice calls, video conferencing, voicemail messages and text messages. Though Skype is not entirely free, it is more affordable than using pre-paid calling options.

Lose It!
Without a doubt, you can hardly afford not to hit the gym when you are on the road; but we understand that it can be hard to find a gym or time to workout while you are on the road. Nevertheless, your trucking business should not stop you from living a healthy lifestyle. 'Lose It!' is a fitness program that aids you in maintaining a healthy lifestyle by connecting you with other fitness enthusiasts as well as helping you manage what you eat and how often you work out.

Allstays
The developers of Allstays understand how difficult life can sometimes be for truck operators; so, they created this app to ensure that truckers can get some much-needed rest at clean, affordable stops. Truckers can use Allstays to search for a stop where they can get showers, gaming activities, laundry, foods and other services that they need while taking a rest from the open road.

Other trucker apps for iOS and Android devices that you should check out include Weigh My Truck, FleetSafer Mobile, Audible, Trucker Tools, KeepTruckin, Transflo, Co-Pilot Live Truck, Fuelbook, Drivewyze, Cost Per Mile, and Weather Channel.

Conclusion
Get more out of your trucking businesses while staying healthy by using these trucking apps that offer several benefits to truckers. You can get started today by visiting iTunes or Android's Google Playstore to get these apps.