We all know smart phones are a necessity in today’s world, especially for drivers who are out on the road for days at a time; they allow us all to stay connected with our families, friends, and business contacts. This week, we are reviewing tips to increase the productivity and cost effectiveness of your smartphone, and going over some of our favorite apps for the industry. 

Smartphone Tips

Below, some tips on how to manage your smartphone more efficiently, so that you are getting the most out of it.

• Take the time to manage your wireless provider. Know how and what features you use and how often before you enter into a contract. Protect yourself against rate hikes by monitoring your usage.
• If it is available, it is best to choose an “unlimited” type of plan. This will prevent costly and unplanned expenses from overages. Many providers offer plans with both messaging and data.
• Many providers also offer free upgrades on equipment once the term agreement has completed. And remember, don’t throw away your old equipment, many providers will “buy back” this device and give you credit towards a new phone.
• Take advantage of Free Wi-Fi whenever you can; it saves on data consumption and therefore increases the battery life of your device.
• Adjusting the brightness of your phone also affects the battery life. Changing the brightness to approximately 50% will increase battery life and give you more time between charges when you are out on the road.
• Did you know, UWT now has a texting program? You can send and receive text messages to and from UWT via our email delivery system. Messages delivered from UWT will show from this number: 778.383.7106, and replies you send are delivered to ALL members of UWT’s Customer Service Department.
• Use our TRANSFLO Mobile program to send paperwork to us right from your iPhone or Android device, for the low cost of $1 per transmittal.

Useful Apps for Drivers

Looking for some great apps? Check out list below useful apps for the transportation industry! Click on the links below to find out more information, or search the titles in the Apple App Store or Google Play store for Android.

• MyDAT Trucker Services – this robust free app locates nearby truck stops, diesel prices, Wal-Mart parking lots (some that offer overnight parking), rest areas, and more. See their website for more details.
• Trucker Tools by Overdrive – another “one stop shop” free app that provides fuel prices, load tracking, medical examiner database, various service locators, message board, weather info, and an axle weight calculator, to name a few. A great all in one tool!
• MyPilot by Pilot Flying J or TruckSmart by TA/Petro – These are both free apps for the 2 most numerous truckstop networks in the nation. Both these apps show available fueling locations along your route, full and quick-serve restaurants, and maintenance services, to name a few.
• Department Of Transportation sites – The WSDOT has an app that includes statewide traffic cameras, higher priority travel alerts, mountain pass reports, and northbound CAD border wait times. Other notable sites include Drive BC: the British Columbia traveler information system has a mobile version of their popular site (this is not an app, but can be bookmarked and saved to your mobile devices home screen); the site provides road conditions and events and access to BC highways cams. The Oregon DOT also has TripCheck Mobile; like Drive BC, it is not an app, but can still be accessed from any smartphone and home screen saved. It provides information on incidents, road conditions, and access to highway and mountain pass cameras.
• CamScanner – this popular app with drivers turns any smartphone into a camera for document management. A basic account is free and allows you 200 MB of cloud space. More space and enhanced features are available via a paid version. This app allows you to capture an image of a document, such as a BOL and email the file to any contact using the email account that is set up on your phone, all from within the app itself!
• CAT Scale Locator – Access CAT Scale locations from anywhere. You can easily search and save locations based on your current GPS location, or do a custom search.

Thanks to technology, you can call us, text us, friend us on social media, and send us documents, all from your smartphone! BUT, only when you are NOT driving; handheld calls, texting, browsing the internet, and using apps while driving are all huge distractions that greatly increase your potential for accidents, and it is illegal!!!!