Photo: TruckITOn large-scale landscaping jobs, there is often debris and waste that needs to be hauled away but finding a hauler can be a major hassle.
Stepping up to fill the need of on-demand hauling services is TruckIT, a construction technology startup specializing in on-demand hauling and fleet/dispatch management.
“Getting haulers coordinated for jobs is possibly the most frustrating aspect of hauling,” says Pace Davis, CEO of TruckIT. “It’s the No. 1 pain point TruckIT aims to eliminate. In most cases, traditional methods include multiple phone calls to multiple hauling companies, which can take hours. Even if you order 10 trucks, the likelihood of only seven showing up for the job is high.”
With TruckIT, there are thousands of vetted haulers ready to accept jobs. Users can order the number of haulers they need for the job on the app and then receive the exact number of haulers needed.
Founded in 2014, TruckIT was created by Davis, who is a software developer and technology startup entrepreneur along with his friend who is a veteran general contractor and fleet owner.
Photo: TruckIT“Both of us were all-too-familiar with the frustrations associated with existing hauling processes,” Davis says. “So, we combined forces and conceptualized TruckIT to bring easy-to-use technology solutions to the industry for the benefit of haulers, contractors and material producers alike.”
Davis says it took about eight months to go from the original concept to using the app the first time, but he says the development and enhancements never cease.
“We’re constantly iterating and improving upon the existing tech while developing and implementing brand new tech – all in the name of providing the best possible solution,” Davis says.
The way TruckIT works is much like any other on-demand service app. Contractors order the trucks they need. This order goes on to a job board where the vetted haulers can view and accept the jobs they want. When the driver starts the job, TruckIT issues real-time e-tickets and when the job is completed, TruckIT pays the hauler. An invoice from TruckIT is then sent to the contractor.
Davis says TruckIT caters to contractors as well as landscapers responsible for clearing major debris and waste from construction jobsites. Also, there’s occasionally potential for aggregate delivery depending on the landscaping project specs.
“Although our business is categorized as construction technology, we often find ourselves working with other industry subsets, such as industrial landscaping and debris removal,” Davis says. “We really enjoy and welcome those opportunities where a natural segue exists.”
TruckIT vets its haulers by securing and verifying COI, as well as checking references to ensure haulers are highly recommended by the companies they currently or formerly work with. All hauling companies and their drivers are vetted before they are approved to use the TruckIT app.
For further peace of mind, users can take advantage of TruckIT’s RaceTrack feature. RaceTrack provides real-time monitoring for truck locations, ETAs and when loads are delivered.
“We also offer contractors with the ability to set up geofence zones for delivery zones,” Davis says. “For example, the contractor creates a geofence with a two-mile radius around the jobsite. When the hauler enters that two-mile alert zone radius, the contractor is notified of the hauler’s pending arrival via text or mobile app and the foreman or superintendent is prepared to load up waste for removal or unload aggregate being delivered. This works in favor of the hauler, as well, since it reduces idling time and expedites turn times – all of which adds up to increased revenue through enhanced operations.”
Photo: TruckITAs for how pricing works on TruckIT, the contractor posts how much they are willing to pay for a job, but Davis says jobs are based on industry pricing, as well as other analytical factors such as location and seasonality. There are no long-term fixed commitments on TruckIT.
“Our research indicates we’re the only on-demand hauling/fleet and dispatch management business who exercises this no-strings-attached approach,” Davis says.
TruckIT customers also have the option to pay by tonnage or pay by the hour.
“Depending on the scope and unique variables of any given project, offering both tonnage and hourly hauler pay has been well received by our customers,” Davis says. “As far as paying out haulers goes, TruckIT handles all of that on behalf of the contractor. Hauler invoicing and remittance are centrally executed through our platform.”
