Independent Truckers Pick Up on Mobile Apps

Re-reading a great article from the Wall Street Journal called " Mobile Apps Get Picked Up By Independent Truckers for Better Routes" (Subscription May Be Required).  While I am not sure this rises to the level of "Where is Elon Musk in Logistics" (which I asked in my last posting), I do think it is very instructive to see the growth of Mobile Apps in routing trucks.  I can remember when people were wondering if they should write computer software for independent truckers because, after all, "how many truck drivers have a computer"?

As silly as that seemed, it is equally silly to believe that truckers will not use Mobile Apps.  One of the quotes from the article is from Bryan Beshore, founder of Keychain Logistics:

"I really don’t think that the brokerages serve a huge purpose anymore,” 

Using geotracking, the smart phone and some really good software it is becoming easier and easier for the independent trucker to cut the middleman (read broker) out of the equation.  While this was doable on laptops and regular computers it was just too clunky and hard.  With smartphones, and these types of services, an independent truck driver can get their next load in the time it takes to fuel up.  This could be real disruptive technology.

Here we have "silicon valley" meets the old stodgy trucking industry.  And just like every other industry it is the new upstarts who will "disrupt" the industry because the old guard (big brokers) will cater to the allusion of protecting their  somewhat bloated bureaucracies and infrastructures.

Look out trucking executives... here come the whiz kids from Silicon Valley!