Special trucking Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) make software better, more flexible, and more convenient. Reading this article, you can learn about API trucking advantages and peculiarities of its application..

Why do we use Software Tools and why they are Needed in Trucking?

Cargo transportation is one of the most complex processes in logistics. Its manual organization is quite complicated since a lot of factors must be taken into account.

A trucking API is a software interface that allows developers to integrate and automate processes in the trucking industry. By using a trucking API, developers can access data from various trucking systems, such as transportation management systems, GPS tracking systems, and Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs), to build custom solutions for their clients.

Trucking APIs provide a wide range of benefits to the industry, including improved efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced data accuracy. For example, by integrating a trucking API with a transportation management system, companies can streamline their supply chain processes and reduce operational costs. The API can also help to ensure that trucking companies are in compliance with regulations, such as hours of service rules and the ELD mandate, by automating data collection and reporting processes.

In addition to these benefits, trucking APIs also provide valuable insights into the industry. For example, they can help companies to track the performance of their drivers and vehicles, and to identify bottlenecks in their supply chain processes. This information can be used to optimize operations, improve customer satisfaction, and ultimately increase revenue.

Overall, trucking APIs are a powerful tool for the trucking industry. They help to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance data accuracy, while also providing valuable insights into the industry. If you’re looking to build a custom solution for your trucking company, consider using a trucking API to streamline your processes and achieve your business goals.

Why Are Software Tools Needed in Trucking?

Cargo transportation is one of the most complex processes in logistics. Its manual organization is quite complicated since many factors must be taken into account, such as:

1. Number of Stops
2. Number of vehicles on the route
3. Delivery priority
4. Choosing the best route
5. Weather conditions
6. Cargo Dimensions
7. Speed Limits

In addition, there may arise situations when you have to make urgent changes throughout the day. For example, change the priority of deliveries or add a new stop. Also, do not forget that in recent years traffic has significantly increased, so sometimes it is critical to rebuild the route to deliver the goods on time.

Routing software solutions come to the rescue in this matter. They often include separate applications for dispatchers and drivers, allowing them to interact quickly. So, all points added to the route by the dispatcher are immediately displayed to the driver. The software independently creates the most optimal path so that all cargo is delivered on time with minimal time and fuel costs. Drivers do not have to spend extra time laying a route, and this is significantly increasing their efficiency.

Let’s take a look at some statistics on the impact of routing software on logistics companies:

• Fuel costs are reduced by approximately 16% with proper routing, and it helps to increase the company’s operating profit
• Stop prioritization reduces fuel consumption by another 2.3%, which also implies the profit growth
• The growth of the apps routing market is currently about 11.4% per year, which indicates the interest in this software and the relevance of its optimization via APIs

Trucking API: What Is It and How Does It Work?

Application Programming Interface is software that allows different apps to interact with each other and share data. Thus, the API receives a request from one application, calls the server to obtain all the necessary data, and returns it to the supplicant. At their core, APIs are intermediaries between programs and servers involved in the supply chain.

At the same time, differences in programming languages do not affect the quality and speed of interaction. API trucking can be integrated both at the development stage and into an already created third-party TMS, as they are a cloud solution connected via the Internet.

Logistics service providers use the trucking API to create truck routing software that considers unique requirements by matching vehicle characteristics with route restrictions and traffic conditions, allowing real-time route creation and re-routing. Also, API trucking helps all the company’s software work as a whole and will enable you to manage the entire supply chain effectively.

API trucking is commonly used in logistics today because it provides higher accuracy, speed, and efficiency for CRMs or Transporting Managing Systems (TMSs). Let’s consider what tasks trucking APIs perform in logistics software:

Some trucking APIs features

Real-time cost calculation. API trucking can send a request to calculate the price or transit time to several operators at once and return the results to the requesting application. Thus, you can always avoid unnecessary expenses by choosing the best options.

Real-time tracking. With the help of API, it is easy to control the location of all goods and their movement, which is often critical in the supply chain. In the case of urgent delivery tasks, you can easily see which driver can complete them at the lowest cost.

Delivery control. APIs can send a delivery request and, after it is completed, confirm receipt of the goods. Therefore, you can always be sure that the goods are delivered on time, as well as notify customers about this if necessary.

Quick document searching. API trucking also dramatically simplifies access to the necessary documents. So, using the carrier’s tracking number, you can quickly get all the documents along the route.

Planning automation. The high speed of receiving a response from the server helps to significantly speed up the delivery process and better plan routes, controlling the location and quickly making adjustments if necessary. Includes the search for the best ways, considering traffic, weather, and possible repairs on the road.

Simplifying daily logistics tasks. The API includes options such as automatic invoicing, updating employee and transportation data, inventory control, and more. Thus, it is possible to avoid errors that the manual execution of these tasks could provoke.

Trucking APIs have been massively replacing Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) integrations in transporting management in recent years. An increasing number of companies are integrating APIs into their TMS, which allows them to expand the software’s functionality. In addition to the smooth operation of the supply chain, automatic route planning, and data exchange with employees, companies also get the acceleration of all processes, simplified access to data, and improved interaction with other participants in the logistics process.

How Do APIs Simplify Trucking and Cargo Transportation?

Let’s consider the benefits you will get from using API trucking in your business.

Access to real-time data. It is critical to avoid delays in logistics processes, and APIs immediately allow access to all data. This is a huge advantage for companies using this solution in their operations, as it provides increased speed of deliveries and decision-making.

Cloud technology. The fact that trucking APIs are cloud-based makes it easy to update and maintain them just by connecting to the Internet, so you don’t need to stop all processes.It also makes it much easier to integrate APIs into all operations.

Reducing the number of errors. API trucking allows you to take a massive step toward automating all transport processes. This avoids many mistakes that could be made by dispatchers or drivers at all stages of planning and performing.

Availability. API technology is present in many ready-made solutions and easily implemented in custom software development. This technology is widely used and allows programs to exchange information efficiently.

Fast development. Trucking APIs are developing quite actively, which gives great prospects for their further development. Thus, by integrating APIs now, you will be able to update them in the future, further increasing the output of your business.

Simplification of logistics. The manual execution of complex and time-consuming tasks took a lot of effort and time, with API trucking becoming as automated as possible and not requiring detailed work of employees. This allows you to increase their efficiency significantly.

Increasing profitability. API trucking allows you to reduce costs, such as fuel, time, etc. Simultaneously, increasing the efficiency of each employee in particular and the company as a whole can significantly increase profits.

Thus, implementing trucking APIs has vast benefits and significantly increases business profitability. However, even such valuable technology has its disadvantages.

Tailwind TMS

Another example of a generic fleet management app using the trucking API. Tailwind helps small and medium-sized companies compete with logistics giants. Thanks to the use of the API, all operations are carried out quickly and easily, even if employees work from different locations. Thus, transportation management is automated as much as possible, costs can be reduced, and the efficiency of each employee increases significantly.

It can be concluded that the trucking API in such software significantly improves its user experience. So, all requests are executed in real-time and the speed of information processing and decision-making increases. However, it is crucial to remember that technical solutions, such as TMS, must be fully tailored to your business processes. Therefore, it is worth considering the possibility of creating your software with API trucking integration.

Envase Intermodal TMS

This software solution helps to optimize all business processes. Using API trucking makes it possible to track loads, drivers, and road conditions, rebuild routes and make decisions based on the data received. You can also receive instant reports in one click. Envase TMS features include:

• Automatic order entry
• Send optimization
• Container Tracking
• Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

Samsara

Samsara is a multifunctional fleet management platform. Using the trucking API significantly improves transportation efficiency, as data on the routes and locations of each vehicle is always available in real time.

Also, the real-time exchange of data allows you to make the necessary changes to ways quickly. In addition, the software can be synchronized with specialized equipment that will, for example, monitor the engine’s condition, the temperature in the container, and so on.

How is software with API integrations developed?

Software with integrated trucking API is built according to a particular algorithm. Let’s consider the whole process in detail:

1. Discovery phase. First, after an introductory acquaintance with the project and the beginning of cooperation, the discovery stage necessarily passes. During this phase, we determine the project’s details and all basic requirements. Then, the team determines the delivery timeline and estimates the development cost. Based on the results of this step, a set of documents is compiled for the following stages, including a design concept, UX map, Feature Breakdown List (FBL), etc.
2. UI/UX design. Next, UI/UX designers, in cooperation with the developers’ team, create the future application screen by screen. Any software requires close attention to this point. In particular, solutions with API trucking should provide convenient and understandable access to the whole set of functions provided by such integration.
3. Development. As soon as all the requirements and designs are ready, the development team starts creating software with the trucking API. Development takes place in several sprints, during each of which specific goals and intermediate results are achieved.
4. Quality assurance. Development is necessarily accompanied by testing. For example, regarding API trucking integration, it is imperative to be sure that everything works correctly and that all tasks are performed as needed. That is why quality assurance specialists always conduct testing at all stages of development and upon project completion.
5. Release. You can launch the application and implement it into your logistics processes when it is ready. You may need the help of your software provider to transfer all data, synchronize all software, and train employees. We at LightClix are happy to assist our clients at this stage.
6. Maintenance. Finally, technologies such as the trucking API are fast developing today, so after your software is launched, you can continue cooperating with developers for further technical support and stable application updates.

Creating software with trucking APIs may seem complicated and time-consuming. Still, with the help of an experienced software provider, you can quickly and effortlessly get the best solution to optimize your business.

API is an acronym that stands for Application Programming Interface. It is software that allows different apps to interact with each other and share data. At their core, APIs are intermediaries between programs and servers involved in the supply chain.

For transport companies, API is a common component of logistics software, such as TMS and CRM, which allows you to increase the speed of operations, improve the interaction between business chain programs, optimize routes, simplify work with documentation, and much more.

There are special trucking APIs that allow vehicle drivers to instantly get the best route for the next task. They take into account many special factors, such as truck size, weather conditions, traffic jams, etc.

To implement a trucking API, you should contact a software vendor that has extensive experience in creating logistics and transportation solutions. They will help you integrate the API into your business processes or create custom software for you with API trucking.