One of the benefits of using the Truckit Provider app is that you can share your location with customers, allowing them to keep up to date with their delivery.

How to enable tracking for the first time

The first time you login to the app you will be shown a popup with a brief overview of Truckit's location tracking. You will then be prompted to set your Location Settings to 'Always'.

In order for the tracking to function properly you will need to select 'Always Allow' when prompted. This is a technical requirement to ensure a good tracking experience for your customer, otherwise the tracking will not function. But don't worry, you will have full control over when you wish to be tracked, as you will read below. 

How to change your tracking setting to 'Always'

Starting a Job

Before you leave to go and collect a job, make sure you go into the job screen and click 'Start Job'. When starting the job you will also be given the options to:

Turn all tracking on or off  with the Online switch

With Truckit tracking you are in full control, to turn tracking on or off for all customers, simply use the 'Online' switch on the home screen (see below).

What does Online and Offline mean?

When you are Online, customers who have a job in progress will be able to see your current location on a map as well as an estimate of the distance to the collection or delivery (example below). 

When you are Offline, nobody will be able to see your location, only your last known location from when you were last online.

What your customer can see

Customers can view your location on a map when their job has been started and you are set to Online. If both of these conditions are met, then the customer will be able to see a map on their listing page that looks something like the below.

Good to know tip: To maintain a level of privacy, there is a zoom limitation on the customer map which means they can not zoom all the way in to see your exact position on the map.

We hope that this assists in your queries about our tracking options! As always, if you have any further questions or queries, please reach out to us on 1800 859 850 or support@truckit.net.

Where were you born? Ipswich, QLD

Do you have any Hobbies? Sports in the form of tennis and golf... Big tennis guy!

Favourite Quote? "Don't sweat the small stuff... and it's all small stuff".

Favourite Band? The Killers

Favourite Food? Woodfired Pizza

Describe yourself in 3 words? Curious, Confident & Jocular

Favourite TV/Book Series? Game of Thrones

Interview with Andrew Erikson - Senior Developer at Truckit.net

How did the idea of the app come about?

I think the idea for the App may even predate the Website actually. No, I'm exaggerating just a little.  But it really wasn't long after the Website launched that talk of doing a Mobile App began. I think it was pretty much self-evident that that’s where things were headed. Smartphones changed everyone’s lives… which demanded that Truckit step up and produce, not just an App, but a top-notch App.

Had you developed apps [like this one] previously?

Well, I've been involved in the Development of other Apps, but certainly nothing even remotely close to this one. I think that is just a reflection of the level of bespoke functionality that Truckit has acquired over the years that has made it so much different from everything that came before, certainly in my experience.

How is this app different from others you have done?

The main area that in my experience has set this App apart from others I would have to say is the intricacies and permutations of the User Interfaces, which are required to support several distinct workflows and User Experiences. Truckit is very unique in that aspect, and this has made it quite different to other types of Software I've had the privilege of working with over the years.  Besides this, there is also the technology aspect that was new in that we chose to work with a technology that up until that point we had little experience with.  All of this has since changed of course.

Can you discuss the agile methodology of software development and talk about its advantages and disadvantages?

Using the Agile methodology has enabled us to adapt and change as the project has progressed and made it possible for us to respond faster to requirement changes and overlooked or poorly designed features that are not obvious at the outset. But this usually comes at the expense of being able to apply more time to the documentation process which can have a detrimental effect over the longer term. It can also be frustrating sometimes to iterate multiple times over the same feature until such time as the stakeholder is happy with it.  So there definitely are positives and negatives. Unfortunately, if you are dealing with a project where the full scope of requirements is not yet fully understood, and this was certainly where we found ourselves at the beginning, then Agile is the only method available to you really. The most important aspect of any software project is the ability to adapt to circumstances and understand that what you are dealing with is very often a moving target. Sure, you might settle on all the features to be included in a Version 1, and then a Version 2 after that and so on, but we all know it often doesn't stop there. Versions can be open-ended depending on the success of the product, so I think it’s good in some ways to try and view a software project as a journey rather than a destination, with fixed resting points that define the boundaries between versions. When you look at it like this, and utilise it in this manner, then I think the Agile Methodology makes a lot of sense and the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

What were some hurdles you faced, and which was the biggest hurdle you faced during the creation of this app?

There were several hurdles that revolved around deciding what Architecture to go with, but I would probably say the biggest hurdle of all was actually deciding what Technology to use, because I mean, there are so many options out there really. The classical approach to this question may entail reviewing the development skills available to you as a manager, and then making a decision based on this. That is not the approach we took.  In fact, we completely put available skills to one side and focused on the pros and cons of each technology independent of other factors, and we continued doing this even after we had started the project. In fact, we made what I would refer to as a 'course correction' a few months into the project after we evaluated another technology that had up until that point been off our radar. The fact that we were prepared to make a huge U-turn like this as far into the project as we were I think emphasises just how important technology choice was for us in the end, thus making it our biggest hurdle, definitely.

After overcoming these roadblocks, how do you think overcoming these issues changed the final product?

I would certainly hope that after each roadblock, the end product would be better. If not, I guess it would make those very roadblocks pretty pointless really.  So, roadblocks are a really good thing, and it’s important to try and frame a roadblock as positively as possible. One could take a 'glass half empty' approach and say, "oh well, you know... there is just no solution to this, so let's rather just drop the feature entirely". That is obviously not the approach we here at Truckit, take. Quite the opposite. We welcome roadblocks.  We thrive off roadblocks. The challenge of solving a Roadblock is what gets us up in the morning. So, coming back to your question, I wouldn't necessarily say overcoming roadblocks changed the product, but what I would say is that it changed those involved in the product rather, by giving them a sense of confidence and pride in their own abilities, and this I think will stand them in good stead for the future of their careers, as well as the future of this product hopefully.

Can you discuss how you balance addressing client demands with developing complex application software?

That really is the Holy Grail that you have touched on right there... finding that balance. It all comes down to the search for simplicity, and simplicity for a client or user vs a developer can often mean polar opposite things. The more demanding the user requirements, usually the less elegant a software application becomes.  Client demands definitely take precedence though.  From a software perspective you need to exchange customer for user in the cliche 'the customer is always right'. So, the user is always right and us Developers need to always keep in mind that we are there to support the user rather than the other way around.  Ultimately achieving this balance requires a robust architecture that on the one hand is flexible enough so, as to give a Developer enough freedom and control to build more advanced and challenging features, but on the other hand constraining enough so that it forces a Developer to conform and stick within certain defined boundaries defined by the rules of the architecture. So, it’s a delicate balance that comes down to architecture selection I would say.

What steps do you take to prevent an app from crashing?

Software crashes are one of those things as a Developer that, hard as you might try, you simply cannot prevent 100% of the time. So, it’s something you cannot get around unfortunately, kind of like death and taxes. All you can really do is ensure you have a robust framework in place to identify errors when they do occur, and deal with them appropriately so that they cause as little disruption as possible. This requires the following of best-practices to ensure you have error catching code in place. Also, you need to try and ensure that you inform the user in layman’s terms what just happened and what they need to do to be able to continue working. Obviously as a Developer you want to try as hard as possible to recover from the error as seamlessly as possible while invoking the least amount of anger from the User as possible. It can be a real challenge to get all those things right. It's also very important to try and capture as much detail about an error as possible, and then try and ensure that all this detail makes its way into the hands of the Dev team so that they can then try and identify the source of the problem, and hopefully fix it in the next release. Google luckily have a product called Crashlytics which can be very, very helpful in this case.

What are the different testing stages and how does each stage assist in the development of the app?

Testing is all about quality control. Developers that worked on a project will have a natural bias towards much of the functionality in an App, so they should not feature in the Testing phase at all, although a Developer will always need to perform Unit Testing and some other Basic Functionality Testing to make sure their code works as expected before they send it for code review and more advanced internal testing, followed by external testing. In computer jargon we would refer to this as Alpha, followed by Beta Testing. Testing stages are usually dictated by the type and importance of the software being built. For example, testing flight automation software where you are potentially dealing with life and death will have way more stringent testing requirements than say an ecommerce web application that is selling merchandise. During Alpha testing it is important to create a test plan that defines your inputs and expected outputs, so that the success of a test can be easily measured, and then also to ensure that this information flows seamlessly between the Testers and the Developers so that bug and other fixes can be performed within the time sensitivities of the Project and Test Plan. So, it would be an iterative process that repeats indefinitely until such time as all the Tests within the Alpha Test plan succeed, and then it can be moved into Beta Testing. So, each testing stage should result in improvements to the software overall and give confidence to both the Developers of the product, and the users of the product, that everything works as it should.

What’s next - maybe a customer app?

Oh yes, most definitely. We need to strike while the iron is hot.

All I can say is 'WATCH THIS SPACE'

Where were you born? Beijing, China.


Favourite Hobby? Skiing, photography & collecting vinyl!


Favourite Quote? "We read the world wrong and say that it deceives us." - Rabindranath Tagore. 


Favourite Band? The Cranberries, Pink Floyd, Tippling Rock.


Favourite Food? Blue Fin Tuna.


Post-pandemic - Where Do You Want To Travel First?
I plan to go to Japan and/or Queenstown for skiing!


What's a fun fact people may not know? I hope one day that I can have a band of my own!


What’s your favorite part about your job at Truckit? My favourite part about my job here at Truckit is its diversity and inclusivity.

Although it is not recommended, car transport businesses may allow you to transport personal items with your car whilst it is in transit. If you choose to transport personal items with your car, we have collated some tips and to-do’s to make sure you have packaged all of your items appropriately according to the guidelines.

Items must be under the windows

There are two main reasons why the personal items you pack need to be under the height of the car windows.

  1. The transporter’s safety: the driver who is transporting your items needs to be able to see clearly out of all windows so they can drive your vehicle on and off the truck. 
  2. To prevent theft: Car shipping truckers don’t just go straight through from one destination to another, they make frequent stops at rest areas. If your vehicle is full to the brim with items, it produces a huge risk of theft. There may be some opportunistic thieves that see your car is full, and whether the items are of value or not, may try and take anything they can if they get into your vehicle. Packing the items below the window line drastically reduces the visibility, therefore lessening the chance of theft.

If your transporter shows up and your vehicle is packed to the brim with personal items that are beyond the window line, they may refuse to take your vehicle for liability and safety reasons. They most likely will charge you additional fees if this is a breach of any contracts you signed regarding the transport of personal items within your vehicle. 

Think about any potential damages

A car sitting potentially upon another car on a transport truck isn’t the most smooth ride and there will be lots of vibrations and shifting, so you need to make sure that all of the items that are in your car are packed securely and safely. If items are not secure, there is a high risk of them shifting around and causing internal damage to your vehicle. Additionally, any damage that is caused by your items or the extra weight they add is not insured. Packing these items in your car is at your own risk, not the transport provider.

When shipping personal items in your vehicle, use common sense and pack non-valuable items. If the items in the car are easily replaced, then go for it. If they are highly valuable or sentimental and will not be easily replaced if damaged or stolen, it is HIGHLY recommended that you do not ship them with your vehicle.

A recommended way of making sure all personal items are secure and not going to cause internal damage to your car is by packing all of the items in suitcases, duffle bags, or boxes.

Limitations

While it is understood that sometimes there is no choice but to ship personal items with your vehicle, it is important to know why it is discouraged by many companies, and the risks involved.

While many online businesses are legitimate, it can be easier to fall for an online scam due to the anonymous nature of the internet. Scammers use the latest technology to set up fake retailer websites, email receipts, and text messages that look like genuine online stores and responses.

Online scams are sophisticated messages which often use professional-looking brands and logos to look like they come from a business you know. At first glance, the level of sophistication can make it difficult to determine if it is real, or fake.

It is common that scams involve asking you for upfront payments in times of an ‘emergency’, or to pay for products or services. Scammers might even go as far as impersonating a friend, family member, or business that you frequently communicate with online, to try and convince you of their ‘story’.

While many online businesses are legitimate, it can be easier to fall for an online scam due to the anonymous nature of the internet. Scammers use the latest technology to set up fake retailer websites, email receipts, and text messages that look like genuine online stores and responses.

Online marketplaces are one of the most popular platforms for scammers to conduct their activities. Below are some of the tactics they use to cover their tracks (according to besedo.com):

  1. Purchase old accounts

Scammers look for accounts that have a good reputation and buy them to publish fraudulent ads.

2. Ad modification

Scammers submit mundane ads with real photos, prices, and reliable data. But once the ads are accepted, they change them - lowering prices and deleting/adding photos.

3. Trojan ads

Scammers create accounts and begin publishing conventional ads. Once a reliable precedent is set, they begin posting fraudulent ads instead.

4. Change IP addresses

This is when scammers continually change IP addresses to avoid being tracked.

5. Multiple ad publication

Scammers submit multiple ads in big quantities; to disguise their fraudulent ones.

If you think you have encountered a scam, talk through your situation with a friend, family member, or trusted colleague as a quick sanity check because some scams are so sophisticated that they can effectively play with your emotions. Asking for an outsider’s view can help you reframe your thoughts and put you on the right track to remedying the situation. Then, contact the retailer that the scammer is claiming to be through the official website to make them aware of the situation. If you are not satisfied with the response from the retailer or more action is required, you may be able to contact your bank to arrange a charge-back through them, or your credit union if you have paid by card.

For further assistance, you can file a complaint through your state government website, and it is highly recommended to make a complaint to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Queensland Government Consumer Complaints: https://www.qld.gov.au/law/your-rights/consumer-rights-complaints-and-scams/make-a-consumer-complaint/use-the-contact-list

ACCC: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam

Once you have completed these reporting processes, spread the word to friends and family to make sure they are aware and protected.

To arm yourself in the future, you can use online resources like Scam Adviser. Scam Adviser asks for details about the potential business scam and produces a trust score based on what they find by scanning the details across the internet.

Scam Adviser: https://www.scamadviser.com/check-website/truckit.net

Where were you born? Palmerston North, New Zealand


Favourite Hobby? Horse Riding, Gardening, Cooking.


Favourite Quote? Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you! – Dr Seuss


Favourite Band? Crowded House


Favourite Food? Thai, Indian, BBQ


Post-pandemic - Where Do You Want To Travel First?
Home to NZ.  It has been 3 years since I have been able to see my folks and sister.


What's a fun fact people may not know? When I was in labour with my second son I drove myself to the hospital but had to stop to get petrol on the way!!


What’s your favorite part about your job at Truckit? I get to talk to some wonderful people and help to get their goods moved across Australia - I love being able to make someone’s day with a phone call.

If you need assistance with your listings or bookings – call our amazing customer service team today on 1300 859 850

If you don’t have that one mate who knows everything about cars, keep reading to find out what to look for when buying a second-hand vehicle!

Confirm that the seller is the person who owns the car

You won’t be charged for unknowingly buying a stolen car, but the car may be repossessed and returned to its owner. You can confirm this with a Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) search (previously known as a VIN check). It costs just $2 and is well worth it for the peace of mind. You can compare the information that this check provides with the seller’s current registration papers.

Check for accident damage

First and foremost, you’ll want to find out whether the car has been in an accident and, if so, how severe it was. The above PPSR check won’t reveal every accident the car has been in, however it will tell you if the car has been previously written off. Some repairable write-offs are fixable, and are fixed. They are also then inspected and reregistered, but the standard of repairs may be poor, putting you at risk, so it is best to conduct through checks in this process.

Many road accidents are minor, and the damage repair is to a high standard, so don’t rule out all cars that have been involved in accidents. At the very least the seller should produce a valid road-worthy (safety) certificate.

Under the bonnet check

This may seem like something you shouldn’t have to check if the car has a valid road worthy certificate or if its PPSR check came back clean, however, any build-up of dirt and road grime that appears caked on is often a sign of fluid leaks. As well as the engine, check underneath the car as fluids tend to also leak beneath the car, which is another tell-tale sign!

Used car buyers should expect signs of wear and tear, which typically reflect the age of the vehicle. Excessive wear and tear may warrant a price decrease, assuming you don’t simply walk away because the wear and tear is too extreme.

Inspect the Panels and Paint

In an ideal world, body panels should be free of dents, dings, rust, chips and oxidation. However, like we said above, used car buyers should expect signs of wear and tear in second-hand vehicles. 

If you look closely at the car upon further inspection, you might be able to pick-up that the car has other/more previous damage than the seller is letting on. Maybe there are wider than normal gaps between body panels, or some slightly bubbled paint. The bubbled paint may suggest that it hasn’t had sufficient coverage from weather elements, and that unseen rust that the car might have, has spread from the inside panels. Another cause for this is that the car has not been washed regularly enough.

Another aspect of the car to check is that the doors are swinging properly, that they close with ease, and that the seals are still waterproof. If the door sags on its hinges when opened, there is a likely chance of poorly repaired accident damage.

Inside the Car

A quick inside checklist:

Examine the Tyres

The legal minimum tread for car wheels is 1.5mm across the face of the contact surface.

What to look out for:

Excessive Wear: this may indicate poor driving practices and potentially warrants another closer look at the other car’s components like mentioned above.

Uneven Wear on Front Tyres: may indicate that the wheels are misaligned.

Uneven Wear on Rear Tyres: may indicate irreparably bent or warped chassis.

Tread Crowning & Cupping: is not as common as other tyre wear and tear, but it is when the wear is heavier on the outside & inside edges of the tyres. This indicates that the wheels have been driven on in both under-inflated conditions and over-inflated conditions.

Many may hope that sellers are responsible enough to replace these tyres before selling their car to up its market value.

Testing the Transmission

If the transmission isn’t working, the car isn’t going anywhere! Here’s what to check:

Auto Vehicles

When checking for leaks under the bonnet and beneath the car, check for a reddish coloured fluid, this is your transmission fluid. Excessive dirty fluid may be caused by poor vehicle maintenance and can cause automatic vehicles especially to perform poorly.

Additionally, if there is a lapse between the shift of gears when moving the gear selector and the transmission engaging, there is a likely problem. When driving automatic, gears should change smoothly, and jerky shifts are a sign of a weakening transmission.

Manual Vehicles

In a manual vehicle, when you press down on the clutch, you should feel consistent pressure through the full length of the pedal. If it's a soft or ‘spongy’ feeling, this is due to potential damage or leaking fluid lines. To test the clutch, put the car in neutral with the handbrake on and press the clutch pedal down, holding it for a couple of seconds before releasing. You will want to do this two or three times. If there is any squeaking or similar sounds when you engage the clutch, you will want to inspect the transmission more carefully.

If you believe there are issues with the car’s transmission, and are still interested in the vehicle, getting a qualified mechanic to inspect it will minimise the likelihood you end up with a poorly working vehicle. 

What to look for when driving

When you are buying a second-hand car, it is most ideal if you can get the chance to test-drive it. Preferably you would want to test drive it on quieter roads so you concentrate more on the sounds of the car than the outside traffic noise. Take your time with this step, don’t just take it for one spin around the block; test the speeds, test the turning, accelerating and decelerating both on flat roads and uphill, and reversing… you might pick up on more than you realise. 

When driving, also look out for any warning lights and keep an eye on the temperature gauge. Listen for any rattling or other body noises - driving over speed bumps is a good check for this. On a straight road, ease your grip on the steering wheel and see if the car pulls to one side, which can indicate work suspension or misaligned steering.

The car is in another state... don't fret!

If your car is in another state, make sure you ask for as many photos as you need so you can make the best informed decision you can make. Check to see if you have any friends or family in the state where the car is located, see if they can go and make any further checks & test drive the car for you!

If everything ticks these boxes (at least for the most part), you’re ready to go!

And, if you need your car transported interstate, list your car on Truckit.net here: https://www.truckit.net/get-a-quote/cars

Have you ever wondered why your freight and shipping costs cost you so much? Now you don’t have to. We researched some of the most common reasons as to why your freight shipping is costing you an arm and a leg. Keep in mind that these costs also fluctuate depending on dynamic costs associated with freight delivery.

Fuel

Regardless of the type of delivery service a retailer chooses for their operation, all modes of transportation rely on fuel. As the price of fuel fluctuates, it is common for shipping costs to fluctuate alongside this. Therefore, if fuel prices fall, trucks become cheaper to operate and the price of transport goes down. These savings or losses are passed on to consumers either indirectly or through a fuel cost component that is built into a carrier’s pricing model or invoice.

Fuel costs will be based on the distance that must be covered from the sender of the consignment or the package to the person receiving it at the end. Unfortunately, just like the rest of the markets around the world, retailers can’t do much to keep fuel prices down.

Demand of Freight

Some freight shipping will depend on the demand for products. This depends on the volume of products being shipped by operators and if capacity is limited, operators may be induced to sell limited space at a premium.

Giant retailers like Amazon, for example, offer 2-day shipping. As Amazon is an eCommerce giant, they can easily handle these delivery costs and timeframes, however, this isn’t the case for all retailers. Same-day or overnight shipping options are possible, but come at a higher cost to the consumer.

Labour Market

As the demand for freight recently reached a new high, increasing wages and competition among carriers for truck drivers has had an upward impact on transportation costs. As the trucking industry is typically an older demographic with older drivers retiring, carriers may struggle to find operators for their vehicles. Recruiting new drivers is not easy; it is a tough gig and typically requires a different class of driver license. Additionally, some of the courses to certify new drivers can take anywhere between weeks or months to complete!

Vehicle Capacity

Some trucking companies operate an older, smaller fleet. While these trucks are entirely adequate, newer trucks are designed to maximise storage space, allowing a truck to split space even further. To determine the weight class of your delivery, the service provider will ask for the weight of your shipment, the size of the package and then come to a conclusion on the difficulty of shipping your item. With this comes considerations to see whether or not loading equipment or additional loaders are needed to load or unload the cargo, and also if the products that are being shipped are labelled as fragile. If your package falls under any of these considerations, the freight cost may increase.

All of this is significant as the weight and size are fundamental to knowing how much space is required in the vehicle that is transporting your goods. In the case that your shipment is larger in scale and requires a fleet of trucks, the charges will obviously increase for more drivers and the more space you need. 

To combat the high pricing, retailers can be smart with their packaging and branding, which can cut significant costs. Perfectly fitted packaging materials are not only cost-effective, but can also keep your product more safe!

Government Regulation

Some governments may regulate the amount of emissions that their drivers emit every day by reducing their driving hours. For example, New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme has been estimated to increase freight costs by several dollars for every thousand kilometers travelled.

Weather

Contrary to popular belief, the weather does affect shipping costs and logistics. Either at the pick-up or drop-off location, incoming weather can cause significant delays and other unforeseen issues with orders. This is because ports and transportation hubs will still charge the retailer regardless of the delay due to unforeseen weather circumstances. This is the same for airlines, container ships, and trucking services.

Distance

Distance is one of the most important factors affecting a retailer’s shipping costs. The farther away the product’s origin is from the destination, the more expensive it is to ship a package.

Delivery Surcharges

The most challenging costs to account for are miscellaneous delivery surcharges. These surcharges come in many forms with the most common being:

- Area specific charges for rural, hard-to-access, or remote locations not included in your carrier’s range

- Handling fees for shipments above a set weight, size, or dimensions

- Residential surcharges for any businesses using a home address

- Fuel surcharges

- Weekend or Saturday surcharges for overtime shipping

Consumer Product Insurance

Merchants are not required to purchase shipping insurance, however, offering insurance is a great way to entice consumers to purchase their products. Insurance costs are typically used for items that are of high-value and one-of-a-kind. This is so it provides a level of security to the customers.

Have you ever thought of these reasons behind why your shipping costs are so high? Let us know your thoughts below!

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