One20 Shifts Social Network For Truckers Into Gear

10 iOS, Android Apps To Drive Team Collaboration

Pain points of being a professional truck driver range from high prices and limited parking areas to long stretches away from friends and family. To address those issues, trucking and tech industry veterans along with Samsung and AT&T have launched the One20 initiative that includes a new platform and social network where drivers can connect and plan their journeys. 

"Until now, technology has been part of the problem, not the solution, because mobile devices and apps have all been developed with the fleet or general consumer, rather than the driver, in mind," Christian Schenk, founder, president and CEO of One20, said in a statement announcing the app. That's why the company took a driver-centric approach for its new service, which launched last week with the help of Samsung and AT&T.

One20 is a mobile app and service that's free for truck drivers to join. The service allows drivers to connect with one another, plan routes, and save money all at the same time. It is available to any tablet running Android or iOS, but can also be accessed through the new Samsung Galaxy Tab E 8-inch tablet that is connected via AT&T's LTE 4G network. This allows drivers to rely on the app and service along the majority of US roads and highways.

Federal law limits drivers' driving time to 11 hours per day, and requires an off-duty break of/equivalent to 10 hours. This means drivers must carefully plan how and where they end their day/shift.

One20 offers truck-safe, turn-by-turn navigation. That means it plans routes that big rig trucks can navigate safely. It offers details such as the location of low bridges, steep hills, and too-tight turns. The service supports user-contributed insights that can offer information, reviews, and ratings about travel centers and their amenities; deals or sales that could save drivers money; trucking points-of-interest; and more.

The app also includes communication tools to help drivers stay in touch with other drivers as well as their family and friends back home. Think email, video chatting, and so forth. The app may assist in driving, but the thrust is to help drivers better manage off-the-clock time while still on the road.

[Read Daimler Tests Self-Driving Truck On German Autobahn.]

"Our One20-exclusive Galaxy E 8-inch tablet will come pre-loaded with the applications drivers want and need to stay connected on the road, with special attention paid to data security so drivers can focus on improving their work/life balance without worrying about their personal information falling into the wrong hands," Dain McCracken, general manager of the transportation vertical at Samsung said in a statement.

One20 said the 8-inch Android tablet will be sold online (Amazon.com) and eventually in some 1,500 travel centers around the country. The LTE-connected tablet can provide real-time information as drivers navigate their routes between Point A and Point B. The tablet will cost $399. Data service will cost extra.

The One20 app is available to download for free from the Google Play Store and iTunes App Store.