Building a driver-focused app for an upcoming SONAR API hackathon — what do owner operators actually want?
Hey everyone,
I’ll be participating in an upcoming hackathon hosted by SONAR where they’re offering free API access for 7 days to build a driver-focused application.
I’ve worked in Transportation and Logistics for over 11 years. ’ll be honest:, since moving into an IT role, I haven’t been in the weeds talking daily with the people doing the real work - Drivers.
Because of that, I don’t want to build something based only on what I think would be useful. I’d rather hear directly from the people who would actually use it.
The hackathon starts on June 15th, and my goal is to use this opportunity to build something that provides real value to drivers, owner operators, or small trucking companies.
So I wanted to ask:
What’s something you wish existed but hasn’t really been built yet?
It could be related to things like:
- Finding better loads or understanding lane/rate opportunities
- Reducing deadhead
- Planning trips more efficiently
- Tracking expenses, profitability, or cost per mile
- Compliance mangagement, insurance, or safety info
- Communicating with brokers or shippers
- Avoiding bad loads, bad lanes, or bad partners
- Anything else that would make life easier for owner operators or small carriers
I’m not here to sell anything. I’m just trying to learn and build something grounded in real feedback instead of assumptions.
Appreciate any thoughts, complaints, wish-list ideas, or “I wish someone would build ___” feedback. Even small pain points are helpful.