Drivingforce - Rippling for trucking

TLDR

Drivingforce is building “Rippling for trucking”, an all-in-one workforce management solution for the trucking industry. We consolidate multiple back office functions such as compliance, payroll, and recruiting, so trucking fleets can manage their entire workforce in one place.

WHY is Rippling (or Gusto, ADP) insufficient for trucking?

Compliance is uniquely challenging for trucking fleets because:

1. The majority of their workforce consists of truck drivers who are regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT).
2. Due to the nature of the labor market, there is a high volume of truck driver turnover within fleets, resulting in a considerable amount of administrative overhead.
3. In addition to personnel, they also need to manage a number of expensive assets, such as trucks, trailers, etc.

Generic HR solutions (e.g. Rippling, Gusto, ADP, etc.) are insufficient for trucking fleets because they are not designed to address these distinctive needs. Consequently, fleets resort to adopting various point solutions alongside their HR providers, resulting in increased operational complexity of managing multiple systems.

Solution

Drivingforce is an all-in-one workforce management solution designed for trucking fleets. It consolidates multiple point solutions into a single platform, simplifying compliance, fleet management, and HR operation. Key modules include:

• Compliance: Automated monitoring and alerts ensure DOT and regulatory compliance.
• HR: Streamlined onboarding and tracking of essential employee data and documents.
• Asset Management: Efficiently track assets, assignments, and maintenance schedules.
• Hiring: DOT-compliant digital application portal and applicant tracking system (ATS) optimized for driver recruiting.
• Payroll: Seamless payroll processing, accommodating various pay structures like hours, miles, or load.

With Drivingforce, trucking fleets can effectively manage their back office all within a single platform.

Backstory

My path to Drivingforce was not linear, and I had no prior experience in trucking. Previously, I worked on another supply chain idea related to manufacturing, but decided to pivot. While exploring other supply chain sectors, I became intrigued by the trucking industry due to its immense size and potential opportunities.

As I got started, I reached out to several other trucking founders in the YC community for guidance. Interestingly, a few of them independently shared a similar piece of advice: "If you want to learn about trucking, go to truck stops and talk to truckers.”

Taking their advice to heart, I embarked on a series of visits to truck stops. Along the way, I decided to document my experiences and learnings through TikTok, under the name “Trucking Newbie”. Some of these videos gained traction within the trucking community. As the TikTok account grew, content creation became a unique way for me to engage with users and conduct market research.

During my exploration, I consistently heard trucking company owners express their challenges in managing a dynamic workforce. As I delved deeper, I observed how they pieced together various tools and processes to manage their personnel and equipment while trying to comply with DOT regulations. Witnessing their frustrations with juggling multiple systems in their daily operations, the idea for Drivingforce took shape.

Asks

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• 🤝 Refer: If you know of any trucking fleets that could benefit from Drivingforce, please connect us (kevin@drivingforce.co).