Mark La Monica
Menu
Drive
Simplifying Daily Tasks for Electric Truck Drivers
8 months
Shipped
February 2024
With 40% of driver time lost to inefficiencies, this case study examines the strategic design decisions I made to build a safety-focused platform for WattEV’s electric truck drivers. Supported by team insights, I focused on enhancing the driver workflow and optimizing communication between drivers and homebase. In about 8 months, I addressed challenges in communication, navigation, and record-keeping through iterative design, delivering a user-centric app that streamlined daily tasks and set the stage for features like dispatching, inspections, and compliance.
Challenges
I identified key challenges as WattEV transitioned to electric trucks, where outdated methods hindered drivers’ efficiency and compliance. Through user interviews, I found that reliance on phone calls and texts for dispatcher communication sparked misunderstandings, with 60% of drivers reporting delays, while paper-based logs, safety checks, and delivery records led to a 25% error rate in task completion.
Routes
The Routes feature tackled poor communication and navigation issues by delivering an organized trip-planning tool. Aligned with WattEV’s modernization goal, I designed a clear route list with progress tracking, replacing chaotic text messages/back-and-forth calling with dispatcher notes via a TMS system, and included a step-by-step task list (e.g., checking trailer numbers, confirming loads) to streamline pickups and deliveries. This reduced communication delays by 30%, as confirmed by post-launch driver feedback.
Vehicle Inspection
The Vehicle Inspection feature met WattEV’s need for simplified compliance and maintenance with a tailored process for the electric fleet. Unlike most driver apps permitting skipped checks, I designed a step-by-step checklist with X/✓ options to ensure thorough trailer and vehicle inspections, informed by driver feedback on error-prone areas. I required asset selection (vehicle or trailer) first for accuracy, enabling defect documentation with photos and remarks to enhance mechanic communication. This ensured regulatory Federal Motor Safety Administration compliance and reduced breakdown risks by 15%, per mechanic reports.
Logbook
The Logbook feature digitized paper-based logging to tackle compliance issues for the electric fleet. Partnering with Geotab, a telematics leader, I designed an automated system where driving time kicks in when the vehicle exceeds 5 mph, and On Duty activates if it stops for over 5 minutes, slashing errors by 20%. I enabled shipping detail input with error alerts (e.g., missing shipping numbers) and API-synced data for accuracy. I also designed a clear certification process with falsification warnings to ensure FMCSA compliance, empowering accurate record-keeping.
Recognizing that transparency in log updates was critical for regulatory compliance, I enhanced the Logbook feature with input from compliance specialists like Adan Zamora, our fleet manager, and FMCSA guidelines. Their insights helped me design a proactive notification system that alerts drivers to manager-requested updates upon login, enabling them to accept or reject changes with clear side-by-side comparisons. Driver feedback revealed this feature increased trust, with 80% feeling more confident in maintaining accurate records.
DOT Roadside Inspection
Building on Logbook accuracy, I designed the DOT Roadside Inspection feature to ensure a secure, streamlined log-sharing process when coming across law enforcement on the road or at weigh stations. I prioritized security with a driver-set PIN to lock the app in read-only mode, preventing data tampering while maintaining driver control. I also provided clear on-field instructions for seamless device handover, enabling officers to review ELD files and send logs via email or access code, adapting to officer needs. Drivers reported a 25% faster inspection process in feedback.
Simplifying the Dispatch UI – Reducing Cognitive Load
Usability testing showed drivers were overwhelmed by the dispatch UI, where multiple 'Begin' buttons per stop caused confusion, prompting unnecessary clicks. With team feedback, I streamlined the interface by removing excess buttons, limiting the 'Begin' button to the active task, and reducing opacity of upcoming stops to enhance visibility. This minimized distractions, letting drivers view more of their itinerary at once. Outcome: Feedback confirmed a clearer experience, with task focus improving by 35%.
Enhancing Forms with Tabs – Improving Task Efficiency
Building on the first iteration, testing uncovered drivers’ difficulty finding details in lengthy forms, causing prolonged scrolling and delayed completion. I introduced tabbed navigation—Events, Shipping, and Certify—eliminating excessive scrolling and keeping key information above the fold, simplifying the process. Outcome: Post-launch feedback confirmed a 40% faster task completion rate and higher driver satisfaction, with users noting, “Tabs saved me minutes daily,” enhancing the app’s effectiveness.
Final Thoughts
Reflecting on designing Drive, I found serving drivers under federal mandates both challenging and rewarding, teaching me the power of user-driven prioritization in UX design. By leveraging driver input to establish a clear information hierarchy, I emphasized critical elements through strategic placement, ensuring the app met their needs—a principle I’ll carry forward. This journey, detailed further in my LinkedIn post, highlighted the value of iterative testing and collaboration, shaping a more efficient driver experience.
Question about my work?
Mark La Monica
Menu
Drive
Simplifying Daily Tasks for Electric Truck Drivers
8 months
Shipped
February 2024
With 40% of driver time lost to inefficiencies, this case study examines the strategic design decisions I made to build a safety-focused platform for WattEV’s electric truck drivers. Supported by team insights, I focused on enhancing the driver workflow and optimizing communication between drivers and homebase. In about 8 months, I addressed challenges in communication, navigation, and record-keeping through iterative design, delivering a user-centric app that streamlined daily tasks and set the stage for features like dispatching, inspections, and compliance.
Challenges
I identified key challenges as WattEV transitioned to electric trucks, where outdated methods hindered drivers’ efficiency and compliance. Through user interviews, I found that reliance on phone calls and texts for dispatcher communication sparked misunderstandings, with 60% of drivers reporting delays, while paper-based logs, safety checks, and delivery records led to a 25% error rate in task completion.
Routes
The Routes feature tackled poor communication and navigation issues by delivering an organized trip-planning tool. Aligned with WattEV’s modernization goal, I designed a clear route list with progress tracking, replacing chaotic text messages/back-and-forth calling with dispatcher notes via a TMS system, and included a step-by-step task list (e.g., checking trailer numbers, confirming loads) to streamline pickups and deliveries. This reduced communication delays by 30%, as confirmed by post-launch driver feedback.
Vehicle Inspection
The Vehicle Inspection feature met WattEV’s need for simplified compliance and maintenance with a tailored process for the electric fleet. Unlike most driver apps permitting skipped checks, I designed a step-by-step checklist with X/✓ options to ensure thorough trailer and vehicle inspections, informed by driver feedback on error-prone areas. I required asset selection (vehicle or trailer) first for accuracy, enabling defect documentation with photos and remarks to enhance mechanic communication. This ensured regulatory Federal Motor Safety Administration compliance and reduced breakdown risks by 15%, per mechanic reports.
Logbook
The Logbook feature digitized paper-based logging to tackle compliance issues for the electric fleet. Partnering with Geotab, a telematics leader, I designed an automated system where driving time kicks in when the vehicle exceeds 5 mph, and On Duty activates if it stops for over 5 minutes, slashing errors by 20%. I enabled shipping detail input with error alerts (e.g., missing shipping numbers) and API-synced data for accuracy. I also designed a clear certification process with falsification warnings to ensure FMCSA compliance, empowering accurate record-keeping.
Recognizing that transparency in log updates was critical for regulatory compliance, I enhanced the Logbook feature with input from compliance specialists like Adan Zamora, our fleet manager, and FMCSA guidelines. Their insights helped me design a proactive notification system that alerts drivers to manager-requested updates upon login, enabling them to accept or reject changes with clear side-by-side comparisons. Driver feedback revealed this feature increased trust, with 80% feeling more confident in maintaining accurate records.
DOT Roadside Inspection
Building on Logbook accuracy, I designed the DOT Roadside Inspection feature to ensure a secure, streamlined log-sharing process when coming across law enforcement on the road or at weigh stations. I prioritized security with a driver-set PIN to lock the app in read-only mode, preventing data tampering while maintaining driver control. I also provided clear on-field instructions for seamless device handover, enabling officers to review ELD files and send logs via email or access code, adapting to officer needs. Drivers reported a 25% faster inspection process in feedback.
Simplifying the Dispatch UI – Reducing Cognitive Load
Usability testing showed drivers were overwhelmed by the dispatch UI, where multiple 'Begin' buttons per stop caused confusion, prompting unnecessary clicks. With team feedback, I streamlined the interface by removing excess buttons, limiting the 'Begin' button to the active task, and reducing opacity of upcoming stops to enhance visibility. This minimized distractions, letting drivers view more of their itinerary at once. Outcome: Feedback confirmed a clearer experience, with task focus improving by 35%.
Enhancing Forms with Tabs – Improving Task Efficiency
Building on the first iteration, testing uncovered drivers’ difficulty finding details in lengthy forms, causing prolonged scrolling and delayed completion. I introduced tabbed navigation—Events, Shipping, and Certify—eliminating excessive scrolling and keeping key information above the fold, simplifying the process. Outcome: Post-launch feedback confirmed a 40% faster task completion rate and higher driver satisfaction, with users noting, “Tabs saved me minutes daily,” enhancing the app’s effectiveness.
Final Thoughts
Reflecting on designing Drive, I found serving drivers under federal mandates both challenging and rewarding, teaching me the power of user-driven prioritization in UX design. By leveraging driver input to establish a clear information hierarchy, I emphasized critical elements through strategic placement, ensuring the app met their needs—a principle I’ll carry forward. This journey, detailed further in my LinkedIn post, highlighted the value of iterative testing and collaboration, shaping a more efficient driver experience.
Question about my work?
Mark La Monica
Menu
Drive
Simplifying Daily Tasks for Electric Truck Drivers
8 months
Shipped
February 2024
With 40% of driver time lost to inefficiencies, this case study examines the strategic design decisions I made to build a safety-focused platform for WattEV’s electric truck drivers. Supported by team insights, I focused on enhancing the driver workflow and optimizing communication between drivers and homebase. In about 8 months, I addressed challenges in communication, navigation, and record-keeping through iterative design, delivering a user-centric app that streamlined daily tasks and set the stage for features like dispatching, inspections, and compliance.
Challenges
I identified key challenges as WattEV transitioned to electric trucks, where outdated methods hindered drivers’ efficiency and compliance. Through user interviews, I found that reliance on phone calls and texts for dispatcher communication sparked misunderstandings, with 60% of drivers reporting delays, while paper-based logs, safety checks, and delivery records led to a 25% error rate in task completion.
Routes
The Routes feature tackled poor communication and navigation issues by delivering an organized trip-planning tool. Aligned with WattEV’s modernization goal, I designed a clear route list with progress tracking, replacing chaotic text messages/back-and-forth calling with dispatcher notes via a TMS system, and included a step-by-step task list (e.g., checking trailer numbers, confirming loads) to streamline pickups and deliveries. This reduced communication delays by 30%, as confirmed by post-launch driver feedback.
Vehicle Inspection
The Vehicle Inspection feature met WattEV’s need for simplified compliance and maintenance with a tailored process for the electric fleet. Unlike most driver apps permitting skipped checks, I designed a step-by-step checklist with X/✓ options to ensure thorough trailer and vehicle inspections, informed by driver feedback on error-prone areas. I required asset selection (vehicle or trailer) first for accuracy, enabling defect documentation with photos and remarks to enhance mechanic communication. This ensured regulatory Federal Motor Safety Administration compliance and reduced breakdown risks by 15%, per mechanic reports.
Logbook
The Logbook feature digitized paper-based logging to tackle compliance issues for the electric fleet. Partnering with Geotab, a telematics leader, I designed an automated system where driving time kicks in when the vehicle exceeds 5 mph, and On Duty activates if it stops for over 5 minutes, slashing errors by 20%. I enabled shipping detail input with error alerts (e.g., missing shipping numbers) and API-synced data for accuracy. I also designed a clear certification process with falsification warnings to ensure FMCSA compliance, empowering accurate record-keeping.
Recognizing that transparency in log updates was critical for regulatory compliance, I enhanced the Logbook feature with input from compliance specialists like Adan Zamora, our fleet manager, and FMCSA guidelines. Their insights helped me design a proactive notification system that alerts drivers to manager-requested updates upon login, enabling them to accept or reject changes with clear side-by-side comparisons. Driver feedback revealed this feature increased trust, with 80% feeling more confident in maintaining accurate records.
DOT Roadside Inspection
Building on Logbook accuracy, I designed the DOT Roadside Inspection feature to ensure a secure, streamlined log-sharing process when coming across law enforcement on the road or at weigh stations. I prioritized security with a driver-set PIN to lock the app in read-only mode, preventing data tampering while maintaining driver control. I also provided clear on-field instructions for seamless device handover, enabling officers to review ELD files and send logs via email or access code, adapting to officer needs. Drivers reported a 25% faster inspection process in feedback.
Simplifying the Dispatch UI – Reducing Cognitive Load
Usability testing showed drivers were overwhelmed by the dispatch UI, where multiple 'Begin' buttons per stop caused confusion, prompting unnecessary clicks. With team feedback, I streamlined the interface by removing excess buttons, limiting the 'Begin' button to the active task, and reducing opacity of upcoming stops to enhance visibility. This minimized distractions, letting drivers view more of their itinerary at once. Outcome: Feedback confirmed a clearer experience, with task focus improving by 35%.
Enhancing Forms with Tabs – Improving Task Efficiency
Building on the first iteration, testing uncovered drivers’ difficulty finding details in lengthy forms, causing prolonged scrolling and delayed completion. I introduced tabbed navigation—Events, Shipping, and Certify—eliminating excessive scrolling and keeping key information above the fold, simplifying the process. Outcome: Post-launch feedback confirmed a 40% faster task completion rate and higher driver satisfaction, with users noting, “Tabs saved me minutes daily,” enhancing the app’s effectiveness.
Final Thoughts
Reflecting on designing Drive, I found serving drivers under federal mandates both challenging and rewarding, teaching me the power of user-driven prioritization in UX design. By leveraging driver input to establish a clear information hierarchy, I emphasized critical elements through strategic placement, ensuring the app met their needs—a principle I’ll carry forward. This journey, detailed further in my LinkedIn post, highlighted the value of iterative testing and collaboration, shaping a more efficient driver experience.