TrueNorth App

Post MVP improvements • Mobile responsive and desktop app

TrueNorth is a transportation logistics startup that empowers independent truck drivers to find, book, and manage their loads.

Improving the search experience

Searching for loads is one of the most time-consuming aspects of a truck driver’s daily routine. Each driver has their own mental checklist of an ideal load which could include rate, load weight, distance, deadhead, commodity, and other attributes. They typically spend several hours per day poring through multiple load boards in search of their next load. Desirable loads are covered within minutes, so finding and booking loads quickly and easily is key.

This was the search tool when I started. Although it was supposed to have been built responsively, using shared components, the experience was very different between devices. Users complained that the search process was slow and awkward, and the visual presentation of information was overwhelming and confusing.

Desktop and mobile before I started at TrueNorth

Areas identified for improvement

Align experience between desktop and mobile
Build responsively using shared components
Improve search to be intuitive
Establish information hierarchy
Comply with a11y standards
Standardize and upgrade visuals

My role on the project

Design

Designed end-to-end workflows, introducing new functionality that allows truck drivers to find loads that are good for them. Complete ownership of all design processes including initial ideation, visual improvements, engineering handoffs, and UXQA.

Component Library

While designing the interactions, I simultaneously led the work on our design system, creating the visual language, composing Figma elements, documenting usage patterns, and collaborating with Engineering to build components.

User Research

Conducted user interviews and observed users working with the app to learn their needs and pain points. Gathered feedback from internal stakeholders to understand the risks and financial impact of bad brokers.

Leadership

Collaborated with Product and Engineering Leads to determine product direction and priorities, and align the team. Full and equal contributor to team processes and ceremonies.

I explored several options, got feedback from drivers and internal stakeholders, and iterated before settling on this approach. It was a huge improvement, and well received, but it was really only a solid base to build on.

Building a single, responsive component

We were still using different components for desktop and mobile instances. That meant every change, bug, or enhancement needed to be coded and QAd twice, a waste of engineering time and effort. I collaborated closely with my engineering partner and together we arrived at a single, responsive component that allowed for device differences, resulting in huge time savings and improved consistency.

Giving drivers the power to negotiate

A handful of brokers offered the option for drivers to instantly book a load, a feature we integrated into our app. When adoption was less than expected, I investigated by conducting user research and observing our internal dispatchers working with their accounts. What I discovered was that drivers wanted the ability to negotiate the rate by making a counteroffer. I proactively designed a solution that would allow us to provide this option for every load where we had an email address for the broker.

Book now allows drivers to instantly book a load

By changing “Email broker” to “Make an offer” drivers could negotiate on almost every load

Final design after fine-tuning the experience

Optimizing and improving

As an aggregator, the TrueNorth App pulls loads from a range of integrated load boards, often resulting in a large number of loads for drivers to wade through. The Product and Engineering Leads and I hypothesized that drivers would prefer a small number of quality loads, tailored specifically to them, over a large volume of mediocre ones, so we changed our focus from adding more integrations to helping drivers find the best loads for their individual needs.

Areas improved

Make it easy for drivers to save and reuse filter sets
Highlight instantly bookable loads
Identify loads that don’t have any authority limitations (many brokers won’t work with newer drivers)
Protect drivers from bad brokers by sharing pertinent credit information and hiding loads from disreputable brokers
Continued iteration of the design system