10 BEST APPS FOR OWNER-OPERATORS IN 2026

DAT is the industry standard for finding freight. Their mobile app posts hundreds of thousands of loads daily and gives you spot market rate data so you know if a broker's offer is fair before you negotiate. For owner-operators who book their own loads, this is non-negotiable — it's the largest on-demand freight marketplace in North America.

• Largest load marketplace in the industry
• Real-time spot market rate data
• Broker credit scores and reviews
• Saved searches and alerts
• Route-based load matching
• Integration with ELD systems

Best for: Owner-operators who book their own freight and want access to the most loads and best rate intelligence.

Trucker Path is downloaded by over 600,000 truckers for a reason. It provides truck-specific routing that accounts for bridge heights, weight limits, and hazmat restrictions — things Google Maps doesn't know about. The app also shows real-time parking availability at nearly 8,000 locations, which is a lifesaver when you're running out of hours.

• Truck-specific GPS routing
• Real-time parking availability
• Truck stop reviews from drivers
• Fuel prices along your route
• Weigh station status updates
• 40,000+ truck stop database

Best for: All truckers. The combination of truck-safe routing and parking availability makes this essential for OTR and regional drivers.

Fuel is your largest variable expense. Mudflap offers instant diesel discounts at independent and regional truck stops — no fuel card required, no fees, no minimums. You simply open the app, get a fuel code, and pay at the pump at a discounted price. Drivers report saving anywhere from 15 to 50+ cents per gallon depending on the location.

• Instant diesel discounts — no card needed
• Works at 1,500+ truck stops nationwide
• No fees, contracts, or minimums
• Pay directly at the pump
• Average savings of 25–40¢ per gallon
• Trip planning with fuel cost estimates

Best for: Every owner-operator. If you're spending $1,000+ per week on diesel, even 20¢/gallon savings adds up to $200+ per week.

Motive is the ELD solution most owner-operators end up with, and for good reason. The app handles hours of service tracking, DVIR reports, IFTA fuel tracking, and GPS fleet visibility all in one platform. The interface is intuitive, inspections go smoothly because the reports are clean, and the hardware is reliable.

• FMCSA-compliant ELD logging
• Automatic HOS calculations
• DVIR (vehicle inspection reports)
• IFTA mileage and fuel tracking
• GPS tracking and dashcam options
• Violation alerts before they happen

Best for: Owner-operators who want a reliable, all-in-one compliance solution. Also excellent if you plan to add trucks and need fleet management features later.

No more parking, walking inside, waiting in line, and walking back. The CAT Scale app lets you weigh your truck, pay from your phone, and get a legal weigh ticket emailed to you — all without leaving your cab. It also has a reweigh guarantee, so if you're overweight and need to adjust, your reweigh is free.

• Pay for weigh-ins from your phone
• Legal weigh ticket emailed instantly
• Free reweigh guarantee
• Scale finder with location search
• Weight history tracking
• No account fees

Best for: Every driver who hauls freight. Saves 10-15 minutes per weigh and you'll never lose a paper ticket again.

GasBuddy shows real-time diesel prices at stations along your route so you can plan fuel stops strategically instead of pulling into whatever's closest. Combined with Mudflap for independent stops and the RTS Fuel Card for major chains, GasBuddy completes your fuel savings stack. Some drivers report saving $100-$200 per week just by planning their fuel stops better.

• Real-time diesel prices by location
• Route-based fuel price comparison
• Trip cost calculator
• Price alerts for favorite stations
• Pay+ card for additional savings
• Fuel purchase tracking

Best for: Cost-conscious owner-operators who want to see the best diesel prices along their planned route before they leave.

If you fuel at Pilot or Flying J locations — and most owner-operators do at least sometimes — the app is a must-have. Reserve showers ahead of time (no more waiting), see parking availability, earn points on fuel and purchases, and get exclusive mobile offers. The shower reservation feature alone is worth the download.

• Shower reservations (skip the wait)
• Real-time parking availability
• Loyalty points on fuel and food
• Mobile fuel payment
• Exclusive in-app deals
• Digital receipts for tax records

Best for: Any trucker who stops at Pilot/Flying J locations. The shower reservation and loyalty points pay for themselves.

TruckLogics is an all-in-one trucking management system that handles dispatching, invoicing, expense tracking, IFTA reporting, and document management from your phone. If you're managing your own authority and don't have a dispatcher, TruckLogics helps you stay organized without drowning in paperwork. It even handles HVUT Form 2290 e-filing.

• Dispatch and load management
• Invoicing and expense tracking
• IFTA mileage and fuel reports
• Form 2290 e-filing
• Document cloud storage
• Driver and fleet management

Best for: Owner-operators managing their own authority who need a single platform for dispatching, accounting, and compliance paperwork.

Weather kills truckers. Not just in the catastrophic sense, but financially — an unexpected storm can cost you a full day of revenue sitting at a truck stop. The Weather Channel app gives hourly and 10-day forecasts for any point on your route, customizable severe weather alerts, and real-time radar. Check it before every trip and before every departure from a stop.

• Hourly and 10-day forecasts
• Severe weather alerts (tornado, ice, flooding)
• Interactive radar maps
• Location-based wind speed and direction
• Road conditions reporting
• Air quality index

Best for: Every trucker. Check weather at your pickup, delivery, and every major point along your route before you leave.

Stop losing receipts and BOLs. CamScanner turns your phone camera into a document scanner — snap a photo of any receipt, bill of lading, rate confirmation, or lumper receipt and it creates a clean, organized PDF. Email it directly to your factoring company, broker, or accountant. At tax time, you'll have every deduction documented instead of scrambling through a shoebox of crumpled receipts.

• High-quality document scanning
• Auto-crop and image enhancement
• PDF and JPEG export options
• Cloud storage and backup
• Email and share directly from app
• Folder organization for easy filing

Best for: Every owner-operator. Scan BOLs for faster broker payment, scan receipts for tax deductions, and keep digital copies of all your business documents.