Helping Long Haul Truckers Find their next Truck Stop
3 Months
Generative Research, UI/UX, Prototyping, User Testing
4 Designers , 1PM
The Problem
Trucking is the 7th most dangerous job in the U.S. (2019). Samsara needed to improve driver performance metrics by supporting the truckers responsible for customer shipments. I designed solutions to drive metrics such as accident reports, delivery timeliness, driver safety scores and fuel efficiency.
Research
This project was entirely generative so it was important to begin with secondary research and interviews on Samsara's largest customer persona: U.S. long-haul truckers. This highly niche persona warranted user research (despite being an expensive and time consuming method). I collaborated with a researcher to form a generative research plan and interview framework. My team interviewed 11 truckers to validate connections between how do truckers' pain points impact their performance on the job.
Existing Map Apps are Unsafe
Google/Apple routes trucks through low underpasses, residential streets and steep inclines unsafe for trucks.
Law Requires Four Driving Breaks
Like sleeping through an alarm, truckers miss mandatory drive breaks despite using apps that track them.
Truck Stops are Lifelines
Truckers rely on truck stops for everything from food to showers. Accessing amenities is difficult under deadlines.
Ideation
I wireframed solutions of varying feasibility based on our hypotheses. I proposed three new features that addressed our key insights and related most to Samsara's business goals. Stakeholders loved this solution because it would integrate with existing Samsara technology.
As I worked with my PM on the initial PRD, collaboration with the search team became important. I spearheaded a user flow that brought both teams together to determine how different features of the product would intersect. This flow became a living document adopted by other designers that determined a point of entry on the existing Samsara driver app.
Testing
I led a massive sourcing effort to remotely test prototypes during COVID. My team contacted every truck stop in California, 25 online trucking communities and over 50 individual truckers! Below are notable design decisions from usability tests with 9 participants.
Trucker-Friendly Interactions
Through testing I learned truckers have a wide range of tech literacy as many struggled with dragging interactions. This learning strengthened our CTA strategy.
Refining the Suggestion Card
Through testing I learned that food, parking, gas prices and showers were most important to truckers. Unfortunately, it wasn’t technically feasible to include the latter two.
Never Miss a Drive Break Again
Truckers constantly track four federally mandated break clocks of varying complexity. Avoiding work break violations—which put employment at risk—is like performing mental gymnastics. The default navigation screen always displays time until the nearest break and alerts truckers at 30 minutes left via visual and auditory cues.
Find Amenities on the Road
Truckers often violate work break regulations because they struggle to find truck stops. When Samsara’s hardware detects an upcoming work break, truckers can easily navigate to a suggested truck stop. Essential amenities at suggested truck stops are viewable at a glance.
