The unexpected story behind the Logmaster app and why you will never want to be without it

The unexpected story behind the Logmaster app and why you'll never want to be without it

Out on the road can be a tough and lonely life but the rewards of getting home safely after a long haul make the driving life worth it. The long hours can be difficult and exhausting which is why driver safety and fatigue management have become top-of-mind issues for all players in the industry. A substantial amount of effort has gone into putting the message out there about taking care on the road, and it's really starting to pay off.

Driver safety is undoubtedly what inspired Josh Saunders and business partner Stewart Flecknoe-Brown to launch their company Logmaster in 2019.

Josh and Stewart had previously worked with thousands of drivers to get them started and keep them compliant in the rideshare industry. Driver fatigue was an issue that was constantly being raised as the biggest danger but at the time, there wasn’t really a simple solution.

One day Josh went to have lunch with a friend who was a trucking company safety officer. When Josh walked into his office, Brad was sitting at his desk surrounded by paperwork and there was a poster on the wall with the trucker’s prayer. “Keep me safe, get me home" and it really hit me.” says Josh.

“We live in a world run by technology. We use our phones for everything, from staying in touch with friends and family, to running our businesses. People can run their lives and earn a living all from their phones. Phones are no longer just a communication device.

“We can now do most things from the comfort of our homes by only using our phones thanks to this new age of technology and it made me think. Why is transport safety still running like my dad used to do things? We no longer use the old referdex thanks to our phones GPS capabilities, or pull out the phonebook to look someone up. So why are we still filling out safety checklists and mountains of compliance paperwork like it's 1999 when there could be a more efficient way to do things.” says Josh.

Stewart Flecknoe-Brown has had a similar experience with the traditional way of doing things. "You know, the average driver spends between 200-350 hours per year in their truck, but compliance preparation takes approximately an additional 180 hours per driver per year," he said. "That's a lot of time and effort spent on something none of us enjoy."

Stewart and Josh were talking to business owners, industry consultants and telematics companies and they were also lucky to be members of a drivers Whatsapp group. The idea of combating transport safety properly, starting with fatigue management and then incorporating the other typical paperwork got a lot of traction because they saw it was a recurring conversation.

Technology is making the world smaller,

and nowhere is this more evident than in our industry. Like any forward-thinking company, Logmaster has embraced technology at its core to give truck drivers the tools they need while away from home. And it's working.

Logmaster is the only Electronic Work Diary that satisfies Western Australia’s requirements, it’s available on Apple and Android devices, and includes all the other safety reports and checklists that drivers need to fill out regularly. "It's the ease of using an app that is so appealing to drivers, and now that we've got it up-and-running, you can't stop this thing," said Stewart. "Drivers are telling their friends about us, and they're getting on board too. At the end of the day, people just want to get in their trucks and do their jobs without being bogged down with the paperwork side of things. We're here to give them what they need."

The response has been incredible for Josh and Stewart, who believe a critical factor in their success is that they're an agile, independent business that's able to make what is really wanted. There are no arduous corporate processes, just a small team led by their mission to get drivers home safely. Unlike what the larger corporations had on the market that seemed to lack in a lot of areas, Josh and Stewart knew they wanted to create something that would tick all of the boxes, and that's exactly what they’ve done. Logmaster accommodates everything the drivers and their companies need to remain compliant and not only that, the app is extremely user friendly too.

Both men have transport industry roots and they feel obligated to serve the industry. "We're here for the drivers, not to impress anyone above us. If we can achieve our mission of getting drivers home safely, then that's what matters," says Josh. "We're an Australian company, and we understand the issues faced by drivers across this great country because we've been there," added Stewart. "Our team has a combined 30 years in the transport industry, so we know what matters."

At the end of a shift, drivers want to know that everything has been finished and that their company has received all the necessary records safely and securely. Electronic logs uploaded securely in the cloud assures drivers that their companies have received the logs and that their records are secure and compliant. Password protecting logbooks on a device ensures that a driver's privacy is protected and records can't be viewed or altered. There's

Getting rid of paperwork and admin, keeping everything privately stored in the driver's phone, leaving time for road selfies and facetime with the wife and kids

less chance of a driver overworking since the entire distance travelled and the total number of hours worked have been recorded and submitted. It's a bulletproof solution for everyone in the industry. "What's fantastic is that this change comes with no extra cost for the driver," says Stewart. “Companies that invest in our technology are recouping their costs in efficiency and staff morale, as drivers are feeling better treated because they’re not being inundated and hounded for paperwork.”

Logmaster works on both Android and Apple devices. You can use it on your tablet, or smartphone. "Everyone carries a device these days for keeping in touch with family and getting things done. It just makes sense to be able to use the device you've already got with you to send your info back to the office in real-time, so they know you're safe and compliant right away" says Josh.

When asked about future plans for the company, both Saunders and FlecknoeBrown say they're committed to remaining accessible to the industry and staying responsive to driver needs. Josh said they'll "remain focused on working with owners wanting to invest in tech to know their drivers are both safe and compliant."

About Logmaster:

Logmaster was founded in 2019 by Josh Saunders and Stewart Flecknoe-Brown and is now available for iOS and Android users. See www.logmaster.com.au for more information .

Below left, Josh Saunders and right, Stewart Flecknoe-Brown