Built By A Driver
Free Driver Tools
These were built by a twenty-year owner-operator for the jobs that come up every day: walking the truck, knowing what a run costs, and keeping track of where the money went.
Free: our one-page pre-trip checklist
Print it and keep it in the door pocket.
Truckers Resource Hub Pre-Trip Checklist (PDF)
One page with check boxes. Walk the truck with it before every trip so nothing gets missed.
Send me the checklistThe tools
Two apps for your phone, three calculators, and the checklist.
Pre-Trip Inspection App
Walks the whole walkaround in eight zones, one screen at a time. One tap clears a zone. Flag anything you find with a severity, a note and a photo, then copy or print the report.
Best for: the morning walkaround, and for keeping a record of what you found.
Driver's Daily
Plan the run and it does the fuel math: gallons needed, what the fuel will cost, cost per mile and driving time at the speed you actually run. Log spending in one tap and keep a history of your days.
Best for: knowing what a run costs before you take it, and where the money went after.
Fuel Cost Calculator
What a run costs in diesel before you ever turn a wheel. Route distance, your truck's average MPG and today's price per gallon.
Best for: comparing routes and backing up a rate negotiation with real numbers.
Cost Per Mile Calculator
The number that separates an operation that is making money from one that is quietly bleeding out. Every fixed and variable expense divided across the miles you actually run.
Best for: the one number to know before you accept any load.
Load Profit Calculator
Net profit on a load in under thirty seconds, with deadhead miles, detention and broker fees counted in. Gives you profit per mile and effective hourly rate.
Best for: deciding on a load while the broker is still on the phone.
Pre-Trip Checklist (PDF)
One page with check boxes, built from twenty years over the road. Print it and keep it in the door pocket for the mornings you would rather not look at a screen.
Best for: drivers who want paper, and as a backup when the phone is dead.
Guides that go with them
Pre-trip inspection resources collects the checklists, study guides and video walkthroughs worth your time, with the 2026 Roadcheck numbers on what actually puts vehicles out of service.
Air brake test steps walks all nine in-cab checks in order with the psi limits for each.
Lease-on carriers and Tools and Partners cover the business side.
Studying for your CDL?
The Real Trucker's CDL Study Guide
Written by a 20-year owner-operator, not a test-prep company. It cuts through the confusion so you can pass your test the first time.
Get the Study Guide →Questions about these tools
Are these truck driver tools really free?
Yes. Every tool on this page is free to use, and none of them need an account or a credit card. The site earns through affiliate links on its Tools and Partners page and through a paid CDL study guide.
Do the apps work without a signal?
The Pre-Trip Inspection App and Driver's Daily both work with no signal once you have opened them once. Add either one to your phone's home screen and it opens like an app.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. Both apps store everything in your phone's own browser storage. Nothing is sent to a server. That also means the data lives on one phone, so copy or print anything you need to keep.
Can I use the pre-trip app as my DVIR?
No. The written driver vehicle inspection report is kept by your carrier, signed by you, and retained for at least three months. The app is a walkaround aid and a personal record, not a compliance document.
Does Driver's Daily track my hours of service?
No. It has a reference card with the federal limits for property-carrying drivers, but it does not run countdown clocks. Your electronic log is the legal record of your hours.
What do I need to use these tools?
A phone or a computer with a web browser. There is nothing to install, though adding the two apps to your home screen makes them open faster and work offline.
General reference only. These tools are aids, not compliance records, and the figures they produce are estimates based on what you enter. Follow your carrier's policy and the current regulations.