PortaPottyBossPro Blog — Driver & Tech App

iPhone or Android, No App Store: Putting the Driver App on Phones Your Crew Already Has

Every tech you hire already carries a phone. Some carry iPhones, some carry Android phones, some carry whatever was cheapest at the store last year. A driver app that only works on one kind of phone, or needs special devices, or makes each tech download something from an app store and sign up for a store account, puts a hurdle in front of the very first day.

Browser First

Gloves and grime are one part of making a phone work on the route, as covered in Using the Porta Potty Driver App With Gloves On and in the Truck. The other part is getting the app on the phone in the first place. The PortaPottyBossPro driver app runs in the phone's web browser. It works on iPhone and Android. The tech opens the link, logs in with the company login and their personal PIN, and the day's jobs appear.

There is no app store download, no waiting for an update to be approved, and no account the tech has to create with Apple or Google. If the phone has a browser and a data connection, it can run the route.

Installable to the Home Screen

Running in the browser does not mean living in a browser tab. The driver app can be installed to the home screen, so it gets its own icon and opens like any other app. That matters for techs who would otherwise lose the tab among twenty others or type the address every morning.

Installing takes a minute during setup:

• On iPhone, open the app in Safari, tap the Share button, then Add to Home Screen
• On Android, open the app in Chrome, tap the menu, then Install app or Add to Home screen
• Open it from the new icon and log in once to check it works

Do this with the tech on their first day so they never have to think about it again.

No Devices to Buy

Because the app runs on regular phones, there are no rugged handhelds to buy, track, charge and replace. A new hire can be running a route on day one with the phone in their pocket. Some owners still keep a phone in each truck so personal phones stay personal. Either approach works, because the tech's personal PIN, not the phone, decides whose work is whose.

Old Phones and Cheap Phones

Not every tech has the latest phone, and they do not need it. A browser-based app is generally kinder to older and budget phones than a heavy download. A few things still help any phone:

• Keep the operating system and browser reasonably up to date
• Free up storage so photos have somewhere to go
• Keep the battery healthy, and plug in to a charger in the truck
• Use a case and screen protector, because this job is hard on glass

If a tech's phone is truly on its last legs, the cheapest decent phone at any carrier store will run the app.

Updates Without Anyone Doing Anything

With an app store app, every update means each tech has to install it, and someone is always three versions behind. A browser-based app updates when the tech opens it. Every tech on every truck is running the same version, which means the office never has to troubleshoot "what version do you have?"

Data and Signal

Porta potty routes go to the edges of town: new subdivisions, farms, fairgrounds, rural parks. Signal can be thin out there. The tech reads the card, gets navigation started and takes the photo the same way as anywhere else; it may just take a little longer when the signal is weak. A good habit is to read the next card and start navigation while still at a stop with good coverage. If a site is known for no signal at all, put the key information in the site notes so the tech reads it before heading out.

Personal Phones and Privacy

Some techs worry about putting a work app on a personal phone. A few points usually settle it. The app is used for the job, not for watching the tech's personal life. Customer texts go out from the company, so customers do not get the tech's personal number. Crew GPS shows on the office map so dispatch can see where trucks are during the workday. When a tech leaves, the office ends their access with their PIN. Be upfront about what the app does and techs are usually fine with it. For more on clocking in on the same phone, see The Time Clock in the Porta Potty Driver App.

The Short Version

iPhone or Android, in the browser, installed to the home screen, no app store and no special devices. For everything the tech sees once they are in, visit the PortaPottyBossPro driver and tech app page.