Sector | Bachelor Project
Project Time | Six Months
My Role | UX Research, Design Thinking, Conception, Information Architecture, User Experience, Wireframing, Interface Design, User-centered Design, Rapid Prototyping, Usability Testing

Time pressure, stress and lack of space: this is the reality of truck drivers. The transport industry is booming and the work of truck drivers is more important than ever. However, truck drivers do not receive any support when it comes to ensuring healthy performance. Important parking spaces on the motorway during the rest period are a rarity. An immense problem is developing on German autobahns: there is a risk of traffic jams during the day and the situation is even more difficult at night.

Many rest areas on the autobahn and adjacent industrial parks along the autobahn are heavily congested. At the same time, the increase in truck traffic is growing steadily. The search for a parking space is annoying and time-consuming for truck drivers and can have serious consequences in individual cases. It is more and more common that alternative parking spaces are sought out for the night in an emergency. Mostly in the entrances and exits of rest stops, which can be very dangerous for other vehicles and has already led to serious accidents.

The idea is a communication and parking system that focuses on guaranteeing the driver a safe place to sleep and utilizing the parking space at the truck stops. The system simplifies the planning and search for parking spaces. There is also the "companion", an additional device that the truck driver takes with him on the journeys.
Using a voice user interface (VUI), the companion encourages and encourages the driver to take care of himself and to take a break.

This shows the driver recognition and appreciation. In addition, you can book parking spaces via the attendant and the system then directs the driver to the selected truck stop. The aim of the concept is to reduce the stress level of the truck driver through safe breaks and positive support, thus relieving some stress while driving.

With Save Truck Parking, the truck driver reserves safe parking spaces at truck stops and at the same time receives appreciation for his job. By reducing stress and time while looking for a parking space, the truck driver has more attention and balance for the subsequent journey. The result is a well rested truck driver who can concentrate on the traffic without stress.

With a navigation application on the smartphone, the driver can plan his route and reserve parking spaces at truck stops to ensure a safe sleep. This ensures that the truck stops are used evenly and that the statutory provisions for rest periods for truck drivers can be complied with. In addition, an intelligent voice assistant called Mika is included in the concept and works together with the application.

The voice assistant accompanies the trucker during the journey and can also serve as a navigation and reservation system. This means that the truck driver does not have to use the smartphone while driving and can keep his attention on the road. To increase the feeling of appreciation, Mika reminds you to take a break or plays loving audio messages from family and friends in appropriate situations. This is to encourage the driver to take care of himself and drive carefully.

A healthy sleep rhythm and appreciation while driving ensure a safe journey for the truck driver and, as a result, other road users.

Both the truck driver and the truck stop can manage an account through the app and website. Management software is available to the truck stop within the application to manage reservations.

The truck driver receives a navigation interface with which he can plan his routes. On these routes, truck stops are displayed with free parking spaces that he can book for his route. In addition, there are other options that are intended to support the driver in his planning.

The companion is the counterpart to the application. This is equipped with a voice user interface (VUI) and accompanies the truck driver during his journey. It is networked with the system of the application and the driver has the opportunity to edit the behavior pattern of the companion.

During the journey, Mika encourages and praises the truck driver to create a feeling of appreciation and appreciation. There are several options for how these encouragements are communicated. At the same time, the driver can reserve a parking space through the attendant and the attendant directs them to the truck stop in connection with the application.

The entire system communicates via MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport). MQTT is a lightweight communication protocol for machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. If the driver plans a route via the app, the app accesses the server, which is in constant connection with the Google Maps API. Information on the route, traffic jams, rest stops, etc. is then sent to the smartphone's interface. The Save Truck Parking stops are stored on the server and are also shown on the map shown. If the driver now books a parking space, this information is forwarded to the attendant and the truck stop via the server and noted.

The information about the booked time is displayed on a board at the booked parking space at the truck stop so that other truckers on site receive information about the availability of the space. When the trucker drives to the truck stop and stands 10 m in front of the reserved parking space, the attendant sends a signal to the bollard so that it clears the parking space. This prevents other truckers from taking the parking lot without a reservation. When the parking time has expired and the truck driver leaves the parking lot, the attendant gives a signal after 10 m and the bollard goes up. If there is no companion, the smartphone can take over the Bluetooth signal transmission to the bollard.

The system is primarily aimed at long-distance drivers. However, the vision is to include all professional drivers. This means that bus drivers or truck drivers in local transport can also benefit from the concept. In addition, further offers can be generated to increase the feeling of appreciation. For example, additional options will be offered in the future that improve monotonous driving and boredom through the playful voice user interface. So that not only German professional drivers can enjoy the advantages of the concept, the vision is to offer the system throughout Europe. As a result, the entire system has to be translated into several languages. The first step is to translate the applications into the world language, English.

An idealistic outlook is to make the job of truck driver more human and attractive again by improving driving conditions. Wouldn't it be desirable if the job of truck driver relied on the past image of the sovereign king of the country road? If enough companies get involved in the task of making the working life of truck drivers more qualitative, the industry could not only experience new attractiveness and an upswing, but also successfully confront the problem of young talent.