Less than one week after announcing it was selling many of its business entities to TruckThat, One20 has said it will cease supporting its electronic logging device (ELD) as of June 18, 2018.
“We launched ONE20 Inc. in 2015 as a way for drivers to get access to the tools they need to do what they do, without spending an arm and leg. We gave it our best shot,” a posting on the company website said. “On June 18, 2018 ONE20 Inc. will be ceasing operations. We wish it wasn’t true but sometimes you win and sometimes you take one on the nose. This time it’s our turn.”
The company, founded by Christian Schenk, said that its ONE20 apps (One20 Maps, My One20 and One20 F-ELD) will no longer work as of that time. “We won’t be doing any updates or offering any support,” the posting said.
One20 operates six separate business operations, including the ELD business. The other operations are One20Tire.com (Online Tire MN and Tire Member), One20BNK, One20 Strong, One20 Trucking and CLS Developments. Those entities have all been sold to TruckThat Holdings, also founded and owned by Schenk.
“TruckThat has spent the last two years building one of the largest-ever driver communities – the members are invaluable,” said Schenk, in a statement. “From the very beginning, the goal has been to give America’s truckers a voice. It’s easy to ignore one, but you cannot ignore the entire group. Drivers want respect, fair business dealings and cost savings while on the road. TruckThat Holdings will now be able to offer these exclusive benefits and savings that are long overdue to drivers.”
A press release said that a group of unnamed market participants have made investments in TruckThat, which will undergo a rebranding in the coming months.
“This consolidation of companies will set up TruckThat Holdings for more sustainable growth, create a unified member experience, increase operational efficiencies and offer more benefits and services under one organization than any other well-established trucking community,” Schenk said. “For the past several years, these companies have been leading the way toward a more fair, economical and driver-focused trucking industry. Today, the power of each company is further enhanced as TruckThat Holdings becomes a single, powerful voice for the American trucker.”
TruckThat will continue to offer content-based advertising services.
Schenk founded One20 as a social network with the goal of giving drivers a place to vent about their company. That effort, launched under the TruckThat brand, quickly blossomed into a growing operation with more than 100,000 users in its first year. From there, the ONE20 brand grew, devoted itself to making life on the road easier for drivers.
The brand quickly connected drivers to each other, and to major brands by offering discounts through its apps. Membership in the One20 community was free and came with a number of perks. These included a free mobile app, My One20, that provided truck-specific navigation as well as special deals specifically for truckers.
A focus on driver health led to the creation of One20 Strong. Originally focused on designing workouts that truckers could do in and around the truck, the company has morphed in nutrition as well, including a One20 branded drink.
To help it understand the life of the trucker, the company created its own trucking company, One20 LLC. While it had only 1 truck hauling pipeline loads, the first-hand experiences it provided helped the company better understand the needs and lifestyle of drivers.
Last year, as the ELD mandate was approaching, the company launched its F-ELD. Offered for just $169 with no monthly fee, the system was touted as an inexpensive way for drivers to meet the ELD mandate.
Advertising and social media postings about the device led to Rand McNally filing a lawsuit against One20 for defamation.
One20 reached a partnership deal with C.H. Robinson, allowing C.H. Robinson contracted carriers – some 71,000 of them – to purchase the device at a discount. There is no indication how many of them may have taken advantage of that.
“One20 will publish available ‘premium freight’ to all 360,000-plus members,” Schenk told FreightWaves at the time. “All members will benefit from the added value and all existing C.H. Robinson carriers will benefit from the One20 membership, simply by downloading the mobile app and signing up.”
At the Mid-America Trucking Show this year, One20 announced two new offerings, the One20 Fuel Program and a telemedicine solution.
The fuel program was offering fuel discounts up to 55 cents per gallon at some locations, the company said, with more than 2,000 retail locations participating. With no fees and no volume discounts, the card was one of the first major benefits usually associated with larger fleets being offered to owner-operators.
One20 also partnered with MDLive to offer virtual health care for less than $10 per month. That plan featured no co-pays or deductibles and easy prescriptions or refills at 60,000 pharmacies.
TruckThat Holdings will continue to operate five One20 businesses:
- Online Tire MN (operating as One20Tire.com) – Focused on commercial tires, the platform saves drivers up to 40 percent off retail prices with fast shipping and easy online purchases.
- Tire Member (part of Online Tire MN) – Focused on passenger and light trucks, this benefit allows drivers (and general consumers) to save money on tires for everyday vehicles.
- One20 BNK – An alternative to traditional factoring, One20 BNK pays drivers as loads are hauled, providing 20% payment up front and payment every 100 miles thereafter. With no enrollment or cancellation fees, the card works like a bank debit card and allows drivers to use it wherever Mastercard is accepted.
- One20 Strong – With a focus on health and wellness, the program brings customized fitness plans to drivers, along with on the road recipes and other healthy living tips.
- One20 Trucking – Currently a singular fleet, One20 Trucking hauls oversized freight, does product BETA testing and is a marketing ambassador for numerous trucking organizations.
- CLS Developments – Previously responsible for providing real estate, fixtures, furnishing and technology equipment to One20 Inc.
