Empowering Long-Haul Drivers with Seamless Expense Management
Project Context
Background & Problem Statement
Long-haul and regional truck drivers often face significant financial stress due to the need to pay for business expenses upfront—fuel, maintenance, tolls—before being reimbursed. This financial crunch can impact their well-being, job satisfaction, and even retention. Our team set out to explore how digital innovation could alleviate this pain point, focusing on building a chip-enabled expense management solution tailored to drivers’ unique needs.
Research Goals
Understand drivers’ current pain points and coping strategies around business expenses
Identify opportunities for a seamless, trustworthy, and community-driven financial tool
Inform the design of an MVP that could be rapidly prototyped, tested, and iterated
My Role
As the Lead UX Researcher, I was responsible for:
Designing and executing the research plan
Recruiting and managing the participant panel
Ensuring compliance and ethical standards
Analyzing qualitative data and synthesizing actionable insights
Coaching teammates on research best practices and building reusable research assets
Communicating findings to cross-functional partners and advocating for user needs throughout the product lifecycle
Research Methodology
Methods Used
In-depth User Interviews: 8 interviews (7 moderated, 1 unmoderated) with a diverse panel of US and non-US drivers, including owner-operators and company drivers
Customer Journey Mapping: To visualize pain points and opportunity areas
Thematic Analysis: Using AI tools (NotebookLM) to extract themes and direct quotes
Usability Testing: Early clickable prototypes for end-to-end flow validation
Rationale
Given the complexity and emotional nature of financial stress, qualitative interviews were chosen to build empathy and uncover nuanced behaviors. Thematic analysis and journey mapping helped translate raw data into actionable insights for design and business stakeholders.
Research Process
Recruitment & Panel Management
Sourced participants through industry contacts and online driver communities
Ensured diversity in experience, geography, and employment type
Managed panel records securely, with clear opt-in/opt-out and data retention policies
Incentive Strategy
Provided fair compensation for participants’ time, benchmarked against industry standards
Compliance & Ethical Guardrails
Obtained informed consent and explained data usage
Anonymized all data and quotes in reporting
Adhered to company and legal guidelines for data security and privacy
Tooling & Tech Stack
UserTesting.com: For remote interviews and video capture
NotebookLM: For AI-assisted transcript analysis and theme extraction
Miro: For journey mapping and collaborative synthesis
Secure cloud storage: For all research data and panel records
Data Analysis
Transcribed and coded interviews for recurring themes
Used AI tools to quickly surface direct quotes and cross-reference participant responses
Collaborated with designers and PMs in synthesis workshops to ensure shared understanding
Key Persona
Key Findings
1. Financial Crunch is a Major Pain Point
Drivers consistently cited the stress of paying for business expenses upfront as a top concern, impacting both their finances and mental health.
2. Community is Key
Drivers rely heavily on word-of-mouth and peer networks for discovering new tools and sharing best practices. Trust is built through community, not just features.
“We each share our best tips… I do have a community of people that we share things with.” – “Dennis”
3. Seamless Experience is Non-Negotiable
Participants expect a frictionless onboarding process, from KYC to connecting bank accounts and receiving funds. Any complexity is a dealbreaker.
4. No Hidden Fees
Transparency is critical. Drivers are wary of predatory or hidden fees and want to feel that the product is an ally, not a necessary evil.
5. Integration with Business Tools
Many drivers use QuickBooks or Xero and want expense management tools that integrate seamlessly with their existing workflows.
Customer Journey & Demo
Impact
Influence on Product & Business
Design Decisions: Insights directly informed the creation of a clickable prototype with a focus on seamless onboarding, transparent fee structures, and community features.
Business Model: Helped narrow the opportunity size and shape the financial model to avoid predatory practices.
Strategic Alignment: Research findings were used to align with internal financial wellness initiatives and identify synergies with benefits teams.
Metrics for Success:
Increased task completion rate in prototype testing
Improved Net Promoter Score (NPS) in pilot feedback
Reduced anticipated support calls by addressing onboarding pain points early
ROI projected through higher driver retention and satisfaction
Deliverables
Interview Guides & Reusable Templates: Created for future research cycles
Customer Journey Maps: Visualizing pain points and opportunity areas
Thematic Analysis Reports: With direct quotes and actionable insights
Clickable Prototype: Informed by research, ready for usability testing
Compliance Checklist: For ethical and legal guardrails in research
Reflections
What I Learned
The power of community in product adoption for this audience cannot be overstated.
AI tools like NotebookLM can accelerate synthesis, but human judgment is essential for context and nuance.
Early and ongoing collaboration with cross-functional partners leads to better, more actionable insights.
What I’d Do Differently
Expand the panel to include more owner-operators and female drivers for broader perspective.
Pilot lightweight surveys to quantify qualitative findings and track changes over time.
Build a toolkit for onboarding new researchers, including checklists for compliance and data security.