Pen-pal program Trucker Buddy announced it teamed up with uFollowit (developer of the software in the TripPak Mobile service) to develop a Trucker Buddy-branded smartphone application (for iPhone and Android) that allows drivers to take pictures and upload them to a secure site that Trucker Buddy teachers can access and share with students. It’s a “way to circumvent the time and cost of mailing something – it gives drivers and teachers a direct link to each other,” says Trucker Buddy Executive Director Randy Schwarzenbach. Likewise, he adds, “this app will dramatically speed up the communication between the driver and the classroom.”

Students will be able to see the pictures on computers in the classroom, likewise tied to an interactive Google map that plots where the picture was taken. An optional breadcrumb trail the driver can leave on that map is another way of connecting geographically.

The app also includes useful tools for drivers — a truck stop directory and weather/radar reports — and teachers can use the app to take pictures of student letters to send to drivers.