Dark Ages of Hauling Are Behind Truckers
Thanks to developments in satellite communications and the evolution of truck stops, truckers can do chores on the road. The advancements allow them to communicate with their companies and families, learn about potential loads and traffic hazards, and transmit their location and vehicle performance to headquarters all without leaving their cabs or using a citizens band radio or telephone.
A recent survey by Park ’N View, a provider of Internet and cable television hookups at truck stops across country, found that 40% of drivers on the road today use some type of in-cab satellite technology.
Bruce Andrews, a driver since 1989 for Con-Way Transportation Services in Menlo Park, Calif., is one of them. His cab is equipped with a satellite tracking and communications system, and he can’t imagine what his job would be like without it.
Satellite technology has benefited his employer by making him more efficient. In bygone days, Mr. Andrews would wait by a pay telephone and call his employer every 30 minutes to find out if a shipment was available. He now spends that time getting some much-needed rest in his cab. When a load is found, his employer sends an electronic message via satellite to his on-board computer, which makes a beeping noise to wake him up. The device tells him where and when to pick up the cargo and its destination.
“It frees up the driver’s time to be able to get his rest while he’s waiting on a load,” Mr. Andrews said.
Satellite systems help carriers track loads as well. Roberts Express of Akron, Ohio, handles emergency or “hot” shipments throughout the country. With satellite technology, it can tell customers about the location of their shipment and give them an estimated arrival time.
“We quote to the minute when we’ll make a delivery,” said Joan Hinkle, manager of marketing for Roberts Express. “So we want to know where the freight is at all times.
“Each of our vehicles has a satellite unit on board. Our tracking system can tell if our vehicle is running more than 15 minutes behind without the driver having to stop and phone us,” she said. “When shippers use us, it is usually in an emergency. They need to know where their freight is and when it’s due to arrive.”
Innovations in on-board computers that interact with satellite systems have changed the way truckers keep track of information. Though most are smaller than a date book, their size can be misleading. The machines can process and transmit volumes of valuable information between a driver and the company’s offices.
The biggest complaint of most truckers is that there is too much paperwork and too much information. On-board computers have alleviated much of this hassle, automatically keeping track of information such as driving logs, vehicle performance and speed.
Some argue that keeping tabs on that much information makes a trucker feel like he is constantly under surveillance, but others say it lends to reliability.
“The on-board computer is a tool that gives a driver some credibility,” said Scott Horst, marketing manager for on-board computer producer Xata Corp. of Burnsville, Minn.
“One of our software applications tracks what happens in the vehicle second by second,” he said. “We have customers that take their on-board computer data to court to prove their driver is right.”
Mr. Andrews said that most truckers who have argued against automating information are the ones who are using it today.
“A lot of drivers were real worried about the satellite communication tracking them because most drivers are nomads and prefer their independence,” he said. “They were afraid it was going to be something that was going to be used against them. But now the same ones that were worried about it being used against them realize how much of a convenience and how much it has freed up their ability to enjoy the job that they’re doing.”
For the full story, see the Jan. 25 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.
