New Services Allow More Data to Flow Cheaply

his year, suppliers of mobile communications services for trucking will offer an array of new services as established companies delve into new markets and new technology makes it possible to transmit more data at less cost than ever before.

Camera phones, for instance, will enable drivers to transmit images and participate in video conferences, while text-to-voice programs and automated voice recognition will allow drivers to speak and respond to prompts from an in-cab computer.

Automated driver logs, on-board navigation and real-time engine monitoring, along with signature-capture devices, bar-code scanners, radio frequency identification tags and biometric readers will also make it easier to collect and verify data, enhance security and improve load management.