Onboard Computers Are Gaining Acceptance Among Truck Drivers After Initial Skepticism

Onboard computers, which many drivers and fleet managers greeted with much skepticism when they were introduced, have become a popular in-cab device, according to  several users.

For instance, “I can communicate with my dispatcher, and I can communicate a breakdown,” said Steve Williams, who has spent nine years hauling for U.S. Xpress Enterprises Inc. “I can also call my fuel depot when I need to fill, and if you have a problem with a truck, you can notify them.” U.S. Xpress, Chattanooga, Tenn., ranks No. 15 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.

Williams talked about the advantages of onboard computers during a recent interview at the Pilot Flying J truck stop in Carmel Church, Va., where other drivers mentioned in this story also were interviewed.

Tom Davis, safety manager for Cox Petroleum Transport, said, “We have a strict no-cellphone policy, so drivers must use their onboard [computers] to communicate with dispatchers or a terminal manager.”

Onboard computers from Qualcomm Inc., Xata Corp. and PeopleNet Communications Inc. are stand-alone devices with view screens that allow drivers to communicate by touching on-screen buttons or using a keyboard, said Braxton Vick, senior vice president of planning and development at Southeastern Freight Lines Inc., Lexington, S.C., which ranks No 27 on the for-hire TT 100. Some models allow instant messaging and e-mails.

Rand McNally Co., Skokie, Ill., said its low-end TND 760, which it calls an electronic onboard recorder, allows instant texting via both Wi-Fi and cellphones.

Vick said onboard computers and electronic onboard recorders often are used interchangeably, but unless an EOBR is hooked up to a communications system, it will record merely a truck’s performance, he said.

“That’s how they can tell if a truck is moving or not,” Vick said, adding that the term EOBR can refer also to software that allows engine performance tracking.

Davis said his Cox Petroleum drivers save on cellphone bills when using their Qualcomm computers to contact company officials.

“It gives them an instant communication with dispatch,” he said.

Cox Petroleum, based in Bakersfield, Calif., operates 110 tank trucks that haul gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and lubricants.

Arturo Ayala, who’s driven for Panther II Transportation, Seville, Ohio, for 14 months, agreed with Davis.

“Onboard [computers] do give drivers a lot of information,” he said, adding, “They make it easier to respond to your company.”

Husband-wife driving team Tracy and Teresa Stafford began driving for Swift Transportation Inc. in May. Their tractor came equipped with Qualcomm’s newest onboard computer, the MCP200.

“It has Web-browser capability, you can check e-mail and you can have training videos sent directly to you,” Tracy Stafford said.

Swift Transportation ranks No. 7 on the for-hire TT 100.

Southeastern Freight’s original justification for buying Xata onboard computers was to aid pickups and deliveries, Vick said: When customers call in a pickup, the carrier sends an electronic message to drivers in 45 seconds, for example. Drivers access the message by opening the pickup window on their view screens.

“We now use the computers for driver inspection reports, e-logs, and next, we’ll get navigation, which will dramatically cut down on fuel [use],” Vick said.

If a regular driver is out sick, he said, a replacement driver may not know the ill driver’s routes well. An onboard computer’s navigation capability will eliminate the possibility of the new driver’s going off-route, he explained.

Because of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s looming mandate on EOBRs — which initially would require carriers with suspect safety records to have them on their vehicles and eventually would extend that requirement to all over-the-road trucks — many carriers have rushed to install onboard computers that perform EOBR functions. But Cox Petroleum’s Davis said his company did so, not because of any regulation, but because the devices improve operations and have been accepted by drivers.

During the interviews, drivers rarely indicated a preference for a particular onboard computer, which can range from a powerful compact computer to a device that transmits data through a driver’s cellphone.

Williams said his onboard computer, manufactured by DriverTech LLC, measures a compact 8 inches by 8 inches.

“When U.S. Xpress installs the device, the company gives you a two-hour class and then one hour of one-on-one training,” he said.

Williams said he has no problem with such devices keeping tabs on drivers’ operating performance. “But you’re not driving as much now, and sometimes the lower hours mean $100 to $200 less in your pay,” he said. “Now, that hurts, but it keeps the bad drivers off the road.”

DriverTech, Salt Lake City, said its onboard computers offer integrated in-vehicle scanning, electronic logs and video-based training.

The EOBR component of on-board computers has proven particularly valuable for trucking company managers.

“Our drivers have seen successes with the EOBRs,” said Billy Cartright, director of safety and driver recruitment for Con-way Truckload, a unit of Con-way Inc., which ranks No. 3 on the for-hire TT 100. “Now, when drivers go to weigh stations, the stickers on their windows let law enforcement know they’re e-log compliant. Drivers are questioned less and can get back on the road faster.”

A simple EOBR also can offer peace of mind for drivers, said Ryan Driscoll, marketing manager for tracking software maker GPS Insight, Scottsdale, Ariz.

“Suppose a driver gets a ticket for speeding and . . . [he wasn’t]. Well, you can go back and check this,” Driscoll said. “If they’re charged with aggressive driving, there’s a way to check on that as well.” GPS Insight said its software is integrated with navigation devices produced by Switzerland’s Garmin Ltd.

Driscoll also said his company is now testing an unidentified on-board computer product in about 60 employee cars in preparation for a rollout as a commercial-vehicle offering. He said many truckers are familiar with Garmin devices because they either owned one or used them at previous motor carrier employers.

A primary function of EOBRs is to monitor hours-of-service compliance by determining if a vehicle is in motion. Under FMCSA rule 395.16, EOBRs soon will be mandated for all carriers. The regulation, which hasn’t taken effect yet, is designed to stop drivers from falsifying paper logbooks and to improve highway safety by preventing truckers from operating if they’re fatigued.

The EOBR requirement also is part of FMSCA’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability program, which was instituted in December 2010.

U.S. Xpress’ Williams, a former cook, said he likes not having to deal with paper logs to substantiate his HOS compliance.

And Cox Petroleum’s Davis said, “You can’t cheat anymore.”