Possible Restrictions on Cellphone Use Will Not Include Telematics, Executives Say

The discussion of further restricting cellphone use by truck drivers likely will not lead to limitations on the use of in-cab communication devices, in part because the devices have built-in safeguards, executives with technology firms said.

“I’m not overly concerned about that,” Brian McLaughlin, chief operating officer of PeopleNet, told Transport Topics. “With the in-cab telematics systems . . . you can turn it off while the vehicle’s moving, you can go to a black screen, you can completely disable use while the vehicle is moving.”

“We’ve worked very hard to make what we believe to be as distraction-free as possible,” said Norm Ellis, vice president of sales for Qualcomm Inc.’s truck telematics business.

Distracted driving received renewed attention earlier this month after the National Transportation Safety Board said that truck drivers should be completely prohibited from using cellphones while driving, even if the devices are hands-free (9-19, p. 3).

NTSB’s Sept. 13 recommendations do not specifically reference in-cab communication devices, but the chairwoman of the board said she is aware distractions could be created from devices other than cellphones.

“We recognize that there are definitely other distractions that exist,” Deborah Hersman told TT after NTSB’s Sept. 13 meeting. “We are in an environment that is really becoming inundated with a lot of devices . . . both in-cab and handheld which are brought into the cab.”

But the information NTSB had — both from the March 2010 crash investigation that led to the recommendation and from outside studies — pointed specifically to cellphone use as a priority, Hersman added.

Xata Corp. doubts that regulators would attempt to restrict telematics products, because most of the devices have options that lock the devices when a vehicle is in motion, said Tom Cuthbertson, a vice president who is responsible for the company’s regulatory affairs.

“We were very proactive with this . . . because we understand the safety and compliance requirements in this environment,” Cuthbertson said.

Xata’s own devices come with an in-motion locking feature by default, he said. Its Turnpike product, which puts the communications and fleet management services on a mobile phone, includes software that also locks the phone while the vehicle is in motion.

Products from Xata, Qualcomm and PeopleNet all integrate with the truck’s functionality to determine when it is being operated, officials said.

“The software also has remote monitoring, so you can see what kind of use is being done and when it’s being done [from the back office], depending on the restriction levels you apply to the phone,” Cuthbertson said.

PeopleNet’s in-motion locking is an option fleets can turn on or off, but the vast majority of customers use the feature, and it is now standard, McLaughlin said.

“You can do that with cellphones, but it’s not foolproof, and it’s kind of new technology,” he added.

Qualcomm does not allow customers to turn off its in-motion locking, Ellis said.

“It comes sent from the factory and is not adjustable,” he said. When the device is locked, “information can be read verbally to the driver,” Ellis said. “He cannot read any text while he’s driving. He can’t input text.”

Restrictions on the use of telematics devices are unlikely, because federal regulators would have a tough time proving their benefits, said Boyd Stephenson, manager of safety and security operations at American Trucking Associations.

“The burden is on them as part of a regulation to produce the data showing that the cost-benefit analysis balances out,” he said. “It would be tough to write that regulation without direction from Congress, because at the end of the day, they’re not going to be lowering costs or saving statistical lives.”