Trucking Is Tough; So Are These Computers

Truckers need computers, but they can be downright brutal with them. Just like the military, trucking companies are looking for units that can withstand the hostile environment of their industry.

Several manufacturers, such as Citadel Computers and Panasonic, have or are developing better, more durable high-performance computers that keep on working despite being dropped, rattled or exposed to temperature extremes and rain.

Today’s rugged models, which cost between $1,000 to $7,000 depending on durability and features, allow trucking companies to access, collect and transfer data in once-uninviting situations.

Though manufacturers have been making computers that stand up to rough conditions for several years, the latest generation provides something new: flexibility. In the past, most were single-function units designed for a specific task, but the present crop offers the capability to run several software applications at once and, more importantly, the capacity to add technology as it develops.

Rugged computers have always been a step behind desktop models found in most homes and offices. But the speed of technological advances has allowed the capabilities of these computers to catch up with their stationary counterparts to the point where they have surpassed what their customary uses, said John Geary, national sales manager for Citadel Computers in Milford, N.H.

“Most customers acknowledge that the power we’re giving them is more than they need on the dock or the forklift, but it gives them assurance to know that they are unbounded by new technologies in the future,” said Geary, whose docking and on-board computers sell from $3,000 to $4,000 apiece.

For the full story, see the August 2 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.