It’s a topic that just won’t go away: The mind-meld of trucking and high technology, and there’s a reason for it. If the trucking industry is going to move forward and take part in the brave new world of technological revolution, it needs to embrace change. Fortunately, it looks like that is exactly what trucking is doing.
Despite the common belief that the trucking industry is usually behind the times, but many companies have been using handheld devices since the early 90s. Even so, the devices of the 90s are nothing like the devices of today.
Now we have complex handheld systems combined with advanced telematics systems and paperless databases. This new environment allows the less-than-truckload fleet to do way more than was previously thought possible. So, what is possible?
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The New World of Trucking
Whereas the devices of the past were large, clunky, and only were capable of the most basic of functions, today’s handheld and cab-mounted devices have levels of functionality that couldn’t have been imagined twenty years ago.
Now truckers can use their handheld devices to collect real-time pickup information. Delivery and routing information can be transmitted to even the most rudimentary of devices.
The mass amounts of data generated through these digital operations can then be used for all sorts of things, from outbound load planning to driver logs and vehicle inspections. In this new world of technological wonder, so much more is possible.
Improving Workflow through Automation
Thanks to technology, the trucking workflow has never been more streamlined or automated. Remember when everything was a manual process and multiple people were putting manual entries into a cumbersome paper system? Those days have past. We now live in a new world of automation.
Now workflow-related applications are guiding employees through tasks that have been specifically grouped together in a sequence that maximizes efficiency and effectiveness. With the onslaught of smartphones, workflow apps can extend the capabilities of what was once a lowly pen and paper task into the world of tablets and rugged devices.
Curious as to what these amazing innovations might look like? Old pen-and-paper tasks like manifests and navigation, loaded cargo verification, off-truck scanning validation, customer agreements, signatures, surveys, and logs can now be safely ensconced in the digital world.
It’s important to note that technological workflow innovations go beyond simply replacing your pen and paper. This isn’t just about fancy smartphones and old ways of doing things. Now we live in a world where data can be leveraged to reveal new ways of doing things and new efficiencies to discover.
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Putting the Data to Work
One of the major problems trucking had with adapting to this technology was how to address data entry needs by the truck driver. As the early in-cab automation industry matured, this was the first concern it addressed.
Imagine a day when truckers were burdened with near-constant data collection duties. This data would be returned to the home office for analysis. Today, the driver him- or herself doesn’t have to worry about remembering to dot every “i” and cross every “t”. Current technologies require hardly any driver involvement. Instead, devices collect data in the background and transmits it to the home office while the driver does his or her job.
Data can be collected from a number of places, whether it be GPS data, engine and vehicle sensors, or flow meters, we’re talking about real-time data that can be immediately acted upon. Information can be quickly consolidated and in-depth analyses completed.
The important thing to note is that this isn’t just about the fleet or fleet manager. These types of devices and innovations make the truck driver’s life a lot easier. And in a time of employment shortages and shrinking worker pools, making the trucker’s life