Trucks at Work

Led astray by GPS

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:09:00 +0000

Ah the now-ubiquitous global position system or “GPS” as everyone calls it – a combination of technologies whereby satellites and often cell phone networks pinpoint the location of a vehicle, then inputs said location into a software program in order to ultimately provides drivers with directions; no thumbing of paper maps required.

Yet technology is not so perfect, nor so foolproof, that it never sends folks in the wrong direction to the wrong place from time to time.

Trucks at Work

Will fleets acquiesce to “e-inspections”?

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:15:00 +0000

So I got to check out this new “e-inspection” system put together by California-based Drivewyze Inc. yesterday at the West Friendship weigh and inspection station outside Baltimore, MD, yesterday – an interesting “cloud computing” platform that allows trucks to electronically send not only vehicle weight information but electronic logbook data and safety history in real-time to enforcement officers, hopefully allowing them to bypass such weigh/inspection sites altogether.

Trucks at Work

The ROI for IT

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:04:00 +0000

As I’ve noted in this space before, information technology is now a fundamental part of the global transportation business (freight and otherwise). The question many fleet managers rightly ask themselves, though, is how to figure out the return on investment or “ROI” for all the dollars being spent on IT.

Trucks at Work

Danger time for teenage drivers

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:46:00 +0000

Ah summer! A golden time for driving, as roads are clear of ice, snow, and the many other potentially dangerous weather conditions associated with winter. Right?

Well, no, actually – especially if you are a teenage driver.

Commercial vehicle operators should car about this because – as everyone well knows – they and teenage drivers share the very same asphalt ribbons, often at high speed. So if big rig operators know that summer is the time of maximum danger for teenage drivers, maybe such forewarning can help prevent some crashes.

Trucks at Work

“Hands-free” may not mean “risk free,” you see …

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:50:00 +0000

There’s a new study out from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety that purports to show while “hands-free” technologies might make it easier for motorists to text, talk on the phone, or even use Facebook while they drive, they generate what the group calls “dangerous mental distractions” when using them despite drivers keeping their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.

Trucks at Work

Checking the cyber beat again …

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:23:00 +0000

It’s funny in a way that many posts in this space of late are focused on cyber security – funny because I’m at heart a technophobe that can’t stand how much of modern-day life now relies so heavily on electronic interfaces.

[For example, I still write checks and use the postal service to pay bills, despite now long-term efforts by banks and various utility companies to get me to use electronic bill-pay services. Simply put: ain’t gonna do it.]

Trucks at Work

Pointing a finger at distracted pedestrians

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:24:00 +0000

For anyone that’s ever driven in a crowded downtown locale – and truckers of all stripes no doubt maintain a trove of such tales – one of the biggest things to worry about is the lack of attention pedestrians display when crossing the street.

More time than I can count, I’ve had to stop short or wait at a green light because someone engrossed in their smart phone or with musical ear buds cranked at full volume blindly walks into the roadway under the assumption that the white painted lines on the asphalt will protect them from harm.

Trucks at Work

Distractive impact at the traffic light

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:25:00 +0000

Red light cameras are highly controversial, for both the trucking community and the motoring public at large. But one interesting side effect of such technology is the ability to collect data pertinent not just to red light violation incidents themselves but WHY said violations occurred.

Trucks at Work

Cyber worries keep widening

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 09:16:00 +0000

With so much of the trucking business relying on electronic data streams these days – for transferring freight manifest, recording driver hours of service (HOS) information, crafting load routes, etc. – concerns about cyber security are increasing as well.

Trucks at Work

Hybrids on a roll

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 13:53:00 +0000

It’s been a buoyant few months for U.S. light vehicle sales in general, with demand for full-size pickups driving some of the biggest monthly sales figures witnessed by our nation in years.

Trucks at Work