Article

By Jim Beach

Although technology has been able to reduce the trucking industry's reliance on paper, it hasn't been able to completely cut it out. Paperwork still has to be signed and submitted before a carrier or driver can get paid.

Tags: Information Technology, Scanning, Mobile Apps

By Jim Beach, Contributing Editor

Cloud computing has been getting a lot of attention in the information technology space. Before you put your head in the cloud, though, there are some things you should understand about the concept of cloud computing

Tags: Information Technology, cloud computing, Qualcomm, Fleet Risk Advisors, Telogis, Decisiv, service management software, Drivewyze PreClear, Equinox Owner-Operator Solutions, business management

By Jim Beach, Contributing Editor

In-cab navigation improves fleet efficiency and safety and can help cut driver stress. Reducing out-of-route miles alone may be enough to pay for some systems, according to industry experts

Tags: Information Technology

By Michael Koploy, Contributor

As the economy rises out of the recession and more goods must be transported domestically, many fleet operators will be hard-pressed to meet the coming demand -- but technology can help

Tags: Information Technology

By Jim Beach, Contributing Editor

In the first year after adopting electronic logs, Cargo Transporters, Claremont, N.C., had not only reduced out-of-service violations related to hours of service, but it also had improved its CSA "Driver Fatigue" BASIC score and was able to cut its compliance staff by 50%

Tags: Information Technology

By Christian Schenk, Vice President of Market Development & Product Marketing, Xata Corp.

Shopping for mobile apps to help your trucking operation? Here are some tips that can help

Tags: Information Technology

By Jim Beach, Contributing Editor

In the abstract, reducing fuel cost represents a pretty straightforward undertaking: Get as many miles as possible out of every gallon of fuel, pay as little as possible for those gallons, and reduce the number of miles each truck travels to get the job done

Tags: Information Technology

By Genevieve Conti, Assistant Editor

Past predictions of future technology called for flying cars and personal robots. Yet the biggest leaps in technology have probably been in communications, and trucking is no exception

Tags: Information Technology

By Michael Geffroy and Chris Lee, Contributors

Most of us have done of these things manually for so long that the thought of automating can seem overwhelming -- something only the big boys do. Today, technology innovation has put automation within the reach of any carrier.

Tags: Information Technology

By Tom Berg, Senior Editor

Automatically watching the perishable load as it goes down the road or the rails saves money and brings peace of mind. When you're delivering temperature-sensitive cargoes, things can get nasty if the produce, meat, ice cream or whatever's in the trailer shows up too cold or too warm

Tags: Information Technology

By Jim Beach, Contributing Editor

In trucking, miles are currency, and there are few companies that have become more synonymous with trucking than commercial routing and mileage software providers. Few truckers start, execute or navigate a trip that wasn't planned using

Tags: Information Technology

By Rolf Lockwood, Contributing Editor

The need for first-rate maintenance of trucks and trailers is obvious, so let's not start this article blathering about the necessity of cost control and the ever-increasing challenge of safety compliance. All that's a given

Tags: Information Technology

By Jim Beach, Contributing Editor

When the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rolled out its Compliance, Safety, Accountability program in late 2010, a number of carriers were surprised to find a poorer safety rating than they enjoyed under the old SafeStat

Tags: Information Technology

By Jim Beach, Contributing Editor

When it comes to serving customers, small carriers have the same requirements as the largest. If a small carrier can respond to a customer's demands as well as a much larger fleet, he can be competitive

Tags: Information Technology

By Deborah Lockridge, Editor in Chief

Once upon a time, vehicle tracking and communications meant expensive satellite equipmen

Tags: Information Technology

By Commentary Deborah Lockridge, Editor in Chief

I'm constantly amazed and impressed by the pace of trucking technology

Tags: Information Technology

By Tom Nunlist, Associate Editor

Last December, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration introduced a proposed rulemaking that would prohibit commercial drivers from reaching for, holding or dialing a cell phone while operating a commercial vehicle

Tags: Information Technology

By Tom Nunlist, Associate Editor

Arguments are heating up between Lightsquared, a 4G LTE wireless company, and the GPS industry and user community.

Tags: Information Technology

By Commentary Dave Kraft, Director, Business Development, Qualcomm Enterprise Services

Part of the fun of technology is getting a new vocabulary of acronyms. The latest for automated driver logs is ELDs - or electronic logging devices. According to some reports, ELDs are not only better than Electronic On-board Recorders (EOBRs), but they cost less. That's progress

Tags: Information Technology

By Jim Beach, Contributing Editor

At its core, information technology is about managing data: the schedules, locations, miles, hours, fuel prices, rates, lanes, speeds, bills, invoices, settlements, etc., that trucking companies compile every day

Tags: Information Technology

By Jim Beach, Contributing Editor

Distracted driving has been the subject of two national DOT summits in the past two years, and new Federal Motor Carrier rules that became effective in October prohibit commercial drivers from texting while driving

Tags: Information Technology

By Diana Britton, Contributing Editor

About a year ago, TMW Systems asked Epes Carriers to test an integration of the IDSC TripAlert exception monitoring system, its Innovative Software platform for operations/dispatch, and its TMT Fleet Maintenance software

Tags: Information Technology

Owner-operator truckers are using their cell phones to not only help them manage their business, but to help them find new business as well, according to a recent survey

Tags: Information Technology

By Diana Britton, Managing Editor

New EPA 2010 engine technology has made truck diagnostics even more complex

Tags: Information Technology

By Diana Britton, Managing Editor

About a year and a half ago, Kraft Foods' private fleet was experiencing considerable trailer detention and needed to get more control of its trailers

Tags: Information Technology

By Diana Britton, Managing Editor

Before adopting Maptuit's navigation system, drivers for expedited truckload carrier Armellini Express Lines had three choices if they got lost: wait for dispatch to jump onto Google Maps to get them back on trac

Tags: Information Technology

By Diana Britton, Managing Editor

Oklahoma-based Melton Truck Lines used to handle its Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) transactions in-house. The in-house process was expensive, and monitoring freight availability and finding loads was labor-intensive and time-consuming for the flatbed carrier

Tags: Information Technology

By Jim Coffren, PeopleNet

Fuel prices may have temporarily stabilized, but after hitting $4 per gallon during the past few years, it doesn't take a crystal ball to predict continued volatility

Tags: Information Technology

By Oliver B. Patton, Washington Editor

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration opted for the strictest approach it could take in its new requirement for electronic onboard recorders, announced last month

Tags: Information Technology

By Diana Britton, Managing Editor

Refrigerated carrier Pollywog Transportation underwent a safety audit in 2006 after someone made an accusation against the company

Tags: Information Technology

By Jim Angel, PeopleNet

Electronic logs may be the workhorse of software for the trucking industry when it comes to helping firms meet safety, compliance and productivity goals

Tags: Information Technology

By Sven-Erik Lindstrand, HDT International Editor

Many in the trucking technology world were relieved that the U.S. government decided to go with a "standards-based" regulation for electronic onboard recorders, rather than a technical specifications approach

Tags: Information Technology

By Guest Commentary Kirsten Lester, PeopleNet

Geofencing is a key driver of a paperless environment, with the power to optimize back-office and driver efficiency, customer service, asset protection and safety

Tags: Information Technology

By Diana Britton, Managing Editor

"Houston, we have a problem," is a phrase you'll probably never hear from Houston-based Crane Cartage, which provides ground transportation and logistics service

Tags: Information Technology

By Diana Britton, Managing Editor

Florida-based Peninsula Trucking, a dedicated less-than-truckload carrier, is keeping up with its drivers, not through satellite tracking, but through their phones. Peninsula is using TeleNav Track, a web-based workforce management software with GPS tracking and navigation

Tags: Information Technology

By Jim Park, Equipment Editor

If you were serious about getting the best odds on a pro basketball bet, you'd research the heck out of the starting lineups, and know in advance that Kobe Bryant's sprained ankle doesn't seem to be much of a liabilit

Tags: Information Technology