Technology and the trucking industry

In the transportation industry, technology is becoming an increasingly important part of everyday trucking life. New technologies are improving trucker safety, efficiency and saving transportation companies money.

In  January 2019, a new mobile app is being released to help truckers find safe and close-by parking spaces. This is how this new mobile app works: First, the smart parking technology platform identifies the empty parking spaces. Then, the app sends out the information to nearby truckers through mobile apps or highway signage.

The new mobile app will be accessible to drivers via smart phone, in-cab information systems and the DOT 511 platform. The best part of this new technology, is that it has safety options that will keep truckers from getting distracted by the technology and still receive the information. That’s why this app has an option to hear a voice that tells the trucker when rest areas are coming up and where to find available parking.

FleetOwner released all of new technology that can be used in the trucking industry:

• dynamic routing
• forward looking camera systems
• driver scorecards
• collision mitigation technology
• electronic logging devices
• trailer tracking
• temperature tracking/record keeping
• self-driving semi trucks
• hyperloops

Benefits to new technology

New technology like these above can add to the quality of life for truckers and make their job that much easier in the day-to-day tasks. An added plus to these advancements are that they can trim off unnecessary miles and end up saving your company money in the long-run.

Risks of new technology

On the other hand, the challenges of new technology are hard to ignore. The main challenge that new technology poses for the trucking industry is the cost. One of the main concerns for the trucking companies are dealing with is how to pay for these technological upgrades. The trucking industry has a challenge ahead of them to adapt to the changes of the future.

Traffic is already a problem big cities, but there is potential for it to get worse in the future. The morning and afternoon rush hour traffic is only going to increase in cities all over the United States, including Omaha! The World Health Organization expects seven  out of 10 people in the world will move to cities by the mid-century. As more jobs and activities are supplied to metro areas, rural areas will begin to thin.

The new technologies that are used in transportation today are trying to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

These challenges include:

• autonomous vehicles
• alternative fuels
• keyless fleet management
• traffic analytics
• local zoning and planning policies

It’s important for all transportation companies to create a safe and efficient driving experience for their drivers and customers. As the world changes, technology and trucking has to change with it. The volume of traffic is going to continue to grow and transportation industry needs to take every opportunity to build a stronger transportation system. 

At TransWood it’s our mission to achieve excellence through superior systems, training and dedication which ensures TransWood will provide a level of disciplined quality service that exceeds our customers’ expectation. If you are interested in working for TransWood, head to our website for an application. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.