Life on the Road – Trucking News Blog

This may be a little off the subject, but it does relate to trucking. Hollywood is using Instant Messaging to let each other know when someone is available for work instead of having to call everyone.

from Wired.com – Never IM in This Town Again!

David Ferris, an instant message expert and president of Ferris Research in San Francisco, said he hadn’t heard of using IM to advertise work status, but liked the idea. “It’s a natural extension,” he said.

Ferris said in general, use of instant messaging at work is still small
– less than 10 percent of all business people use IM, roughly 20
million worldwide. But that number is increasing steadily.

Which brings me to trucking. One of the reasons I like driving for the company we drive for is their use of technology and not just the Qualcomm’s, “we know where you’re at technology“. Which they don’t use.

For example: Dispatchers in Las Vegas IM to other dispatchers, salespeople and staff around Vegas, Arizona, California and Indiana. Even other brokers that use IM at different companies. The dispatcher I have says he can have several IM conversations going on at the same time and all without playing phone tag or having three different phones ringing.

When I’m stopped and the computer is turned on I’m in the loop too. Even better, is when the truck is moving or I’m away from the computer, my im’s go to my cell phone. A program downloaded to my cell phone acts as an IM client, so it’s not just a text message.

I like it because I can IM the office and just ask a question or ask someone to call me without the phone tag or “they’ll call you right back”. So much more efficient.

From the same article -

“I think people would be surprised of what initially began as a device
for teenagers to chat with each other has turned into a really
professional, efficient application,” Foster said.

If I’m driving and I get a message, I can read it and if it’s not critically important, I can call back when I’m not busy. Besides being kind of cool, it seems to be a more efficient use of everyone’s time. Everyone has a cellphone, smartphone or a blackberry, it makes so much more sense than waiting on hold or getting everyone’s voice mail.

Can’t you see truckers and brokers working the same way as Hollywood?

In Hollywood, where everyone’s a freelancer and career networking veers between art and warfare, a new weapon is emerging as champion: instant messaging.

Movie producers, directors, actors and crew workers bouncing from one job to the next have traditionally relied on agents and Rolodexes
for finding their next gigs. But these days, many are discovering it’s easier to post their job availability on IM.

“When you see that I put up there that I’m ending my job, that’s when
I’ll get little windows popping up,” he said. “Honestly, since iChat’s
been around, the workload for me has been greater.”

Brokers would have their favorite trucks on their Buddy List. They know instantly when they’re available and where they’re at with just a key stroke. Instead of a driver calling thirty different brokers, everyone would know at once that a driver is available.

But Wayne, there’s Internet Truckstop and other load boards where you can post your truck as available and get loads.

You and I both know the best loads are the ones not on a load boards. Trucking is still a who you know and who knows you business. It will be a long time before the internet completely replaces word-of-mouth.