Life on the Road – Trucking News Blog

I found this article concerning the use of high-tech for dispatching interesting. Even smaller companies are realizing the value of technology in trucking. However, they only realize it from a dispatch point of view.

For less than the cost of one truck, this company has upgraded their ability to service customers and keep track of shipments. I would guess they will see a return on investment very quickly.

The writer just could not help to mention the driver shortage and quoted ATA statistics. Somebody should inform these writers about the skewed ATA stats.

I found it odd that they mentioned a 75% turnover rate as impressive. What other industry would brag about that type of rate. Yes, it’s half of the ATA quoted average, but it’s still pathetic.

I think that if a company would turn their attention to the driver’s technology, they could improve their turnover. Companies will not even provide a driver with a simple GPS. The companies want the driver to rely on the dispatcher and the driver still has a hard time getting information from them. A dispatcher is rarely going to warn a driver about a storm in their path as they fear the driver would stop short with that knowledge. The dispatcher isn’t going to give you any more directions than what has been input into his system. The company isn’t going to allow the driver to arrange his own schedule by picking from available loads. One company I worked for still wanted to charge per character rates for e-mail from the truck!

In my opinion, we’re reaching a level of technology that could remove the dispatcher and put them to work doing something more productive than being a go-between for the customers and the driver. It will just be a matter of time before companies begin to realize how to use the technology. Making them realize that aging technology is costing them drivers and customers is another hurdle.