Old meets new: Tech in trucking

Every time the freight industry needed improving, some sort of technology was the solution. From horses to carts to steamboats to railroads, getting more freight over more miles has always been a challenging goal. Now that there is a demand matched with shipping networks to deliver anything basically anywhere, the name of the game is efficiency.

Roadways and carriers hauling loads are the integral backbone of the economy. How has technology influenced the freight carrier world, and how can carriers keep up in a world of tech?  

Read on to learn where old meets new in trucking, and why embracing the future of freight will be essential in 2019 and beyond.

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Late adoption

Some companies prefer the methods they have always used because they know them to work. "Don't fix it if it ain't broke" can be a mentality in logistics, but it is still one of the most fragmented industries in the world.

If you consider yourself a "late adopter" of trends, especially in technology, you may begin seeing other fleets pass you by in terms of revenue.

Most of the apprehension to new technologies is due to a perception of said tech. As ELDs require full compliance by December 2019, carriers have to reconcile their relationships with them. Selecting the right ELD provider for your company is based on your needs compared against the provider's functionality and customer service reputation.

Luckily, Shipwell is partnered with the top ELD providers in the country (and adds more every day). Once your ELD is setup, you can unlock massive amounts of insights with Shipwell to make more money.

Learn more about Shipwell ELD Integrations

The sooner a company is compliant to federal regulations, the sooner they can optimize their operations and increase their profit. The businesses that will succeed are the ones that are open to innovation.

Tech you know

Some tech is easy to adopt because it provides practical, real-time benefits experienced by the driver. For one, Bluetooth technology has revolutionized carrier communication by allowing them to go hands-free for the duration of the drive. Mapping software has completely changed the game for drivers. Gone are the days of having to pull over to open up the oversized Rand McNally Atlas (by the way, they have an app now if you are brand loyal).

And how can we forget about mobile hotspots? The quality of life on the road has gone through the roof now that drivers can stream shows, surf the internet, and even play a video game with their kids online. Being able to video chat your family alone has immeasurable value.

But, we know not everyone on the road prefers to use a smartphone. This is why when it comes to check calls to carriers, Shipwell made the process easier than ever for everyone.

Through the Shipwell platform, shippers and brokers can perform automated check calls to call the carrier, ask for a location, analyze the real-time reply, and update the transit times as needed.

Here's how it works:

Safety and efficiency

There are a lot of new implementations of technology that are designed to keep drivers safer than ever before. Samsung has released a set of screens to put on the back of a truck that streams a camera on the front of the truck, so drivers can transparently see any traffic changes.

Collision mitigation systems have sensing technologies that can monitor crashes and take emergency action to avoid them. Dynamic routing can improve carrier routes and save time and money on fuel stops.

To protect carriers, things like front-facing in-cab cameras are vital for lawsuits involving other drivers.

A setup that works

If simplicity is your main concern, why not get a setup that works for you? Purchasing a tablet or other smart device can be what takes to elevate your business operations.

Download a set of apps that are user-friendly and imperative to your workflow. You can use a wide array of software to monitor weather, gas prices, load booking, dock scheduling, and more.

Shipwell is your centralized platform to book loads, communicate with brokers, and maintain your documents and schedule.

The future

We have all seen the videos of autonomous trucks that Tesla and Mercedes are making, which feels like technology that is beyond what any of us could have imagined.

"Velocity in the supply chain is speeding up. People are becoming more tech-empowered. We're approaching a point in which technology is going to be required in order to continue the same pace of revenue and shipments — the industry is going to have to ultimately be tech-driven," said Santosh Sankar after speaking with Shipwell President & Co-Founder Jason Traff on the Dynamo VC Podcast.

"Although, we are becoming increasingly tech-enabled, the timeline is still not clear for bigger picture technologies such as autonomous trucking."

Reports say that technology stands to take $236 million in inefficiencies out of trucking operations over the next four years. Shipwell is a huge part of these savings by connecting the fragmented industry of freight and transforming it into a smooth and efficient workflow.

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