From the cab of the truck to the forklift on the dock, the rush of technology entering the trucking industry is occurring with one important, consistent theme: It will only be as good as the professionals who power it. There is no better example of that than the cab of a truck. New technologies hold the promise of improving truck safety and service, working hand in glove with the professional in the driver’s seat.
There is an unfortunate narrative weaving its way through the industry on the imminent loss of truck driver jobs due to technology and automation. This is happening just at the time we need to attract a new generation of drivers to move our nation’s commerce. The promise of technology and automation is not that it will replace a driver but, conversely, that it will attract a new group of people who earlier were not interested in truck driving as a profession and career.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, at any given time during daylight hours, there are nearly 500,000 motorists on our highways using their mobile phones and potentially driving distracted. Safety technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane departure warning will give new tools to truck drivers to operate safely. Not only do those technologies modernize the cab, they also attract a new generation of drivers to our industry.
And as far as technologies that improve service go, there is no better way to improve service than to make sure a shipment (and driver) arrive safely and on time. That is the promise of the powerful partnership between technology and a professional in the driver’s seat.