Top Technology for Your Haulage Business

Thanks to modern technology the landscape of the haulage industry has changed significantly during the past decade. The range of technology at your disposal can be hugely beneficial to your day-to-day operations and, depending on your budget, the sky’s the limit in terms of just how 'connected' you want to be.

GPS Truck Tracking

Global Positioning Systems, or GPS, are now fitted as standard to many vehicles, but the haulage industry has gone one step further with GPS fleet tracking technology. These sophisticated navigation and tracking systems allow businesses running multiple vehicles to be in complete control of their fleet.

The system can do everything from alerting operators about unproductive idling or speeding of vehicles to save time, money and resources with more efficient routing to pick up available loads. GPS fleet tracking technology can serve to reduce fuel costs, increase safety, and even improve driver behaviour.

Intelligent Transport Systems

While still in the trial stage, the Australian transport industry is developing an intelligent integrated network system, designed to give lorry drivers the ability to read the road ahead and literally see around corners. The Co-operative Intelligent Transport System, or C-ITS, works to connect a network of vehicles by exchanging data to create a virtual, real time road map. Tracking variables that include speed, location, distance, road conditions, weather and direction, connected users can be alerted to dangers on the road before they encounter them.

On-board Diagnostic Systems (OBDs)

While OBD's have been around for a while, today's sophisticated versions offer lorry drivers a host of early warning vehicle malfunction indicators. The systems monitor everything from emissions control to major mechanical components, and serves to ensure that the vehicle is running cost efficiently, and with as little environmental impact as possible.

Smartphone Apps

Today’s apps are offering everything from truck wash stops to game changing business tools that allow loads search on the move. There's a mind-bogging array of cheap or free haulage related apps for you to download to your smartphone. In fact, for many lorry drivers, a smartphone can be utilised as a virtual mobile office. For the self-employed owner driver, a smartphone and selected apps for book-keeping, route navigation, and to track available loads may be all the technology that's needed to run a highly successful business.

Technology is developing at a dizzying rate, and for the transport industry it's no different. Every day brings a new innovation designed to make life easier, and savvy industry professionals understand why and how to integrate this new technology into their everyday practice in order to stay ahead of the game.