Technology Helps Address Driver Shortages

There’s no better way to better understand the state of the trucking industry than to get all its industry executives, policy experts and leading suppliers together. In mid-October at the recent ATA Conference in Philadelphia, a large group of talented and diverse minds talked about economics, regulatory issues and key business trends for the industry. Over the next two blogs, I wanted to take a moment to share some of the prominent themes that stood out for me. The first theme that I’ll address includes:

It’s All About the People

Duane Long, Chairman of the American Trucking Association said, “Trucking’s most valuable commodity isn’t the things we haul, it is our people.” There was much conversation from all sides of the trucking management issue that centered upon driver shortages, as well as how to recruit and promote the younger generation into leadership positions, or as drivers or technicians. Through several initiatives, now we are looking at policy to address entry-level driver training, graduated licensing, driver behaviors and high-tech cabs to help with safety and other maintenance issues.

With all the talk of driver shortages, answering the needs of drivers is at the root of the issue. We hear from our customers that drivers are asking for more control as they encounter a variety of issues on the road. For example, if drivers are in a sleeper cab, they may want to adjust the temperature for comfort a couple of degrees either way from the standard. If they have a bunk heater, they want to know that their battery is charging as a result of the heater’s drain on the battery. If drivers are in cold temperatures, they want to know that they can prevent cold starts.

While at the ATA Show, Idle Smart announced its innovative Android operating system addressing the needs of fleet management and drivers alike. Idle Smart, allows truck drivers the opportunity to adjust temperatures within set parameters designated by fleet management, and is easily configurable with a bunk heaters. Idle Smart’s Battery Protect runs the engine for a desired amount of time to ensure the voltages don’t get too low. And, as we enter the winter months, Cold Start Guard allows fleets to start at a specific outside temperature and run for a desired amount of time. Drivers or fleet managers simply use Idle Smart’s Android tablet or remote management capabilities to program a starting temperature, ideal coolant temperature, and restart interval. This eliminates cold start issues and keeps drivers productive and earning money.

Idle Smart’s new Android platform delivers a clear operational picture for fleet management with the tools to make needed daily changes to immediately optimize fleets. Addressing driver shortages with technology can make them more productive and gives them more time on the road resulting in more money in their pockets. Idle Smart can help both fleet management and drivers by solving some of these key issues that result in saving valuable time and money.

Interested in reducing the idle time of your fleet? Check out the Idle Smart Services and calculate how much fuel cost you could be saving!