How High Tech Trailers Increase Driver Productivity
High Tech Trailers - Next Big Thing In Trucking?
The trucking industry has seen many technological changes over the last few decades. From things that seem "simple" now -- like CB radios and hand held devices -- to more high-tech inventions like self-inflating tires and now, high tech trailers, the tools for trucking companies and drivers continue to evolve.
The newest advancement in the trucking industry are high tech trailers. But what exactly are high tech trailers and what benefits do they bring to the table?
How High Tech Trailers Work
Cargo sensors found on semi trailers allow drivers and companies to see whether a trailer is loaded or empty, which can seriously minimize the amount of time a driver spends in a drop yard looking for an empty trailer. The system is installed on the front of the trailer and sends out 3 "beams" which each track 1/3 of the trailer.
The status of a trailer is important for several reasons, one being knowing if the trailer is loaded or not -- and the other being the time it saves a driver looking for a trailer. A lot of a driver's on duty time can be spent opening and closing trailer doors looking for one that's empty. Knowing the status of a trailer beforehand can save a lot of time that a driver could be using on the road. On the receiving end of the spectrum, if a company knows a trailer is sitting at a consignee's site empty for days, the company can consider detention charges as a result of the trailer not being unloaded timely enough.
High tech trailers can detect that doors were or were not opened during the travel time from shipper to receiver, which can be useful in prooving that doors have never even been opened and thus it being impossible for any cargo to be missing. This can be helpful in resolving any potential disputes between the two.
The Future of Trucking
As the demand for well-trained professional truck drivers remains very high, trucking companies will continue to look at the latest technology to maximize the effeciency of their fleet. Advances such as high tech trailers are just one example of a breakthrough which means better scheduling and time management for transportation companies. We anticipate this technology will be quickly adopted as the advantages are proven over time.