Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/303798
O ne of the largest issues in trucking today is driver retention and recruiting. Companies are spending tens of thousands of dollars annually on hiring drivers and marketing to the small pool of available drivers. Technology and mobility can help bridge that gap. Carriers can utilize the apps available to the mobile devices drivers use every day. While there is resistance from drivers to use electronic logging devices (ELDs), carriers can partner the ELDS with apps or features on the mobile device that drivers can use while away from their family and friends. Whether it's Facetime or Skype to have those face to face chats with friends and family or the Netflix and Pandora type apps for entertainment on the road, these solutions can keep drivers connected with home and entertained, while also utilizing electronic driver logs, IFTA, tracking, electronic proof of delivery, and DVIRs all on one device. Partnering the driver retention tools with the compliance tools in the same device is a win-win situation for drivers and trucking companies. Studies have shown that more than 60 percent of drivers are equipped with some sort of smart phone/tablet technology in the cab and the numbers continue to grow. Companies gain a competitive advantage by leveraging the technology already in most trucks on the road today by turning a smart phone/tablet into a complete trucking solution. e technology in these devices provide insight into critical diagnostics and compliance information all delivered in real time and displayed on a back office website for analysis. As the ELD mandate enters the final stages of implementation, and the number of ELDs grows from the estimated 400,000+ in trucks today to 3 million in two years, the technology in smart phones and tablets will represent an easy to use, rugged, inexpensive option for the industry. TECHNOLOGY THAT ATTRACTS DRIVERS BY NICK REED, uDrove ® GENERAL MANAGER Vo l . 8 , N o . 3 TRUCKSTOP.COM 11 C O M P A N I E S A R E S P E N D I N G T E N S O F T H O U S A N D S O F D O L L A R S A N N U A L LY O N M A R K E T I N G T O T H E S M A L L P O O L O F AVA I L A B L E D R I V E R S . " "