EOBRs & Communication - Under Construction
Communication has always been an essential part of the trucking industry ever since the invention of the phone.
Qualcomm
The information transmitted usually involves the following:
Bill of Lading and Load information;
Information about shippers and Receivers;
Contractual agreements with a contractor driver for accepting or declining loads;
Directions;
Fueling locations;
Pay Information;
GPS tracking and data collecting (for taxes and permits);
How does a Qualcomm work?
The driver inputs the information, using a keyboard, into an automated system of pre-formatted messages known as macros. There are macros for each stage of the loading and unloading process, such as "loaded and leaving shipper" and "arrived at final destination". There are also miscellaneous macros for free form messages, finding fueling locations and for to get help with repairs.
This system also allows the company to track the drivers fuel usage, speed, gear optimization, engine idle time, location, direction of travel, and amount of time spent driving.
Bill of Lading and Load information;
Information about shippers and Receivers;
Contractual agreements with a contractor driver for accepting or declining loads;
Directions;
Fueling locations;
Pay Information;
GPS tracking and data collecting (for taxes and permits);
How does a Qualcomm work?
The driver inputs the information, using a keyboard, into an automated system of pre-formatted messages known as macros. There are macros for each stage of the loading and unloading process, such as "loaded and leaving shipper" and "arrived at final destination". There are also miscellaneous macros for free form messages, finding fueling locations and for to get help with repairs.
This system also allows the company to track the drivers fuel usage, speed, gear optimization, engine idle time, location, direction of travel, and amount of time spent driving.
Recent Developments
As cellphones started to become more readily in use during the late 90's, many drivers opted for the cordless phone allowing them to contact their dispatchers and families within their own vehicles and often while driving. This started becoming increasingly more common after 2004 as a new generation of drivers that were more familiar with technology started to join the industry. Qualcomms, were still used to transmit important information and to ease phone call levels to between dispatchers who now manage hundreds of trucks and the drivers.
In 2007, the Qualcomm devices were switched from using a dot matrix based graphics display system to using a very basic form of windows. This has allowed for further development in the system by allowing trucking companies to run other small programs on their Qualcomm system while still running the basic Qualcomm Macro system at the same time.
In recent years, we have seen the introduction of e-logs to the Qualcomm devices. The Elogs help a driver stay within the law, by managing the drive status line on their log books and informing them of how many hours they have left within any single day or within each week. Drivers are given the freedom to edit their on duty status times and off duty status times before submitting it to their company's home base. Many drivers and companies are still skeptical of the e-logs, because they have been known to error. This can largely be due to the base settings within each system set by the company. These settings are can be based on speed, time or both and may cause a driver to go to driving status while still within a parking lot or cause a driver to go into a violation while parking (The settings can be set to speed only, this often remedies this problem). As a result, more care must be taken on the part of a driver to ensure that he or she does not get a violation.
As cellphones started to become more readily in use during the late 90's, many drivers opted for the cordless phone allowing them to contact their dispatchers and families within their own vehicles and often while driving. This started becoming increasingly more common after 2004 as a new generation of drivers that were more familiar with technology started to join the industry. Qualcomms, were still used to transmit important information and to ease phone call levels to between dispatchers who now manage hundreds of trucks and the drivers.
In 2007, the Qualcomm devices were switched from using a dot matrix based graphics display system to using a very basic form of windows. This has allowed for further development in the system by allowing trucking companies to run other small programs on their Qualcomm system while still running the basic Qualcomm Macro system at the same time.
In recent years, we have seen the introduction of e-logs to the Qualcomm devices. The Elogs help a driver stay within the law, by managing the drive status line on their log books and informing them of how many hours they have left within any single day or within each week. Drivers are given the freedom to edit their on duty status times and off duty status times before submitting it to their company's home base. Many drivers and companies are still skeptical of the e-logs, because they have been known to error. This can largely be due to the base settings within each system set by the company. These settings are can be based on speed, time or both and may cause a driver to go to driving status while still within a parking lot or cause a driver to go into a violation while parking (The settings can be set to speed only, this often remedies this problem). As a result, more care must be taken on the part of a driver to ensure that he or she does not get a violation.
Current Developments
While the e-logs are starting to become more and more common within the industry, some companies have taken development a step further by eliminating the use of the Qualcomm satellite technology altogether. Many companies are now moving to the use of tracking, managing and communication solely through the use of cellphone and tablet devices with the use of equipment from XRS Corporation.
XRS provides a small black box (GPS recording device) which plugs into a special outlet within the truck. The driver's phone or tablet PC can make use of bluetooth technology to connect directly into the black box. This allows the driver to run his or her logbook and keep in communication with the home base directly through the phone or tablet of his or her choice.
The new system is by far cheaper than the Qualcomm devices and works great for the drivers. It is also available for smaller companies, whereas Qualcomm usually requires a certain number of trucks.
The people managing the logs and the various forms of data retrieved through these devices can access it through a website: TurnpikeDirect.com; by providing login information. The site is currently a little buggy, but has been improving much with each update.