Change is a constant in trucking. From the rise of new technologies to shifts in regulations and environmental concerns, trucking businesses must constantly adapt to keep pace with an ever-evolving operational landscape.  What does the road ahead look like for the trucking industry in 2024? Well, it’s a mixed bag. Factors like the economy, regulations and the push for sustainability are all in play. The economic challenges spurred by Covid, supply chain issues and inflation are still lingering; however, analysts predict at least modest improvement later in the year. As for regulation, th ..read more

Artificial intelligence has seamlessly integrated into our daily lives, from unlocking our smartphones with facial recognition to interacting with customer service chatbots. This transformative technology is not just a fad; it’s reshaping industries, including transportation and logistics. In this article, we’ll delve into what AI is, how it works, and its pivotal role in transforming transportation businesses to thrive in an ever-changing regulatory and business landscape.    Understanding Artificial Intelligence  At its core, AI is technology that mimics human intelligen ..read more

Are you effectively managing the costs associated with your light vehicle fleet? Do you have insight into the balance between work-related and personal usage? Effectively overseeing a fleet can consume considerable time and resources. However, leveraging technology solutions can streamline operations, saving both time and money while providing the actionable insights you need to transform your operations.  For fleet managers, understanding fleet performance and optimizing efficiency are paramount. Here are eight ways your business could benefit from implementing a telemati ..read more

Telematics and other fleet technologies deliver proven benefits to transportation businesses. During challenging or uncertain times, however, investing in new technology can seem daunting, even in the face of potential ROI.   A targeted – or incremental – approach to technology adoption can help businesses address their biggest challenges first while still managing costs, streamlining implementation and setting a course for overall operational transformation.    Key Steps for Targeted Technology Adoption    Identify your challenges  Conduct a thorough evaluation ..read more

Your vehicles produce a huge amount of data every day. And that data can be invaluable to successfully managing your fleet and running an efficient, profitable transportation business.  Telematics technology captures key data to provide powerful insights into your operations, helping to improve day-to-day decision making and long-term strategic planning.  “The speed at which you get answers allows you to be a better manager because you’ve got more information to make a decision with,” says Tim Bates of EROAD customer Quality Custom Distribution.  The potential for fleets to har ..read more

We’re excited to announce that the MyEROAD Activity Map is getting an upgrade to deliver a superior mapping experience tailored to your fleet management needs. Keep reading for an overview of the enhancements, which will go live on Feb. 6.  This upgrade will bring the essentials to the forefront, ensuring you have the most relevant information at your fingertips.  The new base layer will show valuable map data that’s always been in the background, but wasn’t visible, including toll roads, highways, exit numbers, state borders, and heavy vehicle weight limits. This upgrade brings the ..read more

William Thomson is famous for saying something along the lines of: “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it.” And Thomson (aka Lord Kelvin) knew a thing or two about measurement; he did, after all, develop the Kelvin Scale for measuring temperature.  While Thomson was referring to the importance of measurement in the scientific realm, his adage can be applied to any number of personal and business pursuits – including trucking operations, where accurate, consistent and contextualized data are key to meaningful measurement that results in significant improvement.  “The p ..read more

We hear a lot of talk about artificial intelligence these days. But there is one crucial application that has been left out of the conversation: AI can help extend the life of your leafy greens.  As Tim Bates of Quality Custom Distribution (QCD) explained during a recent webinar about AI and cold chain logistics: “Lettuce that is kept at 39 degrees, which is still in spec, only lasts half as long as lettuce that has been maintained at 34 degrees. So, if you can deliver a lower-temperature product without freezing it, your customer is going to get better performance on that product.”  ..read more

Optimizing one aspect of your operations often results in new challenges arising in another area.   Case in point: Quality Custom Distribution, a cold chain logistics company, discovered that improved truck routing led to increased stress on its reefer trailers.  “You do a great job of routing,” says Tim Bates, corporate quality systems director at QCD. “But you’ve got all your stores on Main Street, USA, and they’re all a mile apart. That’s really contrary to how a reefer can work and recover after you have to open a side door or a rear door. Basically, the better jo ..read more

The advent of agriculture during the Neolithic Revolution laid the foundation for civilization as we know it today.   Farming tied once-nomadic hunter-gatherers to the land, and the resulting food surplus allowed populations to flourish and diversify. Small settlements became towns, which later grew into cities, kingdoms, countries and so on. And, since fewer people were needed for food production, new and specialized roles emerged, giving rise to craftsmen, traders, soldiers, administrators and, thousands of years later, truckers – just to name a few.  Despite the benefits that the ..read more