Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/147562
technology Tampa, Fla.-based bulk hauler Quality Distribution Inc. now is migrating from an internal application for driver-dispatch communications and operations to a tablet environment. Choosing a mobile strategy BYOD, COPE are emerging fleet mobility trends D rivers now expect the technology they use for work to be as easy to use as their smartphones and tablets. Such an expectation did not exist until recently; if the user experience in their personal and professional lives differed, they had to deal with it. Almost 90 percent of drivers today have mobile devices, half of which are smartphones. They come to work prewired for the user experience of the Samsung Galaxy 3, the Apple iPhone, a Motorola, a BlackBerry and others. 46 Making the latest technology developments work for your fleet by Aaron Huff Issues such as power management, data usage, security and durability must be considered. It's not likely that you can convince a driver that the user experience of your in-cab computing device will make them as productive as they already are with the device they have personalized to their needs. Meanwhile, motor carriers are looking for ways to lower capital costs for deploying new mobile technology, and the "bring your own device" (BYOD) strategy might be just the ticket. The company gets its required compliance, messaging and productivity applications, and drivers get to keep their preferred device – with the company picking up part of the tab. According to research from CTIA Always simple: Drivers expect and the Gartner their work technology to be as easy Group, transporto use as their personal devices. tation will be the your own: The company Bring largest contributor gets its required applications, and to BYOD over the drivers keep their preferred device. next five years. As Corporate-owned: Fleets can an industry, transextend drivers' mobility using conportation – includsumer-friendly devices and apps. ing trucking – has adopted BYOD the most. So are you ready to consider moving your mission-critical business applications to drivers' personal devices? XRS is one company that has hedged its bets on BYOD adoption in the trucking industry. Its all-mobile XRS platform – compatible with more than 50 devices – includes electronic logging, proof of delivery, integrated driver messaging, workflow and performance monitoring applications. Through short-range Bluetooth communications, its mobile applications automatically share information Aaron Huff is Senior Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail ahuff@ccjmagazine.com or call (801) 754-4296. commercial carrier journal | august 2013 CCJ0813_TechDept.indd 46 7/24/13 2:42 PM