Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/588093
commercial carrier journal | october 2015 23 hacking event with a Jeep SUV proved, connected vehicles are extremely vulner- able to cyber attacks. Much work needs to be done to create highly secure Internet-based Wi-Fi com- munications networks to guard against these crimes. There's another stumbling block that doesn't get nearly the attention that it should: Finding technicians to main- tain and repair all of these new systems coming our way. Frost & Sullivan analyst Sandeep Kar calls trucking's current technician shortage a "ticking time bomb." He's spot-on, and it's a problem that's going to get exponentially worse in the near future unless the trucking industry starts taking bold steps now to address and correct this trend. Every futurist I spoke with for this issue of CCJ was bullish on the future of trucking: It will be a vital industry for the world of tomorrow. But that future won't happen unless trucking, as a united industry, makes bold steps and forges new alliances with education and government to start training tomorrow's technicians today. B y now, you've probably thumbed through this special edition of CCJ and its look at a fast-approaching future. And if we editors have done our jobs this month, you're either in a mild state of shock or gleefully delighted at the prospect of all of the cool new technologies coming at us at light speed. Forecasting the future is always tricky. Even the best, brightest and most well-in- formed futurist can't anticipate all of the variables and unknowns that come into play when trying to look ahead even just five years. There always seems to be something incredibly simple that everyone overlooks but that ends up changing everything. Fifty years ago, no one had the simple idea of connecting every single computer together via phone lines to quickly and efficiently share information. Yet the Internet is one of the most important technological advances in human history, with a pro- found impact on virtually every aspect of our lives today. I'm convinced that the one that will have the most immediate impact on truck fleets today will be advanced vehicle telematics systems. In 10 years, you're going to wonder how you survived without real-time vehicle telem- etry, self-diagnosing powertrains and geographic-focused repair options with bay times prescheduled and parts guaranteed in stock. Soon you'll be able to manage vehicle downtime in ways you barely com- prehend at the moment. And while breakdowns never will be eliminated from trucking completely, they will become rarer, and the causes usually will be the result of uncontrollable events such as accidents, road debris or vandalism. Invariably, with all of these advances will come new problems. As a recent product reviews, oeM & supplier news, and equipMent ManageMent trends by Jack roberts JACK ROBERTS is Executive Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail jroberts@ccjmagazine.com or call (205) 248-1358. Simple idea: the internet is one of the most important technological advances in human history. The fuTure iS near: you're going to wonder how you survived without now-evolving technology. CriTiCal Training: the industry must help technicians learn how to keep tomorrow's trucks rolling. Flirting with disaster Trucking's future won't happen without trained techs More technicians will be needed to maintain and repair all of the new systems coming our way.