Truck driver Fred Cole’s love affair with over-the-road technology ended when his 4-year-old daughter dropped his laptop computer into the bathtub.
Cole, who drives for McCain Transport, Easton, Maine, said he enjoyed using the laptop to e-mail friends and family and occasionally to conduct business. But since its demise, he hasn’t been able to afford a new one.
His situation is similar to how many small trucking companies feel about using technology: They like it, and they think it can help them do their jobs, but it’s often out of their price range. Others say they can’t afford to live without it.
Todd Davis, with Davis Transfer in Carnesville, Ga., said his company’s decision to invest in systems to track loads by satellite, communicate by computer and collect detailed data about truck performance while the vehicle is in motion was necessary for the company to grow.
For the full story, see the Sept. 27 print edition of Transport Topics. .
