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While new technology is driving trucking forward, the industry still needs the expertise of service professionals to keep tomorrow’s equipment running smoothly.

The notion of being a “hands-on” worker still carries weight in professional circles. Increasingly, though, some of the things that once were decidedly “hands-on” are becoming much more “hands-off” thanks to the march of technological innovation.

The importance of mining repair data for information that can help improve the performance of motor carriers’ equipment was a continuous message during presentations at the annual meeting of the Technology & Maintenance Council of American Trucking Associations recently from companies across the spectrum of industry suppliers. They either introduced or updated products designed to wring more efficiencies out of freight operations.

A polar vortex can slow a lot of folks down. But you can count on the trucking industry.

The trucking industry has been through quite a period of transformation during the past 12 months. Perhaps it’s time to take a breather — and take stock of where we are. As 2018 draws to a close, things aren’t as hectic as they were one year ago, but change still persists.

In times of great change there are bound to be course corrections, as evidenced by recent developments related to innovations designed to advance the science of moving trucks down the road.

The adoption of federally mandated electronic logging devices has been a major transition for the trucking industry, but at this point it appears that most longhaul truckers are now using the technology to track their hours of service. While it’s still too soon to get a complete sense of where the industry stands with respect to ELD compliance, the early indications have been positive as enforcement tightens.

The decision by Uber to halt testing of its autonomous trucks in the wake of a fatal accident involving one of its pilot autonomous cars was a prudent move, and one that demonstrates how the relentless pace of technological innovation sometimes needs a pause.

Year after year, the annual meeting of the Technology & Maintenance Council of American Trucking Associations has been a must-attend event for those looking to learn about the latest trends in truck maintenance. As this year’s meeting convenes in Atlanta, that remains true.