The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is responsible for regulating and providing safety oversight for commercial vehicles, has an important role in reducing the number of crashes, injuries, and fatalities caused by or involving both commercial vehicles and buses. With that mission on its shoulders, the FMCSA often adjusts the regulations or rules in an attempt to improve the safety of the industry.

The trucking industry is in a constant state of change, so it’s not surprising that technology will increasingly become a part of those regulations and be required to be used by drivers all over the country. 

From using GPS to track fleets to implementing IDs that make it easier to manage inspection requirements, there are all kinds of pieces of technology being introduced or used in the industry now. The rules and regulations involving those pieces of tech are sometimes in flux, but they do exist and may be something you need to use when you’re on the road now or sometime in the future. 

Knowing what’s commonly used now and what may be on its way in the future can help you prepare. Here are some of the most interesting pieces of technology that we think you should be on the lookout for as the industry changes and adapts. 

IoT Technology, Your Schedule, and Your Safety

The Internet of Things, or IoT, refers to objects that have software, sensors, and other kinds of technologies embedded in them. 

Some of these trucking technologies may make their way into your day and help in several ways, including:

1. Providing location tracking, which will help show when freight will arrive and create a helpful tool for customers to keep track of their shipments. GPS tracking is already common among fleets and is used in loss prevention, but it also helps keep track of where drivers are and may be able to improve productivity. In terms of safety, truck tracking may help show when trucks are being serviced, improving maintenance and inspection schedules. 

2. Showing available cargo space, which can detect how much space there is in your trailer in real-time. With that knowledge, you can make additional pickups on route, making it easier to optimize the time you spend on the road. 

3. Encouraging preventative maintenance. Technology can detect when maintenance needs to be done on the truck, which helps keep drivers (and others on the roads) safer, reducing time lost due to breakdowns, and saving money by helping avoid major repairs.

4. Taking temperature readings on the go. The Food Safety Modernization Act requires people, including shippers, to follow best practices for sanitary transportation. That includes properly refrigerating food, which could be monitored with temperature tracking software.

5. Preventing collisions. Collision mitigation technology is becoming more important as time goes on, and new options, like automated emergency braking, could be a solution. 

These technologies are available now, though not everyone uses them yet.

Built-in Tech: The Future of Trucking

The FMCSA states that heavy commercial vehicles and buses are responsible for around 9% of all the miles driven in the country. They also make up only around 4% of the total number of registered vehicles in the United States. 

Though they make up such a small percentage of the vehicles and miles traveled, they’re disproportionately responsible for (and involved in) collisions. The FMCSA found that 4% of vehicles were involved in (but not necessarily responsible for) 13% of all traffic accidents. They were also involved in 13% of all traffic collisions leading to fatalities. 

Research done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has shown that automated braking and forward collision warning could help prevent 41% of large truck front-to-rear crashes. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will require all new Class 7/8 trucks (starting in November 2023) to have automatic emergency braking installed. 

What does this technology do? It can detect when the truck might hit another vehicle that is in front of it. Then, it will automatically brake if the driver takes no action on their own after being visually or audibly alerted to trouble ahead. 

The IIHS argues that limiting the technology to new 7/8 vehicles, as well as not requiring the implementation of this technology among Class 3-6 vehicles or vehicles already working on the roads, will mean many avoidable collisions will still happen. As a result, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on this technology, since it could spread among fleets as safety requirements change in the future.

Electronic ID’s: What You Need to Know

The FMCSA is considering the implementation of electronic IDs for all trucks running in the U.S. This implementation would result in every commercial motor vehicle (CMV) having electronic ID technology that would wirelessly transmit a unique ID when either state or federal motor carrier safety enforcement requests it. 

The FMCSA is considering this technology because current pieces of tech, including technology that can read license plates and U.S. Department of Transportation numbers in real time, are not always accurate. As a result of the inaccuracies, there could be compliant carriers (drivers) pulled over for roadside inspections while those not in compliance go without being stopped. 

Having a unique ID would revolutionize this process, changing how roadside monitoring, inspection, and enforcement works. It could result in improved effectiveness and efficiency, reducing costs for the trucking industry and enforcement. Additionally, the unique ID could improve safety by making sure all carriers, and especially those not in compliance, are inspected when necessary.

Learn More About Technology With Pride

Technology is ever-changing, and it is becoming more prominent in the trucking industry year over year. In many ways, it is improving the way we work—plus, it aims to help improve safety to make your job less risky. 

Although many kinds of technology require onboarding time or may take years to implement in the future, there are pieces of technology we’re using in the industry today that help improve efficiency, safety, and scheduling. 

At Pride Transport, we believe in supporting our drivers and meeting the requirements set by the FMCSA. Your safety is important to us, and our vehicles are all 2020 or newer with access to our helpful shop and maintenance whenever needed. Ready to work with Pride? Visit our job board to find your new career.