2. The trucking industry is one to three years behind in technology.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) has jurisdiction over
trucks while traveling on public highways.
When loading and unloading freight from a truck, OSHA
regulates the safety and health of the workers.
Small trucking companies run their business virtually the same
as they have for years. The trucking industry is slow to accept
and implement technological advances.
3. Many cities do not allow heavy hauling trucks to drive on the
city streets.
The Interstate Authority, formerly known as ICC or FHWA, is
permission that is granted by the federal government in order
to transport regulated freight across a state line.
Interstate Authority is granted by the Office of Motor Carrier
Safety Administration.
4. A load that is transported completely within the state lines,
picking up and delivering the same load without crossing the
state line, is considered to be a point to point or intrastate
carriage and that load is controlled on a state level.
Trucking companies use trailers such as flatbeds, stretch
flatbeds, spread-axle flatbeds, spread-axle single drop, single
drop deck, double drop lowboy, tri-axle double drop lowboy,
and multi-axle lowboys to haul heavy loads.
Driver shortages coupled with the high fuel costs are hitting
the trucking industry hard.
5. With the advancements in the inter-modal freight planning,
trucking companies have begun to seek to improve their
business by partnering with major railroads such as Union
Pacific, Norfolk Southern, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe.
Technology that allows time specific delivery and the
electronic tracking of cargo is on the forefront of growth in the
trucking industry.
Just in time inventory management by manufactures, has
spurred the growth of scheduled freight contracts within the
trucking industry in the United States.
Mobile computers and transponders inside the cab of the
truck are linked to the truck’s home office through a satellite.
These devices are used to monitor goods and the vehicles
and aid in increasing the efficiency of the trucking companies.
