In the bustling world of American trucking, where highways stretch endlessly before our eyes, a daily battle unfolds – the search for a safe and convenient parking spot. In this article, we delve into the world of truck drivers, their relentless struggle to find parking, and the crucial measures they take to ensure their own safety and protect their valuable cargo.

Prioritizing Safety

Safety is not just a buzzword but a way of life for truckers.

Organizational silos are a major obstacle that often lurk within the transportation sector, particularly in the trucking industry. But what exactly are these "silos"? 🤔

What are Organizational Silos? 

Organizational silos refer to the isolation that occurs when employees or departments within an organization do not want to, or do not have the means to, share information or knowledge with each other.

Disadvantages of Silos in Trucking 🚫

Hint: It isn't some fancy new tracking tool.

Our most recent customer survey indicated that customers want more tracking visibility, yet few are diving into the details of tracking among their carrier network. About 70% of respondents do not look at the number of tracking updates or pings, and just over 80% don't look at the source of tracking (mobile device, TMS, v. GPS or ELD). Still, tracking compliance is commonly used to score carrier performance.

So, why aren't shippers doing a deep dive into tracking? We have some ideas.

Truck driving is not just about getting from Point A to Point B. It's about safe and efficient transportation, navigating regulations and disruptions, and finding joy in long hours on the road. Thankfully, technology has stepped in to improve the journey.

So, free up some storage space and get your mobile devices ready as we go through 5 Go-to Apps for Truck Drivers and hear from David, an AMX driver for our regional fleet, as to which apps he uses on a daily basis and why.

next week's "brakedown"

Brake Safety Week, which is taking place next week (August 20-26th) is an initiative spearheaded by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). With representatives from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, the CVSA shines a spotlight on the importance of brake systems in our commercial vehicles.  Expect an "unannounced one-day brake safety enforcement initiative, which may be held at any time," according to the CVSA.

Here's what you need to know:

It wasn’t just drivers who entered the industry during the peak of the pandemic. The role of logistician was booming. The pandemic created demand for supply chain talent giving rise to a new generation of logisticians, the “pandemic logistician.” Many came to the industry to join the logistics circus, prompting us to question:

Don't take shipping containers for granted. They are one of the top inventions to revolutionize the trucking industry. Shipping containers streamline transport between different modes by providing a standardized yet extremely versatile solution. These containers can be seamlessly transferred from ships to trucks to trains without the need for unloading and reloading cargo.

What would freight coordination be like without them?

Without the invention of shipping containers, the transportation and logistics industry would still rely on labor-intensive and inefficient methods of handling cargo. Goods would need to be individually loaded and unloaded. Imagine the amount of lumpers that would need to be paid on every load between the different modes of transportation. Think about that the next time you are pricing out drayage or planning imports/exports.

It's time we delve into the evolution of containerized shipping and the inventions that paved the way for the rise of shipping containers and their impact on trucking.