Add On Systems Transportation Tech Summit Dallas Texas

We hosted our 1st ever tech summit in conjunction with Geotab on Thursday, July 15th at the Topgolf near Dallas. It was a great way to connect with fleet customers and partners to discuss the state of the union with trucking and present innovative technology solutions for the future. What we have noticed and what customers have told us is you want options with technology.

When Telematics was first available you were required to purchase expensive satellite-based systems costing upwards of $3,000

Now fleets want to have options to connect solutions and integrate the best in class products that fit your business. That is why Add On Systems has created a Telematics business unit to assist our clients.

The driver recruiting and retention battle is currently the most challenging we have see in over two decades. Keeping your drivers rolling and customers happy is challenging. We do believe many of the new solutions we are working with can help.

Geotab has approximately 2.4 million devices on the network and with approximately 500 solution partners in their marketplace, there is an ecosystem much like the Apple App Store and Google Play store that offer solutions to enhance your business.

We are impressed with the focus on engineering and the truckload market that Geotab addresses. Open APIs allow Add On Systems to help clients integrate data along with the powerful reporting tools available with Geotab to take business intelligence to a new level.

Eleos is another partner AOS is working closely with for driver workflow. Their open platform enables customers to develop a custom-fit solution for their drivers, specific subsets of drivers, a powerful video platform for driver communications, training, and class 8 specific navigation. The best news, you don’t have to be a programmer to make changes to the platform or we can assist fleet customers’ I.T. staff’s to make required changes.

Check out this navigation video we produced

Drivewyze is another partner we are working with the integrates with Geotab and other telematics solutions that do not require a transponder in the tractor for weigh station bypass and other safety notifications. With over 800 bypass locations in 47 states. This solution provides a powerful ROI for finance and keeps drivers happy!

Netradyne is one of the most sophisticated video-based telematics solutions now available. Our mission is to transform road and fleet safety by using advanced vision technology to change the way drivers interact with the road around them, therefore creating safer roadways for today and smarter roadways for tomorrow. If “Nuclear Verdicts” are keeping you up at night let’s start the conversation and let us connect you with the team at Netradyne for a review. Even if you have an existing camera solution this is like nothing else currently available and captures much longer video to improve the driver experience not just used as a “crash recorder” we want to prevent crashes… and help return drivers safely to their families.

Uptake Fleet leverages technology based on AI to maximize asset reliability and availability with data-driven insights that inform preventive and predictive maintenance.

Optimize Inventory Only buy the parts you’ll need. Ensure you’ll have the right inventory available at the right time based on anticipated work scenarios.

Improve Labor Effectiveness Only perform the work that’s needed. Make the right repair the first time by having the right people and expertise available for the job.

We are always looking for ways to make our customers’ lives easier. In order to do this, we ask your opinions and listen intently when you tell us what it is that could help the most in your business now and down the road as technology continues on its unforeseen trajectory into 2022.

Contact John Piper (214) 556-8059 or jpiper@aos.biz for more information

Truck driver shortage: Are there any solutions to this problem insight? By John Piper

1. Truck drivers are the backbone of our economy, but they're also a dwindling breed

I have been asking the question, “Have you talked to your son or daughter about getting into trucking and becoming a driver?”. I’ve asked many times over the years to others both inside and outside the industry and the answer is 97% of the time a big NO. it’s a demanding job that takes a toll on family life, relationships, and extremely physically demanding on the body. Even professional truckers I talk to are not encouraging their kids to get into the business at the same pace they once did in the ’80s and ’90s. Are we at risk of skipping a generation?

Its a real fight for drivers

I traveled out to a Love’s Travel Plaza near Denton, Texas on Friday of Easter weekend. It was good to see so many on the road traveling as we get back to safe travel and businesses reopening due to Covid-19. I talked with several drivers that were excited about the business as freight demand is abundant, miles are good, and the compensation is strong due to demand.

Trucker’s resources for Covid-19 safety

2. The truck driver shortage is so bad that it's been called an "epidemic" by some experts

The industry has been talking about self-driving trucks and autonomous vehicles for several years now however I predict it will be many years before trucks will leave distribution centers without a professional driver in the cab. I do believe there will be opportunities for a driver to take a nap while the tractor is going down the road in the future but not any time soon. Truck driving schools did not produce many graduates in 2020 as many were forced to shut down due to the pandemic. We have a perfect storm in a bad way right now for new drivers coming into the industry.

3. In fact, there are more than 50,000 unfilled jobs for truckers in the US alone!

For multiple reasons but primarily for the risks associated with hiring a freshly minted CDL driver, most companies require 1-3 years of driving experience before a driver can get hired on simply to keep insurance premiums palatable. There was an article recently in Freighwaves about shifting in a new direction and hiring recent grads with virtually no experience. Check out the article here “Three reasons to hire entry-level CDL drivers in 2021” I’m curious about your thoughts on this and if your company would consider putting recent CDL graduate drivers behind the wheel of your $140,000 tractor and customers freight?

4.We need to find solutions fast before this problem gets any worse!

I visited with a large fleet recently with over 3,000 tractors. They have historically have run dedicated routes with drivers getting home every 2-3 days. Most would say this is a great driving opportunity and easy to retain drivers. “Nothing is easy in this business” they stated. Now, all new hire’s expectations are to get home every night? How is this possible and will the supply chain and way trucking companies have done business for many years be disrupted. For years fleets have been shifting to intermodal and using the rail system very effective for long haul lanes. Companies such as Steven’s Transport , Knight-Swift, and J.B. Hunt Intermodal frees up drivers’ time for shorter haul and keeps freight moving 24/7.

Keep your drivers smiling

Vehicle platooning is another technology to help improve driver safety by giving some controls such as breaking, distance following, and acceleration to the automated systems and allowing the driver the ability to relax which can draw here is a video semi-autonomous platooning - how it works

There are more excitement and buzz around transportation and logistics than ever before. I’m proud to be a part of this great industry and serve the American trucker!

For more information and how we can help your fleet contact Add On Systems

Safety and Risk Management - Emerging paradigms by Ken Windle

Safety departments have always been reliant on Risk Management departments for information about a driver's safety-related activities. This has changed. Decisions related to driver discipline and training have relied on the information derived from documents like claim reports, citations, and  MVRs. Predictive driver activities were gleaned from reports focusing on categories like accident types, length of service, accident frequency, and accident severity. Though utilization of this type of risk management data will continue, it will become secondary in significance for driver safety decisions.

ATA Safety Facts

            Data items exported from internal onboard devices are emerging as the most important indicator of driver habits and therefore the most valuable data for safety-related judgments. These systems preemptively inform safety personnel of risky, discourteous, and illegal behaviors before they become liability-related activities. The activities identified by these systems will never be shown in and accident reports, MVRs, or CSA imports. Much of the data now collected from risk management systems will become extraneous. This should be a win for both the Risk and Safety departments.

Hopefully, this emerging paradigm will have a positive effect on accident-related activity and give safety personnel a more precise tool for driver improvement.  This change in measurement techniques should free claims staff to focus on claim-related financial activity rather than collecting the data needed for safety-related decisions. 

Risk systems will still be the best instrument for collecting data not related to driver activity such as a problem shipper, an unsafe parking area, an abusive driver supervisor, an ineffective trainer, equipment defects, etc. A risk system will also be necessary to determine the relationship between the data collected through devices and the probability and severity of accidents.  

            One downside of possessing this level of detail is that it will become one of the most sought-after blocks of information by plaintiff attorneys in litigation. If a company has data that indicates poor behavior and that company has not acted on this information, there will be powerful evidence that the company is negligent. If a company does not utilize this type of predictive technology, that too will be considered evidence of negligence.

Transport Topics Article: Trucking Targets ‘Nuclear’ Verdicts

For any questions about Risk and Safety Solutions, Ken can be reached at kwindle@aos.biz or (405) 418-4214

Telematics and Mobile Platforms are the Future by John Piper

Changing Times

During the late 80s and early 90s, cellular networks were only in their infancy. The one and the only way to ensure communications with your drivers was by check call by payphone or calling in from a shipper or consignee. This was not very efficient, as we would pray and hope that our drivers would actually call before the day was over. 

Early Satellite Technology

However, during my time at FirstFleet, I was introduced to an early pioneer in satellite and mobile communications, Qualcomm. My intrigue and curiosity for telematics only rapidly grew from that point forward. Drivers were getting comfortable with dispatches and requesting comchecks over this new system, despite it being very expensive, approaching upwards of $3,000. Aside from the cost of money, it was also costly in time to install. Nevertheless, shippers and consignees appreciated our ability to predict ETAs of freight with unprecedented accuracy.   The shift from a card system to technology was set in motion!

Moving Forward with Technology

Over the past 25 years, much has changed. Drivers in the current era are required to have telematics to support their ELD. I’m seeing more, and more, applications being created for professional drivers that depend on their iPhone, Android, or tablet. These tools allow life on the road to put the driver in control of their work and provide a “toolbox” of technology to improve safety, route optimization, scanning, and so much more. 

Furthermore, with social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat, drivers are able to remain connected with friends, family, and communities. Also, numerous fleets have found that having a Facebook or Instagram business page to share information and recognize drivers is a fantastic way to keep employees and independent contractors engaged. 

Are you utilizing social media in order to benefit your business? Be consistent with your posts to build a brand following.

SiriusXM 

Recently, I had the opportunity to join SiriusXM Roaddog Radio to discuss some of the innovative solutions that we are now working on at Add On Systems. 

Here’s a short clip from the interview: SiriusXM & John Piper

We are committed to providing mobile applications and telematics integrations that improve the life of your drivers. In turn, this creates tremendous opportunities for your back office with scanning, specific real-time navigation for big trucks, and much more.   

In addition to having the ability to integrate your current mobile communications systems, Add On Systems is now a certified partner of both Geotab and Eleos to offer a Unified mobile communication option that is fully integrated with your TMS.

To learn more about the Eleos and Geotab Platform to see if this may be an option for your fleet in the future, please look at the links below or reach out to me to explore (214)-556-8059 or at jpiper@aos.biz. 

Links to Eleos and Geotab Platforms

eleostech.com

geotab.com

Moving Forward by Kevin Campbell

2020... What a Year It's Been 

Customer Success

First, we are excited to announce that we’re relaunching our newsletter with plans to publish 4-6 times per year. We want to keep you informed of what we are doing by bringing you information that can help your business with insights from experts in the industry. When Add On Systems first started in 1993, we knew there would be challenges. The transportation industry is known to be cyclical, however, no one could have planned for a global pandemic. Therefore, I wanted to thank all the employees at AOS for going above and beyond to assist clients during this and being safe. I also want to thank all our customers that have been so essential to the supply chains in North America. And, most importantly, thanks to all the drivers that have kept America moving forward. This industry is one I’m very proud to be a part of.

AOS News 

In addition to our newsletter, we recently revamped our own website to provide an updated look and more functionality that we can leverage as a digital resource for our customers. 

Take a look here: New & Improved Website 

Please let us know what you think, your feedback is always welcome and appreciated! 

Furthermore, we are launching a new version of our risk management and driver safety products. I’m confident this new product will help larger fleets, around 350 trucks or more, significantly improve how fleets manage safety, claims, driver predictive analysis, and safety training. See Ken Windle’s article in this month's newsletter for more information. 

Last, we have also expanded and opened a satellite office in Denton, TX to establish some new business. This location was chosen because it is central to both Dallas Fort Worth and Dallas Lovefield for travel, and we gain the ability to create more content for customers. You will probably see more about this in a video soon or on our website.   

Denton Office (214) 556-8059

Partner Programs 

We have always been committed to helping our clients leverage their technology to the fullest extent, whether it is integrating data, connectivity through APIs, or fully understanding what you, the client, want to achieve. Recently, AOS started working with Geotab and Eleos as resellers of what I believe could be a solid option moving into 2021 and beyond. I’ve always been hesitant about representing other companies' products, but I feel both companies, Geotab and Eleos, have a similar culture to ours and provide best-in-class products to help our customers.

Geotab Truckload Brochure

Eleos Mobile Platform

Kevin Campbell