Bridging the gap: Connecting trucks and facilities

Bridging the gap: Connecting trucks and facilities

“If your trucks are wireless, your facilities should be too.” That statement by Deryk Powell, president and chief operating officer of Velociti, is a reflection of the ongoing and rapid growth in connectivity throughout the transportation industry. Velociti is a global provider of technology deployment services, specializing in the installation and service of a broad range of transportation and networking technology products, meaning they have had a front seat as this trend has developed.

“Manufacturers and carriers have been building connectivity in their trucks for a number of years,” Powell relates. “The recognition that a truck is really a rolling warehouse has led to spending time, energy and money to connect vehicles with the people and businesses they serve.

“While that activity has been given high priority,” Powell continues, “and carriers have invested heavily in internal systems as well, our guidance to fleets is to not stop at the door or the outer boundary of your property. Manage the entire facility, including the yard and the distribution center, by building a wireless network that provides all of the connectivity you need.”

Wireless bridging

Powell cites forklifts, yard jockeys, loading docks, fuel islands and safety and service facilities as places where outdoor antennas and “wireless bridging” can provide connectivity that will enhance management productivity and improve business processes. Other technologies, many of which Velociti has installed for carriers, make these capabilities and benefits a reality.

For example, a truck stop equipped with the QuikQ Fuel Purchase System (FPS) uses lane positioning hardware to wirelessly authorize fueling for a truck and/or refrigerated trailer. QuikQ also recently announced its new QuikQ Q-Gate technology, which uses a wireless system to detect and validate vehicle mounted RFID tags and engage gate-opening systems. The solution prevents an unauthorized vehicle from entering a secure location and can reduce the risk of picking up the wrong trailer before exiting a facility.

Another example is the Stemco AirBAT RF tire pressure monitoring system, which uses tire pressure sensors to provide immediate feedback via wireless transmission of pressures to a Driver Alert System. The company also provides a Gate Reader Tire Pressure Monitoring solution that automatically collects sensor data at selected locations — such as yard entry or exit points, maintenance facilities or fuel islands– and downloads it to the WebBAT information manager.

“All kinds of technology used in transportation has been developed over the past decade, and mobile connectivity has played a large role in its successful deployment,” Powell says. “Fleets now require connectivity to keep up with these innovations, and by including facilities in that equation can truly enable the productivity and efficiency improvements they desire.”

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