As businesses operating in the capital-intensive, low-profit-margin trucking industry, carriers benefit financially by adopting wireless untethered trailer management systems, state the trailer tracking experts at Qualcomm Enterprise Services.
Without untethered systems in place, carriers face the following challenges: lack of accurate, timely information about trailers (including lack of cargo visibility when trailers sit idle or in transit on rail cars); poor trailer utilization; excessive trailer inventories; inability to charge customers accurately for trailer detention; lost trailers; an increase in cargo theft and associated costs; reduced driver and back-office productivity; increased driver frustration and turnover; wasted resources; and poor customer service.
The number of installed untethered trailer management systems has grown rapidly. Associated revenues are expanding, as well. This adoption of untethered trailer management systems offers the following benefits:
• Accurate and timely information
• Improved driver morale and retention
• Quicker detection and recovery of stolen trailers and loads
• Reduction in costs associated with theft
• Increased dispatcher productivity
• Increased ability to generate accurate reports to determine detention fees
• Improved planning and customer service (including increased knowledge of when and where trailers are dropped and unloaded)
• Reduction in the need for physical counts of trailers in a yard
• Improved trailer utilization
• Improved trailer pool sizing for each customer
• Reduction in the size of trailer fleets (capital costs)
• Improved driver productivity and safety
Consequently, adoption of untethered trailer management systems provides a competitive advantage to carriers and vendors that rent trailers.
Concerns about investments in untethered management systems can be addressed by evaluating untethered system providers using the following criteria: adequacy of customer service resources; financial stability; ability to provide adjunct professional services (such as system integration and tailoring); track record; trucking industry knowledge and commitment; technical expertise in wireless information technologies, hardware, software, and information technology (IT); system robustness; network service availability and assurance; and a willingness to act as a trusted partner by employing suitable processes and technologies.
