It’s safe to say that every industry in the world has been affected by modern technologies, and the trucking industry is no different. The changes and innovations we can see in every aspect of the trucking business promise more streamlined operations as well as greater security and lower overhead costs.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the biggest digital transformations in the trucking industry and how they affect various aspects of this industry.

What is digital transformation?

Simply put, digital transformation refers to the process of adopting various digital and modern technology solutions to improve your business’s operations. If implemented properly, it should significantly enhance business efficiency. Many business professionals state that they have noticed a significant surge, not only in business efficiency but also in customer satisfaction after adopting some of the latest technology solutions.

E-commerce solutions

With the rise of e-commerce solutions, consumers can nowadays find anything they may be interested in online quickly and easily. What this means is that there has been a significant rise in city deliveries, which brought forth an increase in demand for city trucks and similar vehicles. For an average truck driver, this means that local deliveries and city trucking are in higher demand, which poses a great job opportunity for anyone interested in this type of work. Since city trucking is significantly different from over-the-road trucking, it poses a great choice for any drivers that still lack the experience necessary for the latter.

Real-time data analysis

Another huge improvement comes in the form of various digital solutions that enable real-time data analysis. This not only offers additional commodities for customers, who can nowadays track their shipments in real-time but it also promises great benefits for trucking companies. Thanks to these types of digital solutions, trucking companies can now stay on top of the entire shipping process in real-time. This offers huge advantages and benefits, especially when unexpected incidents and delays are concerned. With various software solutions that offer real-time data analysis, unexpected delays and similar situations can easily be remedied before they become a real issue.

Route-planning solutions

Additionally, there are nowadays various route-planning solutions that make the job of a truck driver – and operator – significantly more convenient. For instance, thanks to these, truck drivers no longer have to read maps and plan routes on their own. This is particularly useful when having to drive somewhere you’ve never been before, so you’re not entirely familiar with all the possible routes you can take. Needless to say, these solutions offer optimized options that are meant to save both time and resources.

Big data

Big data is another modern technology solution that’s finding its use in virtually every industry in the world. By being able to access and analyze data regarding customer behavior, satisfaction, and expectations, trucking companies can easily reshape and better optimize their offer to suit their customer’s needs. This way companies that do pay attention to what the big data is saying will soon start to reap numerous benefits and gain a significant advantage over their competitors.

Information and communications technology

Information and communications technology also play a huge role in any modern-day trucking company. Since proper lines of communication are already a backbone of successful trucking companies, finding new modern solutions that will only further improve them is essential. This is particularly important for companies that offer various transportation options. For instance, if you have a driver driving a reefer truck who finds himself in an unexpected situation or needs of any type of help, you want to make sure they can reach you easily. With proper ICT, remedying any potential situation and finding optimal solutions are made easier than ever. 

Road safety

Last, but certainly not least are various software solutions designed not only for tracking but increasing overall road safety. GPS and similar modern tech solutions enable trucking companies to monitor and stay on top of their employee behavior while on the road. But these can also significantly increase road safety. They provide the option to track and recognize any unusual or suspicious behavior. That way the trucking company can instantly react and see where the issue is and if it can be fixed quickly.

Just like in any other industry, modern technological solutions and digital transformation have brought forth numerous advantages to the trucking industry. Since technology will continue to evolve, we can say for sure that these will only continue to experience various improvements in the future.

Author bio: 


Travis Dillard is a business consultant and an organizational psychologist based in Arlington, Texas. Passionate about marketing, social networks, and business in general. In his spare time, he writes a lot about new business strategies and digital marketing for DigitalStrategyOne.