Category: trucker technology

Will These 5 Technologies Help or Hurt Truckers?

You hear it all the time, technology will kill the trucking industry.

We know that robo-truckers are supposed to show up with their drone-powered rigs and shut down the whole transportation field.

Until the Terminator has as much intuition as a veteran trucker, we’re not gonna lose sleep over it.

But what new technologies are being developed to help truckers?

From heartbeats to healthy sleep, we’re looking at 5 new and helpful technologies headed your way.

Seats That Monitor You

You spend most of your day planted in the seat of your truck—it’s the perfect way to monitor everything from your heart health to your alertness.

With increased monitoring, companies are hoping to create more awareness and prevent dangerous heart attacks from taking down truckers.

The seat could even alert a driver to pull over and await an ambulance’s arrival!

A Steering Wheel and Gearshift That Feel You

With your hands strapped across the wheel, you know you’re in control of your rig. But are you in control of your health?

With biometric telemetry built directly into the hands-on parts of the truck, it will be easy to track health stats with your steering wheel or gearshift.

Imagine the possibilities when it comes to monitoring health this way—in every vehicle, drivers can be alerted if they’re above the drinking limit, if their diabetes is affecting their blood sugar, or if their blood pressure is dangerously high.

Your Mobile Tech Will Help

As phones continue to improve in speed and quality, we are going to see more mobile health advancements.

Mobile technology doesn’t just mean smartphones either! Smartwatches, fitness bands, and mobile monitoring devices will continue to improve and diversify into health and wellness.

Cameras Watching out for You

Nothing is more helpful in an accident than a good dash cam. But dash cams may just be the start. Mitsubishi is developing technology that will analyze truck movement, the driver’s expression, and heart rate to monitor fatigue and general health conditions.

Cameras are a touchy subject, though, because nobody wants their privacy invaded. Especially truckers—so this will be a growing technology to watch.

Improved Sleep with Better Devices

Sleeping makes the difference between a slow motion driver and lightning fast trucker! We’ve given out sleep advice before, but advice isn’t going to help you if you have sleep apnea.

Advancements in CPAP machines will not only increase their portability, but they can also record the quality, duration, and patterns of sleep. That would open the door to better predictions for drowsy driving.

As far as technologies that will help you, we only know so much of what the future will bring. What we know now is that the HVUT e-filing from ExpressTruckTax is technology that works for you now!

Do you think cameras will help your health? What about biometric seats? Let us know on Facebook!

Watch the Big Game Online


Picture this – after setting off from the Carolinas, having passed through Denver before reaching your destination in San Diego, you probably have a lot on your mind. Like if you’re gonna become Super Bowl Champions on Sunday. Wait, what? Okay, if the Carolina Panthers were truckers, that’d be their thoughts this week.

Whatever your route, you’re probably going to want to watch the big game. But what do you do when you’re a road warrior in the middle of a haul?

How Can I Watch Online?

Thanks to the inventors of the internet, you can pretty much watch TV anywhere these days. And even better, CBS Sports will be streaming the Super Bowl free on Sunday. If you have a good wireless data plan, or you can get to a truck stop with free WiFi, then you’ll be able to watch on your tablet, phone, or even your laptop. Now if you’re more old school and don’t keep any of those streaming data devices handy, you can try finding a good sports bar that will play the game.

Of course, if you’re home on some downtime, catch it on CBS Sports, Xbox One, Apple TV, Chromecast, or even Roku.

I’m Driving but Want to Listen, What Can I Do?

Well, we know a lot of truckers have satellite radio. If you do, Westwood One Sports will be broadcasting the game live on Sunday. But there are other options out there, as well. Without satellite radio, you can listen to the game on local radio stations that carry CBS Sports broadcasts.

What If I Don’t Want to Watch?

Then don’t watch it! But honestly, there will always be something else you can check out. I mean, if you’re a dog lover, give the puppy bowl a shot. Or it might be time to catch up on some movies you’ve missed out on. Of course, there are plenty of entertainment options for truckers on the long haul.

We normally advocate for healthy eating around these parts, but come on, we know you’re gonna eat some hearty football food. Pizza? Wings? Might as well! Just try to avoid falling into a food coma if you’re still driving. And stay safe out there, there will be an increase in drunk driving fans in four-wheelers on the road that night.

And if you’re rooting for the Broncos, don’t get mad at us for our Panthers shout out. With our customer support located in Rock Hill, SC, we’re just showing a little Panther Pride.

If you have any questions about filing your HVUT 2290s, shoot us an email or call us at 704.234.6005. Who are you rooting for? How do you watch the game? Let us know in the comments!

Trucking Technology: What’s new for the tech savvy trucker?

New Bluetooth options, GPS gadgets, and infrared faulty break detectors – Oh My! We are in a technology driven world and many companies are pulling out all the stops to keep up with the trucking industry. Now even if you are not the best tech wrangler, these new gadgets are super user friendly and provide a great bang for your hard earned buck.

New Bluetooth Options
Who doesn’t love Bluetooth. Since hand-held cell phone use by commercial drivers has been banned, Bluetooth turned into a great option for drivers who need to stay connected. There is a Bluetooth for everyone and here are some of the latest and greatest options:

Aliph Jawbone Era – It’s the first Bluetooth headset with an accelerometer and dedicated applications processor, which could turn into anything from a game controller to a pedometer, or a navigation unit. –Crazy what they can come up with, uh? – Reviews do show mixed results on sound quality, so that is something to look into before purchasing, but it is a nifty little gizmo that has a wide rage of usage.


Plantronics Voyager Legend – If you don’t mind a bigger headset – which usually stay in place better – the Voyager Legend is a great option to consider. It is an evolution on an award-winning design that works well for commercial drivers because it has amazing sound quality. Reviews have been extremely positive on the sound quality and people love the magnetic charging connector to help save battery life. This latest model features improved hardware controls that are really easy to find and use.

Motorola Roadster 2 – First – Love the name, really appeals to the inner racer in us all. This option is great if you do not want a flashing Bluetooth in your ear. It is a hands-free device – always a good option when on the road – that clips right to the visor of your truck. It has a FM transmitter that allows you to broadcast calls, music, and apps to your stereo speakers. The sound quality is very clear and this Bluetooth received high rating for ease of use.

New GPS Option
Rand McNally has released their 3rd generation Truck GPS – Rand McNally TND 720 LM IntelliRoute. This new updated version was created via driver request. The 720 allows you to input your truck specific information to help ease the driving. It comes with a few Wi-Fi connected services with no subscription costs – weather, fuel prices, and local search. Some of the truck-friendly features include:

    Route comparisons – there is almost always more than 1 way to somewhere and the route comparison allows you to weigh your options.

    Lifetime Maps
    Millions of Points of Interests
    State Mileage and Fuel Logs – Great for IFTA
    Driving Timers

    Now what was that you said about Infrared Faulty-Brake Detection?
    The Washington State Police and the Washington DOT have launched a program that detects faulty brakes on trucks through the use of infrared technology. Here’s how it works:

      Trucks drive over embedded cameras at the DuPont, Washington weigh station. The cameras use thermography to assess the condition of the breaks. If the brakes are working, a red color is indicated on the controller’s computer screen. If the brakes are not good, a blue color is indicated.

        Washington is the only state to utilize this brake-checking technology.

        Technology will never stop improving and the right technology is an invaluable asset to the trucking industry. Bluetooth is great when needing to stay in constant communication, just remember to keep distractions to a minimum so you are safer on the road. For GPS updates, we are always looking for the latest and greatest, one of the big features we will be looking out for is automatic IFTA uploads –wouldn’t that simplify your IFTA return. And if you are ever in Washington state and hit the DuPont weigh station, your truck is being scanned by the most innovative brake checking technology. Stay safe out there, over and out.