It wasn't too many years ago that "high-tech trucking" applied to any gear-jammer armed with a 23-channel CB, eight-track tape deck and Fuzzbuster. Today, however, truckers are some of the most sophisticated, gadget-laden people on the planet.
Most of the devices are now necessary for competing in an industry that counts its profits in pennies. Satellite tracking, GPS mapping, paperless driver logs, computerized engine diagnostics, RF transponders (for both scales and toll roads) and the increasing deployment of Wi-Fi networks-these are all tools of the trade nowadays.
Truck makers and component suppliers are responsible for many of the advances. Their goal is to help buyers become more productive and efficient-an outcome that would theoretically boost vehicle sales.
During the past decade, several manufacturers have built futuristic "high-tech" prototypes to showcase some of the latest developments in heavy-duty hard- and software. These machines serve as both tradeshow attraction and rolling field-test lab. Volvo has assembled three such demo rigs since 1998. The most recent, a VNL780, was introduced at the 2003 Mid America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky. The truck is a good example of the diversity-and potential-of gadgetry designed for the Class 8 market.
Among other things, it sports a hands-free phone, GPS navigation, wireless Web access with e-mail capabilities, blind-spot cameras, tire pressure monitoring, video conferencing, CD/DVD player, electronic logbook, automatic mileage for IFTA reporting, hydrophobic windshield and door glass (for better water dissipation), an integral AC-powered HVAC system, an auxiliary power unit, sink, shower and toilet. It even has adjustable foot pedals to better accommodate a wider variety of driver sizes.
Not all of these devices are ready for prime time, of course, and a few might never appeal to the masses. Video conferencing, for example, would be a tough sell among truckers already concerned about the encroachment of "Big Brother."
Skip Yeakel, Volvo's principal engineer for advanced engineering, is on the forefront of his company's high-tech truck efforts. He says each of the vehicles has had a theme. The first, rolled out in 1998, was intended to demonstrate the benefits of disc brakes and electronic braking. The second, emerging two years later, featured components to improve lane tracking, back-up safety and blind spot visibility. The third is meant to promote onboard communications.
Surprisingly, all of these trucks are still being used. The first two, although no longer on the show circuit, continue to serve as platforms for ongoing experiments. Yeakel says the current model will join its predecessors in about two years, after Tech Truck 4.0 is launched.
It's unclear yet what systems will be chosen for the next one. Yeakel says the selection is based largely on a technology's marketability. "We try to pick stuff that isn't too far out," he says. "[On the 780] for instance, autonomous vehicle operation [driverless trucking] was a bit much.
That's a grand experiment, but it's not something we chose to evaluate." Fuel cells were similarly dismissed. "We wanted to stay with things that might be marketable during the next three years."
The Goods
Here's what sets Volvo's VNL 780 apart (and what to expect in trucks of the future):
- Bluetooth hands-free telephone
- GPS navigation system
- Wireless Internet access
- Cameras on the side and rear for back-up viewing
- Tire pressure monitors
- Video feeds from camera installed on dash for videoconferencing
- CD/DVD player
- RainBanTM Hydrophobic Coating on door and windshield glass
- Adjustable foot pedals
- Dura-Bright® wheels
- Generator, inverter and shore power
- Sink, shower and toilet
