But are we prepared to understand, participate in and manage all of the innovative technology touted out there? Can new technology help or be a pain? Will the information it delivers contribute to safety, help the driver, create a safer truck on the highway or help you in a court of law? Maybe the following information will help you evaluate and make good decisions about the transportation technology that’s now in front of us.

There I stood, at the microphone at the CVSA Annual Conference in New Orleans many years ago, referencing the fact that The Jetsons lifestyle wasn’t here yet, and we weren’t quite living in a perfect world. As I recall, the discussion was on developing breathalyzers that could detect if a driver had too much alcohol and, if so, the truck’s engine wouldn’t start when the driver attempted to drive it.

I have no idea if that technology ever saw the light of day, but the thinking was considered advanced for the time and simple to do, or so they thought. They were going to get this technology out there “now” and solve this industry problem “now.” It had, however, been my experience in those days that to reach those lofty goals, there was a process to get there and, if the process wasn’t undertaken, success seldom was achieved.

Technical Growth at the Speed of Light
So here we are today with a bazillion new technologies, including personal computers, smart/dumb phones, self-parking automobiles, SUVs with cameras on their back-ends, and the list of technologies that we’re now taking for granted goes on and on. Some technologies are quite useful; others, not so much.+

How We Got to Now
By now, you must be asking, why? Why is all of this happening now? Steven Johnson’s “How We Got to Now” weaves together a narrative that demonstrates that innovation rarely proceeds in a linear fashion. It originates in some of the oddest places, and creates obscure chains of causality that shape our world. Johnson refers to six innovations that made the modern world: glass, cold, sound, cleanliness, time and light. All of these are natural phenomena that have spawned new and unknown technologies. For the last three plus decades, I’ve tracked the development, growth and implementation of an enormous variety of technologies and must agree with Johnson that the growth path of innovation isn’t a linear event.

Usability and the Adoption of Technology
Regardless of the size of your fleet or even if you just run a single truck, it’s time to get directly involved. Participate. Kick the high tech tires and see if they fit your needs. If you don’t, we will end up with something that isn’t quite as great as we thought it would be – a smart phone with five axles. So how do we get our arms around all the sensors, apps and information platforms? The following advice comes from Chuck Williams, associate vice president for innovation at the University of Oregon.

What has currently been really pushing such an abundance of apps and sensor-based platforms? Sensors and computer programs are cheap, according to those in the digital industry. Where’s the expense? Hardware development. Perhaps this is the area where current transportation technology fails? Those on the development side don’t want to get into the expense of hardware development. Too often technologies of benefit to transportation might just need added engineered hardware, an investment and perhaps an added expense.

Get Involved
When you’re evaluating the use of new reporting platforms, evaluate the deliverables of these platforms in terms of their completeness and your need. Do these platforms need additional hardware for completion? If so, speak up. If the software needs modification, say so; unless you want another dumb/smart phone on your hands. If a company is presenting a platform you would find really useful but it doesn’t have the modifications you’d like then say so and actively participate in the modification(s) process. Don’t just say no because you don’t want to work with the technology or don’t want to take the time. This is exactly how you end up with mediocrity. The dumb/smart phone comes to mind. Remember this: Cheap ain’t always the right way to get the product you really need from the digital industry.

Bob Phipps, maintenance supervisor for Bettendorf Trucking, says checking brake pushrod travel is as basic as it gets for checking brakes and braking status to make sure you’re driving a safe truck. Regulations require drivers to be satisfied their vehicle parts and accessories, including brakes, are in good working order. Major manufacturers of today’s air brake systems will tell you that braking function and performance are critically dependent upon proper installation, initial adjustment and monitoring of brake stroke to ensure the automatically adjusting brakes are compensating for wear. Furthermore, there are additional safety technologies dependent upon the foundation brakes being in proper adjustment. Knowing pushrod readings is the only way to know if a truck’s brakes are at maximum stopping capacity with all of the layers functioning properly.

Tyler Watson, operations manager for West Point Transport (fuel haulers), says this about the importance of knowing pushrod measurements: “Without knowing the pushrod reading, you can’t know the condition of your brakes. Without knowing the condition of your brakes, you may or may not stop that truck efficiently or at all.”

As you ponder this issue, make sure you are getting under those trucks and checking your pushrod readings. It’s critically important to your safety and the safety of others on our highways.

In Closing
I now trust that the reader can see just why proper pushrod adjustment and knowing the pushrods readings are the basis for the overall health of a truck’s brakes. Healthy brakes reduce stopping distances, accidents, loss of life and payloads, to name a few important implications.

It takes a village and we all have to work together to ensure safer highways. We solve one technical issue and perhaps then we can tackle the creation of new technology that will save fuel costs, maintenance time and inspection time; who knows what useable creations might befall the trucking industry. I want to sincerely thank those who contributed to this piece. Your efforts were appreciated.

I’ve tried to explain how technology gets here, how you work with those from the digital industries, and assure you that it’s ok to say no. Now, get involved or you too will end up with the equivalent of a smart/dumb phone, continually asking “What did you say? I can’t understand you.”