How the Trucking Industry has Progressed Over Time

From ensuring there are no supply shortages to transporting cargo across the country, the trucking industry continues to be an important player when it comes to logistics. The trucking industry has been around since the late 1800s, and the last few decades have seen considerable advancements in the field.

In this article, we will review the advances in the trucking industry with regard to technology and the regulations aimed at improving the safety and well-being of truck drivers.

Recent years have seen several advancements in high transport and truck driver technology. These improvements have made trucking economical, productive, and much faster over the last ten years. Furthermore, drastic advances in road safety have resulted in fewer fatalities on the highway despite the increasing traffic.

The year 2015 saw the rise of improved pricing practices by introducing the calculation of shipments using static machines. Due to the new static dimensional machines, modern-day trucking has seen a drastic improvement in shipments.

These new machines are lighter and come in packaged boxes. As a result, they accurately measure objects and provide quick returns to the trucking company. Furthermore, shipments can be transported much more efficiently and improve trucking practices overall due to these advancements.

While the technological advancements helped make it cheaper to transport goods, the new trucking regulations set in place have made it safer for truck drivers to work. Most notably, the concept of electronic logging devices (ELD) has been introduced in the trucking industry.

ELDs make for a safer work environment for truck drivers because they track the vehicle, manage the routes and times, and share a record of duty status (RODS).

Before ELDs were introduced, RODS were stored manually in physical logbooks. This practice increased the risk of human error and negligence. The ELD rule requires trucking companies to replace their paper logbooks with automatic onboard recording and electronic logging devices.

Generally, truck driver pay can be processed in one of three ways. The most common method is to be paid by the hour. Naturally, the longer the route, the more the truck driver gets paid.

The second method is to be paid by the weight of the load. It is common for the vehicle to be more difficult to drive if a heavier load is on board. Again, the heavier the load, the more the truck driver gets paid. 

Lastly, truck drivers can get paid by the distance traveled. Each of the three methods of payment mentioned has its advantages depending on the type and duration of transport.

When we talk about the benefits a truck driver enjoys, offerings differ depending on the company they work for. Every organization has a different benefits plan in place. Companies can offer their truck drivers training, medical allowances, dental, vision, mental health care allowances, and even flexible spending accounts to pay off expenses.

The trucking industry is growing every day, and governments are becoming more aware of road safety and putting regulations in place to keep truck drivers safe in the work environment.

If you are looking for a career in the trucking industry and want to find a place that will provide you the necessary training required to excel in the field, Professional Transport Driver Training School in Winnipeg and Brandon is here for you. With over 30 years in the training business, we’ve established a reputation as the leading truck driving school in Manitoba.

Learn more about how we can help get you on the road and in the driver’s seat by calling our Winnipeg office (204-925-1580), Brandon office (204-729-0240) or by filling out our online form .