COMPUTER IN THE CAB

September 8, 2010 Vol. 6, No. 18

Well, suddenly there’s some serious and intriguing action at both PeopleNet and Qualcomm/Shaw Tracking. And some useful developments at Mack, also on the communications front. Guess that’s the theme today.

But first an apology, because you’ll be getting this a day late. Our server decided not to serve and there was just nothing to be done but wait for the fix. Sorry!

I wrote in one of the new product items below about Shaw Tracking’s Trailer Tracks 210 trailer management system, with features like an embedded solar panel and Bluetooth capability. Nice.

Qualcomm has also announced the availability this fall of its Mobile Computing Platform 110 (MCP110), a new on-board fleet-management system in the MCP100 series. It supports all current MCP100 series applications and offers new capabilities, including a PDF viewer that allows drivers to view and, with an optional in-cab printer, print PDF documents right from the cab. There are on-board driver tutorials, and the new Driver Interface Unit boasts an enhanced display. The system uses terrestrial communication with the option to upgrade to terrestrial plus wi-fi. With the latter engaged, drivers can access static content on both the Internet and web-based e-mail programs, as well as scan documents without paying a per-page charge. There’s much more besides, which I’ll get into in a future newsletter.

Shaw will offer the same product here in Canada, though they haven’t announced it yet and they say the timing is not quite firm, though it will be close to the U.S. introduction this fall.

FOR NOW, LET ME TALK ABOUT PEOPLENET’S coming Tablet on-board and very portable computing platform. It’s pretty cool, and you’ll see it on the market early next year. The company calls it "the trucking industry’s first optionally portable onboard computer," one that eliminates the need for additional hand-held devices in the cab. It’s all about faster workflow and a shorter accounting cycle. Drivers themselves will appreciate having more drive time behind the wheel instead of handling administrative activities in the cab, the company says, and they’ll have the flexibility to handle non-driving tasks outside the cab from any location.

The new platform captures critical vehicle and driver management information that can integrate with the back office. Through its 7-inch touch screen, it combines traditional in-cab functionality such as navigation, engine diagnostics, an electronic logbook, in-cab training, driver e-mail and messaging, geofencing and more. Then there are portable options like a camera, bar-code scanner, signature capture, and wi-fi to let drivers be more efficient.

Another first for trucking is Tablet’s Windows 7 operating platform, which opens up the computer to a wide range of peripherals, document formats and advanced applications. That alone is pretty significant.