The big picture

Whether they’re used to capture the image of a damaged load or an enticing truck sitting on the dealer lot, digital cameras are finding their way into the trucking business in a big way. And why not? New digital cameras are reasonably priced, they’re easy to use, and extremely practical. Picture quality is high. You can deliver images via e-mail immediately, or you can store them on your own hard drive or company server. You can manipulate digital images and you can make terrific prints.

Trucking companies are starting to rely on digitals at insurance-claim time, or when they need a quick answer on a warranty claim–to illustrate your point, you can take a snapshot and e-mail it to the person reviewing your case.

Still, Susan Arbouw, information systems manager at McKevitt Trucking in Thunder Bay, Ont., says digital has its limitations. For instance, sometimes a driver and shipper want proof of a load’s appearance, especially when the freight in question is fragile.

“The driver takes a picture when he picks up the load, both parties agree that the image is a true likeness of the load, and then he staples the print to the paperwork,” says Arbouw.
In situations like this, she says, making prints with digital cameras is not quite as convenient or cheap as the old instant standby: Polaroid.

That will change soon. Manufacturers are tripping over each other in the race to make better printing devices that mate with digital cameras.

Kodak’s new 6000 Printer Dock ($299) is about half the size of a two-slice toaster. You just put the Kodak camera on top of the dock, hit a few buttons, and voila–gorgeous colour prints. Printer Dock-compatible cameras range from the 2.0-megapixel CX6200 ($149) to the 4.0-megapixel DX6440 ($579). Each print costs about a buck to produce.

Many manufacturers offer printers–such as the Lexmark P707, HP and Epson Stylus Photo 925–with built-in card slots. You pop the memory card into the printer and bypass the computer. A few higher-end models, like the HP 7960, even have a small LCD screen so you can preview your images.

The Canon Direct Photo Printer CP-200 is not much bigger than your hand but it can produce 4×6 prints. (You have to use compatible cameras, of course. The technology involved is called PictBridge.)

Images from any of these printers are far superior to Polaroid prints. The pictures are sharp and clear and the colour is vibrant.

Last year in the U.S., digital cameras outsold film cameras. At this rate of growth, it’s only a matter of time and customer demand before a camera has a printer built right in.If all you need is to create a digital snapshot but you want a camera that can stand up to the rigors of a trucking environment, consider the Sony DSC-U60 (pictured, $399). Its tough plastic shell protects the camera from shocks, and the best thing about this camera is that you can use it in any weather condition (it’s waterproof up to 1.5 meters). When it gets dirty, you can wash it off under a tap.

Another hardy camera is the Pentax Optio 33WR ($479). Although not waterproof, it is splash-resistant and can be used in the rain or snow without much fear of ruining it. Another weather-resistant camera is the new Olympus Stylus 400 ($529). Of the three cameras, this has the highest resolution–4.0 megapixels. The Pentax has 3.2 and the Sony, 2.0.There’s no better way to send instant pictures than using a cell phone with a built-in digital camera–handy devices when you need to get an image out right away. Because these units are still in their infancy the resolution isn’t great–usually the phones are .3-megapixel cameras. Most lack a flash, so taking pictures in low light gives poor results.

The Siemens S55 ($500 from Fido) is the only phone that has a flash. Also, the camera unit is not integrated into the phone–it’s an external attachment, so you have to carry two units with you.

The Nokia 3650 (pictured, $349 from Rogers AT&T) is an elegant solution with a unique circular keypad and a great display. The LG 5450 ($230 from Telus) places the camera on the edge of this flip phone. It has a small mirror for taking self-portraits. Samsung’s SPH-a600 ($499 from Bell Mobility) is a fancy camera phone that features a built-in zoom as well as a flash.

All these phones can e-mail images as soon as you take them. To make this work you have to subscribe to the proper plan and be within cell coverage.