Heavy Hauling - Fast Facts
The trucking industry is one to three years behind in technology. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has jurisdiction over trucks while traveling on public highways. When loading and unloading freight from a truck, OSHA regulates the safety and health of the workers. Small trucking companies run their business virtually the same as they have for years. The trucking industry is slow to accept and implement technological advances.
Many cities do not allow heavy hauling trucks to drive on the city streets. The Interstate Authority, formerly known as ICC or FHWA, is permission that is granted by the federal government in order to transport regulated freight across a state line. Interstate Authority is granted by the Office of Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
A load that is transported completely within the state lines, picking up and delivering the same load without crossing the state line, is considered to be a point to point or intrastate carriage and that load is controlled on a state level. Trucking companies use trailers such as flatbeds, stretch flatbeds, spread-axle flatbeds, spread-axle single drop, single drop deck, double drop lowboy, tri-axle double drop lowboy, and multi-axle lowboys to haul heavy loads. Driver shortages coupled with the high fuel costs are hitting the trucking industry hard.
With the advancements in the inter-modal freight planning, trucking companies have begun to seek to improve their business by partnering with major railroads such as Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Technology that allows time specific delivery and the electronic tracking of cargo is on the forefront of growth in the trucking industry. Just in time inventory management by manufactures, has spurred the growth of scheduled freight contracts within the trucking industry in the United States. Mobile computers and transponders inside the cab of the truck are linked to the truck’s home office through a satellite. These devices are used to monitor goods and the vehicles and aid in increasing the efficiency of the trucking companies.
Resources: http://www.entrec.com http://www.instabriefs.com/trucking/heavy-hauling-fast-facts.php