Future Technologies
NEW TECH IS RUNNING THE ROADS
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By Kenneth E. Seaton
T M AY H AV E BEEN PUBLISHED BACK IN JUNE OF 1949 BUT, FOR ALL INTENTS A N D PU R POS E S, GEORGE ORWELL’S BEST-SELLING FUTURISTIC NOVEL “NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR” READS AS IF IT WERE JUST HOT OFF THE PRESSES! Orwell’s all-knowing and all-seeing presence – a fictional character named Big Brother – and the catch slogan “Big Brother is watching you” is even more prevalent nowadays than back in 1949.
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In today’s fast paced electronic age, it is social media and not Big Brother that gathers and assimilates every word that is (allegedly) spoken or written! It also tracks almost every purchase/action that’s made or taken. Next, social media, in all its forms habitually passes out its own version of online judgement. This omniscient presence is now a part of our everyday lives and oftentimes it appears as if it can even predict the future. The trucking industry is not immune to having an eye focused on it. On the 13th of June, The Canadian Press reported that Canada’s Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau made an announcement that, “Effective June 2021, all drivers of federally-regulated commercial trucks and buses operating in Canada will be required to use electronic logging devices.” Electronic Logging Device (ELD), is a device used to automatically collect, sup-
plement and process a driver’s Record of Duty Status (RODS) and Hours of Service (HOS) data by combining driver inputs with information collected from the truck’s Engine Control Module (ECM). According to Transport Canada, 20 per cent of all fatal collisions on our roads involve driver fatigue. Garneau noted that the tamper-resistant electronic logging devices will be in alignment with U.S. road safety regulations. This is a move that’s sure to prove very beneficial for those Canadian truckers who regularly cross the border. He also stated that the ELDs would create a level playing field throughout the trucking industry, as all companies, will now have to follow the same rules. It’s also noteworthy that, ELDs can remotely transmit its stored information to its own company. And, during an inspection by DOT/MTO officers, upon request, info can be released to them. Police and
