IT hits the highway: Big rigs go high tech

If a truck left too early, dispatch could contact the driver. The system also created alerts if a given trailer hadn't left by the end of the three-hour dispatch window. By using the technology, J.B. Hunt was able to meet the terms of its contract. No books were delivered early -- or late.

That's just a simple example of how technology is beginning to transform the trucking business -- and just in time. Faced with rising fuel costs, tighter regulation and fierce competition (there are more than 800 trucking companies in the U.S.), major carriers are beginning to adopt a constellation of emerging technologies that promise to improve efficiency and safety while helping them comply with federal safety and labor regulations.

The technologies include enhanced systems that monitor and communicate vehicle conditions and performance, enhanced GPSs that keep tabs on tractors and trailers, and safety systems that issue warnings or even take action to help drivers avoid an accident -- all working in real time.

"Productivity solutions have arrived," says Palmer, adding that J.B. Hunt has invested in many of them. Most of the technologies coming out today have been evolving for five to 10 years. Not all of them are ready for the road, she says, but many are close enough that she expects the company to adopt them more broadly in the next few years.

In some cases, the technology has finally matured enough for production use; in others, the prices have finally dropped to the point where carriers can justify the extra cost. Here's a look at what's already here -- and what's coming.