IT hits the highway: Big rigs go high tech

Applied science

While in-vehicle technologies can produce a wealth of data and make fleets safer and more efficient, carriers are still learning how to best make use of them. "You have to have the technology, the processes and the behavior to apply it," says Gary Whicker, senior vice president of engineering services at J.B. Hunt.

While analytics can improve operational efficiency, safety systems also depend on driver acceptance. Once the technology is in place and management provides feedback to the driver, the question is whether the driver will change his behavior based on that feedback.

"Will they actually reduce hard-braking events or pay more attention to lane integrity" Whicker asks. The technologies that make it onto the road will need to pass that test first.