New Technology in the Trucking Industry
Sheila Hanson
Southern New Hampshire University
English Composition II (Eng.123)
Professor McIntyre
December 15, 2014

New Technology in the Trucking Industry
Drivers who travel the interstate have shared the road with an 18 – wheeler, which incorporates a large portion of the transportation service industry (also known as the trucking industry), and have witnessed firsthand new technology working not only to protect the driver but you as well. New technology is defined as the specific methods, materials, and devices used to solve practical problems. Research has shown that new technology has been both helpful and harmful in changing the trucking industry, but was needed. The electronic log, an electronic clearance system (also called PrePass), and the on-board computer (also called EOBRs which stands for Electric On-Board Recorder) are some of the new technologies implemented by the trucking industry that are designed to improve safety, productivity, and help the trucking industry keep up with the changes of the manufacturing and distribution industry's choice to keep a lower level of inventory on hand by using the just-in-time business practice.
The following table illustrates the major changes to the trucking industry by Congress that required new technology, in order for the trucking industry to comply with the new regulation.
Table 1-History of Changes in the Trucking Industry Date | Event | 1935 | Congress passed the Motor Carrier Act. This gave the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) authority to regulate the motor carriers and drivers involved in interstate commerce by granting operating permits, approving trucking routes, and setting tariff rates. | 1967 | Department of Transportation (DOT) is created.Through the Office of Motor Carriers and the National Traffic Safety Administration, DOT oversees a