Congress Eyeballs Truckers and Their On-Board Computing

In the name of supply chain efficiency, companies continue to ask truck drivers to respond to and enter more electronic data while driving. Now Congress is eyeing whether the in-the-cab-computers pose too much road risk to other motorists.

Advances in technologies allowed these companies to gain huge efficiencies in supply chain planning and inventory management, freight routing, on-board wireless communications, cargo and vehicle tracking, and reducing theft and loss.

All of these advances have certainly improved the core and critical decision-making by the drivers operating the vehicles. But some of those technologies and devices that call for driver interaction and attention have created a vexing unintended consequence-and are now coming under intense scrutiny from lawmakers.

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