In bygone days, Mr. Andrews would wait by a pay telephone and call his employer every 30 minutes to find out if a shipment was available. He now spends that time getting some much-needed rest in his cab. When a load is found, his employer sends an electronic message via satellite to his on-board computer, which makes a beeping noise to wake him up. The device tells him where and when to pick up the cargo and its destination. It frees up the driver s time to be able to get his rest while he s waiting on a load, Mr. Andrews said.
Satellite systems help carriers track loads as well.
Roberts Express of Akron, Ohio, handles emergency or hot shipments throughout the country. With satellite technology, it can tell customers about the location of their shipment and give them an estimated arrival time. We quote to the minute when we ll make a delivery, said Joan Hinkle, manager of marketing for Roberts Express. So we want to know where the freight is at all times. Each of our vehicles has a satellite unit on board.