The summer is here and so are the season's challenges. We at Onspot are very concerned about our colleagues and customers in the transportation industry. During the winter months we want you to have good traction and during the summer months we also want you to be safe. This is especially true when it comes to making sure that you and your cargo are protected in the best way possible. That´s why I want to share some useful tips with you out on the roads this summer.
There has been much attention paid to autonomous cars and trucks recently. In a world where more and more things, e.g. trucks, are connected, technology constantly pushes the boundaries. What seemed like science fiction yesterday is now literally waiting around the corner. From a professional driver’s perspective, there are other concerns: Will autonomous trucks be a threat to my job? Actually, truck autonomy could really improve the working conditions for drivers.
Several companies are involved in projects with unmanned aerial vehicles, also called drones. How will the use of drones impact the global transportation industry? Here are a few pros and cons.
"...You don’t even have to stop your truck. Flip the switch, overtake the others and steadily drive up the slope... And in the end the road was mine – at least for a while…". Karsten Glaschick (KaSaTrans e.K.)
Is finding new truck drivers an impossible task? At least it seems like that if we look at reports from many countries – all concluding that carrier companies have a hard time finding qualified truck drivers to hire. But, what’s the reason for this shortage of drivers? Of course, there is not a single answer to that, and besides, reasons differ from country to country and from region to region. However, I think that the solution to the problem is most certainly many-sided.
Black ice on the road is rightly considered very dangerous when driving. Still, many drivers are not watchful enough in weather conditions where there is the risk of black ice. But, what is this black ice – and what should I know about it?
Typically, black ice is invisible. It’s a thin coating of glaze ice on the road surface. Since it’s thin and transparent, the black road surface is clearly seen through it, and that is why it’s called blackice.
The typically low levels of noticeable ice pellets, snow, or sleet surrounding black ice means that areas of the ice are often practically invisible to drivers. Accordingly, the driver is not prepared of the slippery road area, and there is a risk of unexpected loss of traction. This in turn may result in subsequent accident.
Black ice sometimes forms from super-cooled rain which freezes into ice and constitutes a particular risk to winter traffic because it is extremely slippery and hard to spot. The temperature may be above freezing but the road surface may still be slippery.
The road surface can be well below freezing temperature – while the vehicle thermometer suggests it is not freezing.
When purchasing a new vehicle, 4x4 is an option to consider. No wonder, it’s a familiar and well-tried solution with good features for safer driving – but it’s easy to ignore its weaknesses believing there’s no better alternative.However, when thinking about situations where traction is crucial for your operations, you may conclude that 4x4 is not the perfect solution, but rather a compromise.
The fact that schedules and deadlines are critical for transport operations is not news. Missed deadlines could mean profit loss and even lost contracts but may also result in causing a bad reputation for the company. The professional driver is well aware of this and knows how to keep up their schedule. However, missed deadlines may occur due to instances beyond the control of even the best drivers. There are different ways to deal with the possibilities of these unfortunate circumstances.