The Onspot Blog

Drivers ruling under the laws of nature

We live in the era of automation. Have you ever thought of all these things that used to need a lot of human involvement, but today are seemingly automatic? Buying things for example. We have access to a global supply of products and services that are just a few clicks away, and we get our deliveries with very little human involvement. It’s different systems that communicate and automate that provide this convenience.

Also today’s vehicles are stuffed with systems to make usage safer and more convenient. Actually, automation technology develops at such a pace that self-driving vehicles are no longer a futuristic dream. They are here soon…

When the going gets tough and harsh winter conditions strike, the interaction between the driver and the vehicle is put to the test. In such conditions, good driving performance is not to just rely on the vehicle or driving assistance tools. Rather, it’s about instantly adapting your mindset and behavior in order to do the job effectively – in the safest way possible. Here you will get some good tips on how to deal with icy roads!

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 reflecting on those situations where traction is really crucial for your operations, you may conclude that 4x4 is not the perfect solution, but rather a compromise.

It comes every year, but it surprises us every time and often poses severe problems – of course we are talking about the winter. Everyone involved in the transportation industry knows that a lack of road maintenance and poorly equipped trucks can cause major problems and increased costs. We cannot influence the weather but we can adapt our business to the weather and to the slippery conditions.

Download the tips for efficient driving in winter weather conditions below!

Why the school bus driver is my hero

Even though I’m not a school bus driver by profession, I can clearly imagine what it’s like. That’s because I know what it’s like to be a professional truck driver. To me, truck driving could be very stimulating with a good sense of freedom, being there on my own in the cab. But I also know it could be stressful when there is an impatient receiver of the goods I carry, and something goes wrong…

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.

Why response time must be reduced

For rescue operations ‘response time’ is one of the measures for effectiveness. In emergency situations response time should be as short as possible as this could be crucial for saving lives or properties at danger. Accordingly, much effort is put into reducing response times. But actually, what is response time?

Response time is a sum of parts

The total response time could be split into three clearly different phases:

1. Dispatch time – This is the time elapsed from when an emergency call is received at the central until the rescue unit is notified.
2. Turnout time – The time from when the rescue unit is notified until it is responding.
3. Travel time – The time from responding until arriving at the incident scene.

It’s quite obvious that the potential for reducing response time will differ considerably depending on what phase we’re looking at.

Yet another complicated system for the mechanic to learn and maintain?

Most people stick to the familiar, that’s quite natural, and we feel comfortable with the working tasks we already know. We know what to do, we know how to do it and we know how long it takes. All this makes it easier to plan for the day – without ruining the coffee break…

Transport enables prosperity

A transport stoppage for just a few days is enough for large parts of our society to come to a sudden halt. Despite this, the challenges facing the transportation and logistics industries have never been so great as they are now. Lower rates, increased competition, bigger forwarders, a shortage of drivers, tighter requirements for safety and quality certification, and requirements for clean, climate-friendly transport are just some of the challenges that contractors themselves describe as obstacles to good profitability and productivity.

More than half of transportation firms in the USA and Europe have problems with profitability. How can contractors adapt their operations to the challenges they face while also achieving profitability for their own companies?