Data On the Road: Tracking Trucking

In the late 1980s, Qualcomm Inc. made a revolutionary change by developing two-way mobile satellite communications and vehicle tracking for the commercial trucking industry. For the first time, a fleet manager could pinpoint the location of one of his assets in real time and communicate with its driver.

With the increased sophistication of digital cellular networks, motor carriers are now able track their equipment and transfer a greater volume of data and information than ever before.

Telematics is the combination of telecommunications and informatics. The term refers to a set of discrete data, such as instances of hard braking, high-speed driving, location information, diagnostic information, and hours of service.

Fleets have typically installed the necessary communication equipment on their tractors and trailers after the vehicles are built—these are often referred to as ‘aftermarket’ telematic systems.

The data from these systems are typically preserved by a trucking company after a serious collision, as it is anticipated that it will be requested during discovery.