GTS Blog

Technology impacts practically every U.S. industry, including transportation. Yes, even an industry like trucking is subject to major changes with technological advancements, as these predictions from Andrew Schmahl's latest Forbes article demonstrate.

Here are three of the biggest trends and predictions for transportation right now:

The trucking industry is being continually hit by government regulations, fuel prices, driver shortages and capacity limits. Despite these setbacks, trucking is not going to disappear anytime soon. Can you imagine the world without trucks? Look around you – there’s probably something within eyesight that was delivered by a truck.

So, how can trucking companies recruit the next generation of drivers? Mobile technology is a great place to start, considering that half of Americans own a smartphone. The following apps, originally curated by trucking blog Nulogx, may be a great advantage to current and future truckers:

Did you know that the man who invented shipping containers, thus shaping the history of transportation, was a truck driver from North Carolina?

If you ship freight, you may be wondering why freight costs aren't dropping along with fuel prices. The truth is that several factors play into shipping, many of which go unseen. Additionally, diesel fuel prices have not dropped at the same pace that gasoline has.

The trucking industry has been facing a steady decline of available truck drivers. Much of this is caused by the fact that current truckers are baby boomers, set to retire soon.

In a post last week, GTS addressed the need for younger drivers to enter the trucking industry. However, companies struggle to attract the younger generation, commonly referred to as millennials (those born between 1980 – early 2000s). As the current driver population continues to age and retire, the demand for truck drivers is dramatically increasing. This leads to higher shipping costs, greater demand for truck space and provides the carriers with the upper hand, allowing them to be selective about what and where they ship. The carriers are being proactive, however. They have recognized the need to fill these positions and are pushing a change in mindset.

The American Trucking Association (ATA) has some ambitious goals for 2015. Earlier this year they announced that their agenda includes working on highway funding, safety fitness determination requirements for truckers and trying to solve the driver shortage in the U.S.

The debate is heating up and both sides have serious points to consider. The hot topic of conversation - longer double tractor-trailer.  A proposal in congress to increase trailer length from 28 feet to 33 feet has passed the House and will move on to the Senate. It basically comes down to two main issues, safety versus efficiency.