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Truckers know: Technology has come to the trenches By Don Hunt When Randy Suther first climbed into an 18-wheeler in 1968, communication with his home base was achieved by phone, and communication with other drivers was accomplished with hand signals. "A lot of the trucks didn't even have CBs back then," says Suther, who works for Combined Transport trucking company of Central Point. These days, Suther and his fellow drivers use cellular phones and a messaging system known as a "Highway Master." Also attached to the computer is a global positioning system that tells the company's headquarters where all 250 of its trucks in 48 states and Canada are located. Some of the trucks -- the extra-wide, heavy-hauling ones -- also have fax machines aboard that can put a special permit into a driver's hands within minutes. If anyone doubts that technology has come to the trenches, truckers know otherwise. "Things have changed an awful lot over the past 30 years and even the past five years," says John Card, who owns Combined Transport along with his four brothers. The company hauls huge quantities of glass to mirror manufacturers and also transports building materials such as steel and lumber. "The days when drivers and dispatchers get into arguments over what time the driver left and what route he was on this day or that day are over," Card says. "Now, everything's in black and white. The (computer) system resolves conflicts." Card admits there was concern among his company's drivers that the "Highway Master" system could invade their privacy when it was installed four years ago. Some drivers found it chilling to think that their boss had so much information about their whereabouts. And with some trucking companies beginning to monitor fuel mileage and other driving performance habits through their computer systems, drivers are apt to get even more nervous in the future. Suther, 56, has a word of advice: Relax. "All of this new stuff gives me more time to sleep instead of babysit the telephone," he says. "It gives me more time to sleep so I can do my job more efficiently. "And besides, I've got nothing to hide." Adds Card: "This isn't so much to keep an eye on our drivers as it is to communicate with them faster and more efficiently." Even a trucker's trusty log book, which keeps a record of how many hours and how many miles he or she covers each day and each week, is beginning to give way to computerized versions. Federal law limits drivers to 70 hours over an eight-day period. They must then take a day off. "It's real important to keep track of time and manage it efficiently," Card says. "Having that (log book) data in our system would help us out." Card says his company's "Highway Master" system soon will interface with the trucks' engines for preventive maintenance purposes. Other traditionally low-tech businesses also are jumping on the computer bandwagon. Mark Cromwell, owner of Rosario's Italian Deli & Restaurant, does virtually all of his business on the computer. "We take all of our orders on computer now," says Cromwell, who employs 14 people. "The cooks love it -- they don't have to decipher sloppy handwriting." Cromwell also uses his computer to track which dishes sell and which don't. "I can pull up the numbers from last month or last year and find out how many orders we sold for every item on the menu," he says. "If we have a weak dish, we can get rid of it." Cromwell also uses the Internet to search for recipes and cookbooks. Another business owner who would be discombobulated without his computer is Eric Bell, a general contractor from Medford. Bell has a laptop in his truck that he uses to design jobs, prepare bids and do accounts receivable. "I don't have a drafting table to do design work, so I'm computer-dependent," Bell says. "My computer went down last summer and it threw my life into chaos. I didn't have it for a month and it was disastrous." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA