Internet of Things Reaches Into the Trucking Business

Saia-Intel truck-tracking project shows the growing relevance of connecting the Web to supply chains

By Erica E. Phillips - The Wall Street Journal, Apr. 29, 2015 – 

The Internet of Things, it seems, is coming to your local truck stop.

Recently, Saia LTL Freight Inc. began employing Internet-enabled Intel Corp. technology on its fleet of more than 3,000 trucks. Sensors installed on Saia?s vehicles enabled the company to track maintenance needs, driver safety, fuel usage and several other metrics in real-time.

Previously, those sensors recorded information on fuel consumption and other "vital statistics" on engine and driver performance, but the data was only gathered intermittently. Whenever trucks were in the shop for routine maintenance, for example, company analysts would plug a cable directly into the truck and download the information. That happened roughly monthly.

 Back