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How Bluetooth Can Improve Your Life While Trucking

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June 21, 2024

How Bluetooth Can Improve Your Life While Trucking

Every year, roads are getting packed with more vehicles and worse traffic. And with more drivers comes more accidents.

It seems today that some people are almost incapable of ignoring their phones. Because of this, taking the necessary precautions to avoid distracted driving caused by phone use is important. While this applies to all drivers, it might be doubly so for truckers. 

In 2012, The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) put forth a rule for all Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers restricting the use of cell phones while driving. Specifically, a driver cannot hold a cell phone while making a phone call, and cannot use more than one button press to initiate a call. This rule came after their research showed that a driver is six times more likely to be in a crash, near-crash, or veer from their lane while operating a cell phone. Failure to comply can result in fines of up to $2,750 for the driver and $11,000 for the company. On top of this, multiple offenses may result in a driver disqualification by the FMCSA.

Reducing Accidents With Safe Phone Use

Unfortunately, many truckers will need to make calls to coordinate with their bosses, supplies, and customers while on the road, so how do they go about this in a way that doesn’t break the law or put themselves, and others on the road, in danger?

Federal guidelines include the “one-touch rule”, stating that if you make a phone call, select music, or send a text, it must be done with only one touch of your phone. The FMCSA wants you to:

  • Be sure the mobile telephone is close enough to use while wearing a seat belt.
  • Use an earpiece or the speaker phone function.
  • Use voice-activated dialing.
  • Use the hands-free feature.

Telematics in Trucking with Bluetooth

For those who don’t have the luxury of an onboard Bluetooth system, a state-of-the-art device could pay for itself many times over in the trouble it can save.

By mixing GPS tracking and Bluetooth communications, fleets can enter the growing world of telematics. Telematics integrates improved communication tools with GPS devices. This allows fleet managers to monitor valuable driver information in real-time such as driver location, traveling speed, and behaviors such as speeding and hard braking. This allows fleets to target and monitor the overall success of their safety initiatives. By ensuring their drivers have the safest and most efficient GPS-telematic solutions, they can reduce the time drivers spend on their phones and contribute to keeping the roads and their businesses safe.

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