Truckers and Social Media
Smartphone use among truck drivers has nearly doubled since 2015. Today it’s rare to find a trucker out on the road who is not carrying one. Drivers find mobile apps very useful for keeping in touch with other drivers on the same route and for receiving alerts and travel tips that can prevent accidents and slowdowns. They can even order their favorite meals ahead of time at their favorite restaurants!
Today most safety directors of trucking companies, along with drivers and operation managers, as well as dispatchers and mechanics, rely heavily on social media. Of course, depending on their job description, they each use it in different ways. The trucking industry has come to appreciate the benefits of social media in this day and age of multiplying and more complex rules and regulations — not to mention the decaying infrastructure in some areas of the country that make truck transportation less safe and secure than it used to be. Online information on the latest trucking topics and hot button issues is readily available — the challenge is to separate the fake news from the real deal. Truckers and others in the industry are happy to pass along driving tips, road detour and weather warnings, and other useful and interesting information on social media for the benefit of one and all. And it’s all free.