Can we Talk Ho?

Your all probably wondering just how a company with several hundred trucks would be able to talk to each driver in a single day. Well Ho's we very rarely talk to anyone at the company unless its an emergency. Through out the trucking world several of the companies use one of a couple systems to communicate. Once again I'll only address the one unit found more commonly, and the only one I've ever used.
Qualcomm, yes the same company found on the San Diego Chargers home field, and on many a cell phones is the unit of choice for trucking companies. The picture below is the device found in a huge majority of trucks out on the road.

It's a simple keyboard with touch screen that relays messages, and GPS location
through satellite. It's referred to as a qualcomm (Duh). It's capable of sending email messages also, but that would be about the extent of it's Internet capabilities. It's use is more Instant messaging than anything else.
Now what exactly will it do? It can with in seconds tell a company where your at, if your truck is moving, how fast it's going, how much fuel it's using, etc.. If there is any info stored on your company database concerning pickup and deliveries, including the directions on hand it can also relay that to the driver. It's fairly simple to learn, and the first thing a company will tell you is to use your qualcomm to talk to your driver manager(we already covered what a driver manager is, and does on previous blogs). The best part of having a qualcomm, is if you jack something up because of what someone has sent you, for instance to go this way, or pick up that and then tries to say that wasn't so then your unit becomes your proof. It will save any and all messages for up to 6 months. So, If your driver manager, or travel agent as I like to refer to them, lies then you have a truth machine. Honey, Driver managers are some lying somabiatches.
I've fired off a many of hot peanuts, and have learned to master one of the two games, (solitaire, and free cell) it does have embedded in every unit.
This system can be a safety net, in case you become lost or disabled. If your truck has just a few amps left on the battery your qualcomm will work, and allow you to get help.

The quickest way to identify Qualcomm equipped trucks? Look to the top, and rear of the sleeper for a white round unit that looks like this.

Oh, also the turn around for response to messages, and the options available for the trucking industry provided by Qualcomm vary. The more money you pay the faster the response, and the more things that may be monitored.

If I've left anything out I'm sorry. Things like this are second nature I fail to remember that I once was a "Rookie".

Which brings me to my next blog on being a good buddie. "Rookie's" this is an I.D. used on the C.B. to identify a brand new, first time, straight out of truck driving school driver!
So ho's let's talk, and Ride