These days, haulage companies benefit from all sorts of new-fangled technology, which makes the lives of the drivers that little bit easier. With gadgets such as satellite navigation and mobile phones at their fingertips, the world of haulage has certainly evolved. But how did haulage companies survive in the days prior to modern technology?

Two-Way Radios and Walkie Talkies.

Today, it’s so easy for haulage companies to contact their drivers when they’re out on the road, however, it hasn’t always been so simple. In the days before mobile phones, people relied on two-way radios and walkie talkies to make contact, and to find out where to go next to pick up their next load. However, this radio contact would only work within a certain radius, meaning that it was only effective if haulage work took place at a distance of about twenty miles or less from the base. So, what happened if the driving took you further afield and outside of radio communication?

Phone Cards

Haulage companies relied as much in days gone by as they do now, on filling lorries with backloads, and pointing drivers in the direction they are to go in next. However, once out of radio range, this became rather difficult. To combat this problem, drivers would be sent on their way with a pre-paid or freephone phone card. Provided they could find a working phone box on the side of the road, this phone card would allow them to make contact with the base to find out whether there were any backloads in the area. The card would also eliminate the necessity to have pockets bulging with loose change for use in phone boxes. However, unfortunately the cards were linked to the phone number of the base only, so a quick natter with the wife was never an option.

Pagers

As time went on and technology developed, the invention of pagers certainly began to make life a little easier for haulage companies. Rather than scouring the towns and countryside for a working phone box each time they made a delivery, drivers could assume that if they did not receive a page, they were free to return to the base. Unfortunately however, if a driver did receive a page, they still had to find a phone box in order to call back and find out where they were to go next. Pagers cut out a lot of the legwork for drivers whilst they were on the road, however they did not rule out use of the traditional phone box entirely.

Maps

This way of working and never being quite sure where you were going to end up next must have wreaked havoc in the days before haulage companies had access to GPS systems and satellite navigation. Drivers would have needed to be kept supplied with up to date road atlases and street maps of every region they were likely to visit, as well as needing to keep a pen and paper in the cab to write down the addresses of their deliveries. It certainly sounds easier now that Google maps and Sat Nav can do the directing.

So, life has certainly got easier for drivers and haulage companies with the introduction of technology. Filling backloads and making extra deliveries is a whole lot less hassle when you don’t have to trawl the side roads for a working phone box.

Author Bio: Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry across the UK and Europe. It provides services for haulage companies to buy and sell road transport and freight exchange in the domestic and international markets.

Category: Automotive
Keywords: haulage companies