LOS ANGELES--()--Things are looking up for the trucking industry. The American Trucking Associations anticipates that U.S. companies will bring on nearly 100,000 new drivers each year, for the next ten years1. However, the boom in business is not without challenges. The industry is plagued by government regulation, demanding customers, critical driver shortages and increased economic pressure. In response, truckers are increasingly leveraging mobile communications technologies to get ahead.
“With eVoice, our truckers can simply dial one central toll-free number to reach dispatch, accounting, or recruiting departments. The second a delivery is confirmed, our team uses eFax® to send signed confirmation to our offices, ensuring a more efficient tracking and payment process.”
Mobile phones and tablet computers are becoming staples for truckers on the road. In fact, according to a recent survey2, 57% of truckers use their phones more for daily business this year than they did last year. Mobile devices and industry specific apps help improve safety and reduce costs. In addition, technology helps drivers stay connected to family and friends during the long periods they spend away from home.
Rose Shuttleworth of Scottsdale, Arizona-based Taiko Trucking, Inc. says eVoice® is vital for daily communication with her trucking fleet in Canada. “With eVoice, our truckers can simply dial one central toll-free number to reach dispatch, accounting, or recruiting departments. The second a delivery is confirmed, our team uses eFax® to send signed confirmation to our offices, ensuring a more efficient tracking and payment process.”
eFax, an online fax service and eVoice, a virtual phone service—both brands of j2 Global, Inc. (NASDAQGS: JCOM)—understand that trucking professionals need tools that help them manage the demands of their jobs without compromising their safety on the road.
To manage communications on the go, here are five tips from eVoice and eFax:
1. Eliminate distracted driving – Federal regulations aim to keep drivers safe. A virtual phone system allows you to manage calls from customers and vendors without diverting attention from the road. Take advantage of automated features such as personalized greetings, voicemail, call routing, and call screening to maintain your professional image while remaining safe.
2. Use your mobile phone camera for on time delivery – With mobile fax apps there is no need to find a traditional fax machine at a truck stop or local store. Just point, shoot and fax using a mobile fax app to send important paperwork without leaving the cab. Read incoming faxes right on your phone as well, without detouring from your schedule.
3. Stay on course with call recording – Answering calls while on the road makes it difficult to track important details from customers, shippers or dispatch. Record calls to capture directions, route changes or detailed instructions. With the push of a button, virtual phone systems record calls to get the details right the first time, avoiding errors or potentially costly miscommunication with customers or vendors.
4. Avoid phone bill potholes with mobile apps – With limits on most phone and data plans, staying connected can lead to mobile phone bill shock. A virtual phone system with a VoIP app can transfer calls from your network carrier to the Internet whenever WiFi is available, drastically reducing the number of minutes used in every billing cycle and keeping mobile costs at a minimum.
5. Over the road and through the cloud – A digital fax service makes it easy to manage important documents and access them from anywhere. Set up your own folders in the cloud for storing documents or simply search to find a specific document or group of documents. Tag receipts, invoices and load slips with keywords to make them easier to group or find later. And, with an online fax service that offers lifetime storage, you can easily refer back to these documents anytime for expense reimbursement, compliance or tax time.
For more information, please visit the eFax blog at http://blog.efax.com/ and the eVoice blog at http://blog.evoice.com/. Podcast interviews are available at http://feeds.feedburner.com/eFaxPodcasts.
1American Trucking Associations November 2012 Truck Driver Shortage Update: http://www.truckline.com/StateIndustry/Documents/Driver%20Shortage%20Update%20November%202012.pdf
2A survey of 6,000 active transporters on uShip was conducted in August 2011 and reflects respondents’ mobile usage patterns, dependencies and preferences: http://blog.uship.com/Freight_Flow_Index/uShip_Survey_2011.pdf
About eFax
eFax is a brand and registered trademark of j2 Global, Inc. (NASDAQGS:JCOM). Individuals and small businesses can learn more about sending and receiving faxes online at www.efax.com. For medium to large businesses with 10 to 10,000 employees or high volume faxing needs, more information is available at www.efaxcorporate.com.
About eVoice
eVoice is a brand service and trademark of j2 Global (NASDAQGS:JCOM.) eVoice, one of the industry's leading virtual phone services, offers a wide selection of local or toll-free numbers and is the only phone service of its type to offer personalized U.S.-based VIP setup and support for new accounts. eVoice is online at www.evoice.com.
About j2 Global™
Founded in 1995, j2 Global, Inc. provides cloud services to individuals and businesses around the world. j2 Global's network spans 49 countries on six continents. The Company offers Internet fax, voice and email solutions. j2 Global markets its services principally under the brand names eFax®, Onebox®, eVoice®, FuseMail®, Campaigner®, KeepItSafe® and CampaignerCRM™.
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