What On Board Communications do you use, How do you like it?

Peoplenet...used Qualcomm at last carrier. I am not that into it to care about it. The touch screen crap is annoying though...give me a keyboard.

 

That was my complaint to, don't care for the touch screen. although the MP50 does have a usb port to plug a keyboard into it.

 

"On board communications" only work when you are in the truck. I don't care for ANY of them for that reason. If I'm home, I don't want to have to keep checking the truck to see if I've got any messages, and if I'm out somewhere waiting on load information, I am probably in a truck stop or restaurant relaxing with some food or in a store doing some shopping, and I don't want to have to keep running back out to the truck to check the status of the load info. I've got a cell phone. It receives phone calls, text messages, e-mail, and any number of other ways to communicate...and it is in my pocket when I exit the truck.

So which "on board" system do I like? NONE of them. I don't care to work for carriers that rely upon them, either...too much of an inconvenience for me.

 

Non tethered costs more.......

The crappy carriers won't pay.....

 

Our Peoplenet units have keyboards with them. Kind of nice when logging an inspection. The stupid touch screen can be finicky at times.

 

I use a cell phone. Dispatch texts info, or I can call. Works better that way.

 

In my experience people don't want me to communicate with onboard communication devices, at most for e-logs only. Half the time they won't even answer a phone, then complain that I don't call. I'd rather send a message with an onboard system, and only call in an emergency, but the only emergency that comes up is me not using a phone for no apparent reason.

I think the best setup is where they can just track my location, and not involve me in redundant communication, although I turned down a job that would have required me to go into Canada without onboard communication, get real.