There are lots of truck drivers, and drivers in general, that use a cell phone while driving, regardless of the safety issues that arise. According to studies by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), using a cell phone while driving increases the chance of a crash by four times. That’s a lot.

One company that has begun to take this safety issue seriously is Schneider National. Recently, the company banned their truck drivers from using cell phones while behind the wheel of a moving truck. Their reason is simple: safety. So now, for Schneider drivers, if you’re going to drive, you’ve got to hang up first. And just to keep the convenience of a cell phone without the safety issues, they developed a separate mobile communications module. Schneider’s system will display the first 16 characters of a message, and if it’s urgent, the message will instruct the driver to find a safe place to pull over and call.

Is this going to be a new trend for the trucking industry? I’ll keep you posted!