![]() Sometimes the feature works quite well, especially if you have a microphone very close to your mouth. Many Bluetooth devices have similar functionality. For smartphones, including iPhone and Android, most headsets include a button that activates the standard software enabling voice dialing. Most options, both wired and wireless, offer some degree of voice recognition. But older, noisier ones can muffle the driver's voice, making for an irritating conversation. ![]() In newer, quieter cabs, the system works pretty well. The system has its benefits: hands-free auto answering, and sound piped in nice and loud through the truck's speakers. Peterbilt and Kenworth offer an in-dash navigation/infotainment system that offers hands-free Bluetooth capability it will be standard on trucks with premium interior trim packages. For instance, Western Star began offering them as an option in four truck models. However, OEMs are starting to offer them as an option. They'll run over $100 per unit at the low end. Cobra recently introduced an ultralight Bluetooth headset advertising 20 hours of talk time.Īn interesting third option is coming onto the market: Bluetooth-enabled radios built into the dash, available from companies such as Cobra and TRP Parts. Big names include Jawbone, Plantronics and Motorola. Many companies manufacture devices with Bluetooth capability, and it's wise to do some shopping around to find the right one for your company. It's important to note that Bluetooth is a technology standard (named, by the way, after a 10th century Danish king remember for his affinity for blueberries), not a manufacturer of devices. According to Schenk, these negatives lead many companies to prefer the lower-tech wired headsets. ![]() And if you're charging the device, reaching for it to take a call is defeating the point. The devices are chargeable, but real estate on the dash is limited in most trucks. Battery life varies between devices, but is usually 6-8 hours of talk time. In order to work, it always has to be on, and it might not last an entire 11-hour shift if your driver likes to yak. Multiply that by several hundred drivers at a large carrier and fleet managers might wince. "A nice Bluetooth headset with noise reduction is about $50," said Christian Schenk, vice president, product marketing with Xata. Also, Bluetooth is compatible with virtually all phones, save the odd throwback brick still in use by the technically challenged.īut although these devices may seem attractive, there are some serious drawbacks, cost being first. Worn on the ear, the small sets offer similar push-button answering, and can be set up for more convenient auto-answer. Wireless headsets, mostly Bluetooth, will likely be more attractive to drivers. Fumbling to get tiny earbuds into to your ears is clearly a distraction from the road. It may irritate some users, and in order to be compliant, drivers will have to wear the device continuously. The main drawback, obviously, is the wire. Most devices are similar to this layout, although some simpler headsets lack an on-wire button and require the user to touch the phone to answer. When getting an incoming call, the user needs only to press the middle button to answer, then press again to hang up. The familiar white earbuds come equipped with a small three-button switch along the wire. Often the standard headset that comes with the device will keep drivers compliant.įor example, the standard headset for the iPhone works very well for hands-free communication. The most basic option for going hands-free is a wired headset plugged into the cell phone. And in a world where an estimated 70% of drivers are already equipped with mobile devices (45% of them smartphones), expenses will mostly come down to buying accessories as opposed to brand new phones and other primary equipment. The good news is the market is already rife with off-the-shelf, hands-free solutions, and a few companies are offering truck-specific solutions. Although it is likely that the final publication will get pushed back, the ban on handhelds is coming, and carriers should get prepared for compliance. The regulation is currently winding its way through the rulemaking process, with a scheduled publication date in mid-October. ![]() Carriers that allow their drivers to use hands-on devices would be subject to an $11,000 fine. The proposed rule includes penalties of $2,750 for each violation and disqualification of their commercial driver's license for repeat offenders. Last December, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration introduced a proposed rulemaking that would prohibit commercial drivers from reaching for, holding or dialing a cell phone while operating a commercial vehicle. ![]()
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