Technology advances for trucking industry in for the long haul

To most drivers, trucks on the highways are inconveniences or even dangerous obstacles, but for all of us, a growing shortage of truck drivers could soon cause economic obstacles.

New technology and a long-term shortage of people willing to hit the road are putting a squeeze on shippers, retailers and eventually consumers.

“The most important thing that our industry is trying to focus on now is recruiting more individuals to become truck drivers,” said Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas Trucking Association.

The lobbyists say that the economy improves, the trucker shortage grows in impact.

Over-the-road shipping accounts for 69 percent of all domestic freight, and in Arkansas, 85,000 people work in trucking. That amounts to one out of every 11 jobs in the state.

Traditionally, the ones in the cabs and on the roads hail from an older demographic, and as they age, it’s putting a pinch on trucking companies.

“A lot of the baby boomer generation is starting to weed out,” said Malea Still, V.P. of Business Development for CalArk Trucking of Little Rock. “We try to get the drivers or the people interested in our industry. It is a very attractive industry, but to get that out there and to make it look very positive has been a challenge.”

That generation is also a resistant to new technology and the regulations enforcing it.

The federal government will soon mandate that electronic logging devices are installed in every truck within the next two years.

That will coincide with stricter guidelines on how long truckers can be on the road on a given haul.

It marks a shift away from paper logs, and the shift is driving long-time truckers into retirement. Industry observers say many are fed up by how the devices bring a government watchdog right into the cab with them.

However, the technology also has the potential to bring new blood into the industry.

“Before when they were on paper logs, it was really hard to look at that and see where they stand on their hours of service,” Still said.



“The drivers that have been forced to use them, actually don't want to give them up,” said Newton. “You and I like to have technology in our vehicles like the maps and the push button features and so things such as that are desirable to the drivers.”

But in the near-term there is a lag between getting the set-in-their-ways group of mostly smaller operators out and recruiting a new generation of drivers to hit the road.

And for the drivers there now, demand goes up. That pushes their pay higher, and that pushes up costs through the supply chain, meaning eventually we pay more for thousands of items we buy that can only be shipped over the road.

And those new regulations could make it worse before it gets better.

“Paper logs allowed some drivers to ‘make it work,’” said Newton. “The ELDs mean we're not going to be as flexible. We are going to be in compliance with the rules and I think you'll see that will have an effect on capacity.”

So the industry is preparing themselves. Still says CalArk is trying to reach high school students even though most graduates won’t be able to go into trucking for a few years after they graduate. Newton says the entire industry is trying to reach new demographic groups, like women and Hispanics. She points out the tech and creature comforts in the newest trucks make the job much easier than in past decades. And many companies promise schedules that they hope eventually change the image of a trucker as a person always rolling along to one with more of a home life.

And then there’s the money the industry is prepared to throw around to get new drivers.

“Drivers can start out making $45,000 a year and that can grow quickly depending on whether you become one of our owner-operators,” said CalArk’s Still.

Newtown says they need to get the tech and the shortage solved to avoid pain in the pocketbook.

“We're going to have to move more freight in a congested environment with the same amount of trucks,” she said. “That just doesn't work. We're going to have to have more truck drivers.”

Global air booking propels Egencia® TripNavigator to new altitudes

Egencia® announces today the global availability of mobile features that allow its travelers to now shop and book air travel with Egencia® TripNavigator. This makes Egencia the first business travel company to build its own mobile app with global air booking capability and unique personalization features for a faster, more relevant experience. Egencia travelers can now complete flight bookings in a single business travel app that is consistent across all countries and displays both individual and company preferences.

Egencia has successfully brought the technology heritage, relentless focus on user experience and innovative spirit of its parent company Expedia, Inc. into the enterprise. In 2013, Egencia launched its new app, Egencia TripNavigator, which dramatically improves the in-trip experience for business travelers. The app provides step-by-step navigation and offers integrated access to Egencia Travel Consultants. Today, 10,000 companies worldwide partner with Egencia to drive travel compliance and cost savings.

Continued innovation sees air booking take off for Egencia travelers globally

This latest development rounds off a series of innovations designed to respond to modern demands for fast, easy travel booking on the go. A recent study by Criteo, a leading digital marketing firm, shows that the share of mobile bookings almost doubled between Q2 2014 and Q2 2015, increasing from 12 to 23 percent worldwide.i Daniel Beccari, Travel Product Manager, Criteo adds, "As the demand for mobile booking grows, so will the need for a personalized experience. I would encourage all travel providers to invest in mobile and focus on building tailored user experiences."

Expedia® research shows that travelers search an average of 48 times to find the right flightii. For frequent travelers, this can add up to a significant amount of time lost in travel planning. To counter this, and meet consumer expectations for increasingly personalized digital experiences, Egencia leverages integrated technology across channels to create a faster search process.



Egencia President, Rob Greyber states, "At Egencia we continually invest in global technology that allows us focus on making business travel better. Egencia mobile air booking is unique in how it tailors the experience for each traveler. Whether booking from North America or Europe, our travelers see a curated view of options, quickly leading them to the precise flight that fits their needs."

Ground-breaking technology for a fast, personalized experience from initial search to payment

Woven into the design of the mobile air booking experience is the unique Egencia vision for personalization. With integrated global technology, Egencia uses profile and previous usage information from all online and offline channels to pre-populate the flight search form. Frequent travelers will benefit from the time saved by not having to re-enter data each time they take the same trip. This information can include frequent destinations, airports, airlines, cabin class or even payment preferences. Company policies and preferred rates are also included in this data integration.

Enhancements for a smoother ride

As Egencia develops its custom mobile application, it can create deep connections with apps that have proven track records in the consumer market. For example, the app now features in-flight amenities from Routehappy for travelers who want to ensure a flight has all the added extras they are looking for. Egencia also recently created an industry-first connection with Delta airlines for managing flight check-in directly from the Egencia mobile app.

Availability

Previously available in North America, air booking is now also available through the Egencia® TripNavigator mobile application for iOSiii in Western Europe, the Nordics, and Asia Pacific. Android versions will be available shortly. Download Egencia® TripNavigator for iPhone and iPad here. For more information on Egencia® TripNavigator, visit our website.

About Egencia

Egencia makes business travel better by making it more connected and complete. Egencia puts travelers at the heart of business travel, continuously supporting them with solutions that are more engaging and effective. Driven by consumer insights and technology investments from parent company, Expedia, Inc.

EXPE
, Egencia connects everything travelers need – content, technology, service and reporting – in one place. Egencia provides services in more than 64 countries. Connect with Egencia at www.egencia.co.uk or @Egencia and visit the Egencia Blog for more.



Read more: http://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/15/11/n5970467/global-air-booking-propels-egencia-tripnavigator-to-new-altitudes#ixzz3r5mgq9E5

Michelle Obama, Conan O'Brien talk fantasy jet rides, hair care

Michelle Obama and Conan O’Brien are doing more than just teaming up to entertain American troops at an air base in Qatar — they’re exchanging jet-riding dreams and hair tips.

The first lady and TBS late-night host engaged in a question-and-answer session with one another for People magazine in a story published Tuesday.
When O’Brien inquires whether Obama would like to have a little fun with the “cool military hardware” she’s surrounded by and take a “jet for a ride or a tank for a spin,” she offers a tongue-in-cheek response: “Absolutely not. It would be inappropriate for a first lady to even think about something like that. It would be even more inappropriate for her to ask Secret Service about it every single day for nearly seven years.



“And of course, it would be totally out of line for her to talk about it in a magazine,” Obama added. “So I'm sticking with ‘absolutely not.’ ”

The executive mansion resident then asks the ginger-hued “Conan” host about his hair-care routine during their trip.

“There's an elite branch of the Department of Defense that's been working for months on maintaining my pompadour in combat conditions,” quips O’Brien. “Let's just say billions have been spent and this may lead to a congressional inquiry.”

Obama touched down Monday in the Middle East as part of a weeklong trip to Qatar and Jordan to promote her “Let Girls Learn” global education initiative.

3 simple strategies to help you learn a new language and remember it forever

If you had hours of free time every day and thousands of dollars to spend on tutors and classes, of course you could learn a new language.

Unfortunately, that’s not the situation most adults find themselves in. As a result, many people assume they have got no chance of ever mastering a foreign tongue.

But that’s where they’re wrong. Just ask opera singer Gabriel Wyner, who achieved fluency in four languages — Italian, German, French, and Russian — in the span of just a few years. (He’s currently learning more.)

In his book “Fluent Forever,” Wyner shares the techniques that helped him maximise his time and resources on the route to polyglotism.

We checked out the book and highlighted three must-know strategies for anyone hoping to learn a new language — and never forget it.


1. Practice recalling words, not reading them.
Wyner cites a growing body of research that suggests the best way to remember something forever is to practice remembering it.

In one study, for example, students either read a list of 40 words five times or read it once and practiced recalling the words several times.

Results showed something fascinating. Although the students who read the text five times remembered more than the other group did five minutes later, the students who read the text once and then were tested remembered significantly more one week later.

The takeaway is that, if you want to cement your memory of a series of foreign words, you should read through it once and then test yourself multiple times, instead of reading and re-reading the list.


2. Use spaced repetition.
“At its most basic level,” Wyner writes, “a Spaced Repetition System (SRS) is a to-do list that changes according to your performance.”

Here’s Wyner’s example of how it works: If you can remember that “trabajo” is the Spanish word for work two months after learning it, the SRS will wait another four to six months before putting it back on your to-do list. But if you’re having trouble remembering that “computadora” means “computer” for more than two weeks, the system will put that word back on your to-list more often until you can finally remember it.



You can either create your own SRS or use one available online. (Wyner recommends Anki‘s.) If you’re going the DIY route, you can construct what’s known as a “Leitner Box,” in which you move index cards to different parts of the box depending on whether you remember them after a specified time period. (Wyner shows you how to create a Leitner Box on his website.)

The SRS is designed to make language-learning considerably more efficient. Instead of wasting time reviewing words you’ve already committed to memory, you get straight to the trickier ones.



3. Train yourself to ‘hear the unhearable.’
Before you begin building up your vocabulary, there’s a simple step you can take to make learning those new words easier. It involves a process called “minimal pair testing.”

“Minimal pairs” are words that differ by a single sound. If that sound doesn’t exist in your native language, you might not be able to distinguish between those two words right away.

In one study, researchers recruited a group of Japanese adults and asked them to push one button when they heard the word “rock” and another button when they heard the word “lock.” In the Japanese language, there’s a sound that falls right in the middle of the “r” to “l” spectrum. Unsurprisingly, the study participants could barely hear the difference between “rock” and “lock.”

The researchers then had another group of adults go through the same procedure — except the computer provided feedback every time they hit the right or wrong button. This time, results showed that the participants’ performance improved over time.

“They had learned to hear the unbearable,” Wyner writes.

If you practice minimal pair testing when you first start learning a new language, the words won’t sound foreign to you anymore and it will be easier to remember them. Plus, Wyner says, you’ll be able to understand native speakers better, meaning you’ll learn more vocabulary and grammar every time you hear someone speak the language.

On his website, Wyner shows you how to create your own minimal pair testing system. (He’s also created his own recordings of minimal pairs in different languages that you can purchase.) First, you’ll want to create a list of word pairs (check out a pronunciation book for examples) and record a native speaker saying each word. Break down those recordings into individual sound files, with one word per file.

For example, if you’re an English speaker learning French, you might use the words “rue” (street) and “roux” (red).

You can either test yourself on your ability to detect the difference between these words, or upload the sound files like flashcards into Anki.

7 ways to make Thanksgiving travel easier

Here’s some bad news for people looking to fly somewhere for Thanksgiving this year: An estimated 25.3 million people will fly on U.S. airlines during the 12-day Thanksgiving travel period (Friday, Nov. 20 through Tuesday, Dec. 1), up 3% from 2014. That’s the highest number of travelers during this period since 2007, according to Washington, D.C.-based trade organization Airlines for America.

Despite the rush, there are some things you can do to make Thanksgiving travel a little cheaper — and maybe even a little less stressful. “There are plenty of other busy days during the year. It’s really not Armageddon,” says Brian Kelly, the founder and CEO of travel site The Points Guy. “If you go into Thanksgiving travel thinking it’s going to be hysteria, you’re already giving in to the hype.”


1. Travel on Thanksgiving Day
It might not always be a desirable option, but it’s usually cheaper to fly on an actual holiday than the days preceding it — and airports are often less busy then too.

In the 12-day period Airlines for America considers “Thanksgiving travel,” the least busy is projected to be Thanksgiving Day, with 1.4 million air travelers expected compared with 2.35 million the day before.

George Hobica, the founder of travel site Airfarewatchdog, suggests flying Thanksgiving morning. “The airports are like ghost airports,” he says. “It’s much more relaxed.”

Since you’ll be cutting it close to make it by Thanksgiving dinner, Kelly of The Points Guy suggests booking the first flights available on that day, which are less likely to be affected by delays or cancellations.

And though you might miss watching the Macy’s Parade, at least no one will ask you to mash potatoes or set the table.


2. Send gifts ahead of time
The holidays are a particularly good time to travel light, as some airlines charge slightly higher baggage fees during peak travel periods.

Frontier Airlines charges $5 to $10 more for carry-on and checked bags during peak travel (which includes this holiday season), depending on whether you check in online or at the airport. Spirit Airlines will charge $2 extra per checked bag this holiday season.

Frontier Airlines’ President Barry Biffle says recent criticism of Frontier Airlines for this practice was unwarranted and a “mischaracterization” of their pricing, which even including checked-bag fees is often lower than that of other major airlines.

In an emailed statement, Spirit Airlines spokesman Paul Berry attributed Spirit’s $2 charge to the added demand for checked bags during holidays and the summer months, which means added costs for airlines handling that demand. Rather than distributing that cost among all passengers, Spirit prefers to charge only those who are checking bags, Berry said.

When possible, avoid checking a bag at all to avoid having to pay checked-bag fees, says Chris Lopinto, the president and co-founder of ExpertFlyer.com. “If you don’t need to bring it on a plane, don’t bring it on a plane,” he says. “If you’re just going for the holiday weekend, you shouldn’t be packing that much anyway.”

To that end, don’t plan to bring gifts for family members in your luggage. Instead, send them in the mail before you arrive, he suggests. You’ll also avoid the risk that TSA will unwrap a present during a luggage check.

3. Turn your bag into a tiny billboard
Still, bringing a few bags is sometimes unavoidable, and if you don’t mind turning your suitcases into advertisements, a new company called Orion Travel Technologies will pay your baggage fees.

The program won’t be available this Thanksgiving, but starting in February 2016, Orion will give travelers plastic suitcases outfitted with advertisements for free, and pay the travelers’ baggage fees on $50 reloadable gift cards. More than 100,000 travelers have signed up, says Orion’s founder and CEO Gary German.

There’s no limit to how many times each year the program can be used. Customers will be able to choose what they’re promoting from about 12 different options, including insurance, cellular data and entertainment companies, which Orion will announce soon, German says.



If you’re not into the idea of having the Geico lizard as a traveling companion, Kelly also suggests looking into airline-branded credit cards because many come with waived baggage fees. And for discounted carriers that charge extra for bags during the peak season, at least pay for checked baggage online; many charge even more when you pay at check-in.


4. Choose your airport carefully
According to Airlines for America, the busiest airports for Thanksgiving travel are expected to be (in order):

1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
2. Los Angeles International Airport ( LAX)
3. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
4. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
5. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
6. Denver International Airport (DEN)
7. San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
8. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
9. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
10. Miami International Airport (MIA)
Avoiding these airports might be the wrong idea though, Kelly says. Larger airports are better prepared for busy days and have the infrastructure to support additional passengers, when smaller airports might not.

If you’re traveling from an unfamiliar airport, make sure you know its layout before you travel so you don’t lose time trying to navigate, according to Ed Hewitt, a contributing editor for ndependentTraveler.com.


5. Streamline your boarding process
You can also cut down on time in airport lines by completing your check-in process before you travel, whether on your airline’s app or website, Lopinto says. Because different airlines have different rules for boarding — for example, on Southwest LUV, -1.02%   you must check in to secure a boarding position — check well in advance what your airline’s policy is, he says.

Frequent travelers might also want to apply for TSA PreCheck, which costs $85 and lasts for five years. If you’re approved, you’ll go through airport security faster and won’t have to remove shoes, light jackets, laptops or belts.

To apply for TSA PreCheck, travelers must fill out an application — online or in person at an application center — and make an appointment at an application center to show the required documentation and give fingerprints.


6. Upgrade your airport experience
Because business travel is less frequent over holidays, it might make sense to travel business- or first-class instead of overpaying for coach, Kelly says, especially because perks often include free checked bags and priority boarding, which can reduce travel stress.

Holiday travel can also be a good time to take advantage of access to airport lounges, which are often available as a perk for travel-branded credit cards. In addition to complimentary food and beverages, you’ll have quick access to staff who can help you rebook a flight in case of delays or cancellations, Kelly says.

7. Travel abroad
Holidays like Thanksgiving are also great times to check out fares for vacations out of the country, which may be low because of decreased U.S. demand during these times, says Airfarewatchdog’s Hobica. And just like domestic flights, if you’re flexible on dates, and even willing to leave on Thanksgiving Day, you may be able to book an international flight inexpensively, Lopinto says.

Kelly suggests looking into frequent flier discounts during this off-peak period, particularly for flights to Europe, which should be less expensive than during summer travel.

American Airlines, for example, offers a discount in miles during “off peak” travel, which will save travelers to Europe 20,000 miles from Oct. 15 to May 15.

Plus, the excitement about the destination might offset the annoyance of any baggage fees, Hobica adds. “If you’re going to get shafted anyway, you might as well go someplace exotic.”