MINNEAPOLIS -  Mobile technology’s critical role in the trucking industry was the hot topic of conversation and education among more than 400 fleet managers, owner-operators, drivers, and industry experts during XRS Corporation’s first annual Xata User Event (XUE) in Minneapolis Aug. 12 – 14.

The event provided participants with an extensive education program that highlighted mobile trends and the increasingly important role mobile technology will play in trucking, and tips on maximizing technology, improving profits and making compliance easier.

“Mobile technology is the future of the trucking industry,” said Jay Coughlan, chairman and chief executive officer of XRS Corporation. “The use of handheld devices including smartphones and tablets is exploding, and they’ve already become a crucial part of life on the road for drivers and in the office for fleet managers. The mobile revolution is undeniable. Eighty-six percent of drivers have mobile devices and 44 percent of drivers use smartphones. Our mission is to lead the mobile revolution that is transforming the trucking industry and driver experience."

During XUE, industry experts shared their insights on this hot topic with participants, including how to harness mobile technology to improve fleet management for financial success and comply with numerous regulatory changes.

The event kicked off with a keynote presentation about the mobile revolution by Steve Largent, former congressman, National Football League (NFL) Hall of Fame receiver and current president and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association, and two major announcements made by Coughlan: a new company name and direction, XRS Corporation, and the introduction of the company’s revolutionary all-mobile platform for fleet optimization and compliance, also called XRS.

XRS (which stands for Xata Road Science) is designed to help fleets and drivers capture data for two essential needs: to keep drivers and fleets compliant, and to slash costs. Employing smart technology to improve trucking is key to the future. Attendees learned that the new XRS platform runs on existing mobile devices to leverage their technology investment and consolidate data systems.

"I'm excited about XRS because it removes the need for a single mobile platform, allowing us to get to an era of ‘bring your own device'—that's been really a key driver for us in the last couple of years,” said Cliff Dixon, vice president of IT at Quality Distribution and XUE participant.

Dale Forbes, vice president of enterprise applications at Reyes Holdings and XUE participant, agrees: “From a technology perspective, XRS is in alignment to where mobile strategies are going for businesses like ours. The way it’s architected to provide a lot more flexibility is going to be really helpful for our organization.”

To demonstrate the company’s dedication to mobile technology and the new XRS platform, XRS Corporation provided free Huawei MediaPad 7 tablet computers and one month of free premium service for all participants. Rather than distributing paper hand-outs, all traditional conference materials and activities – agenda, hand-outs, speaker feedback, and even trading business cards and contact information – were run through apps loaded onto the tablets. The tablets were also loaded with the new XRS app, providing participants the opportunity to experience the new product immediately. Attendees also used the tablets to access additional information by scanning QR codes placed throughout the event.

“With the whole focus of XUE on mobility and technology, providing us with free tablet computers directly demonstrates the ease of the new XRS platform,” says Kari Bartley, director of logistics for Oldcastle and XUE participant. “Putting tablets in our hands essentially puts us in the cab of the truck seeing and using the same technology our drivers are seeing and using.”