Truckin' Online
From: "Driver's ABC's - Surviving the First Year"
If you are anything at all like me, I can't stand the thought of not being able to access MY 'Net. Don't worry, trucking is moving right along with technology and access to the web, email, etc isn't as hard as it was just a few years ago.
You don't necessarily need a laptop to go online on the road. There are many alternatives out there.
Going Online When You're On The Road
Park N View, now TTI
This is a good deal, when you can find a truckstop that has it AND you have the time to stop and use it. First you must become a member. The membership fee is about $20.00. With the membership, you get a "kit" that includes a telephone, cable coax and 25 foot long telephone cord. At parking stalls at Park-N-View locations, (truck stops) there are yellow "bumps" that have cable & telephone connections. You hook up your telephone line and/or cable and voila! You have telephone service and cable television. Getting online from these locations is pretty easy as long as you have a local access number or a toll free number for a service provider. I would suggest you download at least several of the "freebies" before going on the road to ensure as many local access numbers as possible.
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Phones in the Truckstop
Most truckstops have a telephone room or area for drivers and many of them can be unplugged from the wall. Restaurants in truckstops commonly have this also. The problem here, though, is that while you CAN call a toll free number, you CANNOT DIAL a local number. All those local access numbers you've stored are worthless here.
You need a toll free dial up number to get online this way. Most ISP's offer the option of a toll free dial up - at additional cost, of course. Some offer a certain number of hours per month for a small extra fee.
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Gizmos
These little gadgets are wireless and easy to carry. The unit itself is in the price range of $100.00 (AFTER rebate) and also requires a monthly fee around $15-$20.00. Of course you can only send & receive plain text email.
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From A Motel Room
You can get online from most motels just like you would from inside a truckstop. You will need to check to see what must be dialed first to get an outside line - usually an 8 or a 9. I've heard that a digital line tester can be an important accessory because supposedly some motel lines can fry your modem..? I haven't had that happen to me (yet) and do not own one of these devices, but ? might be a good idea if you'll be in motels often.
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Using A Cell Phone
As far as getting online through your cell phone, it IS possible in this day & age. The fastest speed available at this point in time is 14,400 so surfing isn't exactly a fast process. It is good enough, though, if you only want to download mail. You will have to buy accessories in order to connect the phone to the laptop. (A cable that runs between $60-$100)
On the other hand, you can just buy a cell phone that is web-enabled and surf on it. You can view sites that have special cell versions. You can typically get email on the phone also.
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The following links may help you get started:
Check out this article in PC World
Sprint PCS
At & T
Harlan Penner Trucking Technology
A driver who has successfully figured out how to get online with his cell phone.
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Kiosks
There are a couple of different kinds of kiosks out there -- that do different things:
1. Full Internet Access Kiosks allow full Internet/Web access to the tune of .25 (or so) per minute. Pretty pricey, if you ask me.
A SEEMINGLY MUCH BETTER CHOICE:
2. Drivernet.com (out of business for now..? ) has kiosks in truckstops around the country that you may retrieve email, run routes and other miscellaneous driver-related information. (You must sign up for an email with them, of course) The best part? It is FREE.
Kiosks are in approximately 400 locations, including Pilot, T/A Truckstops, Petro, Ambest & others.
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Miscellaneous Links
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This article is an excerpt from "Driver's ABC's, Surviving the First Year," modified for the Web.
This article may appear in more detail or in a different format in the book version.
Copyright 2000-2007, Creative Curriculum FTTI, All Rights Reserved, no reprint without permission.
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