The emergence of wearable technology, such as smartwatches, has given consumers a new way to communicate, track their health and process payments, but some fleets and technology suppliers believe these devices also can serve as valuable tools in trucking operations.

As capacity tightens and government regulations make drivers’ time even more valuable, carriers and shippers are embracing technology to choose the most profitable and efficient shipping lanes, set rates and reduce empty miles.

Whether carriers are preparing to meet the final requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act to comply with size regulations in states, technology providers said tracking technology can help operators comply with those regulatory requirements.

Technology companies clearly need programmers and developers who can write computer code, but that is only the start.

Chase Plante, Derrick Henderson and Luis Silva began their careers at technology companies as college interns.

Tech talent is in high demand at the technology companies that serve the freight transportation industry, representatives from several companies said.

Carriers feel constant pressure to keep up with the latest technology, but choosing when and how to invest precious capital is not easy. There’s no simple tried-and-true formula for calculating the return on investment. One size doesn’t fit all in this industry.

Even when investment returns are calculated accurately, there are pitfalls that can keep companies from gaining all of the expected paybacks. One danger is creating ROI numbers based on a full-fleet installation and then deploying the technology to only part of the fleet.