Mobile technology is the wave of the future. No, not just a wave, it's an uprising! Quite simply, mobile technology is transforming how truckers go about day-to-day life. In five years, we're going to look back on the bulky PCs, in-cab laptops and accessories, and ask ourselves, "Holy cow, we used to live and work with that!?! How did we even get by!?"

"The future is here and it's in your pocket."

So says Wired magazine, referring to mobile phones and mobile applications, or "apps." They're right. There are apps for routing and mapping, apps for payment and banking, and apps for Skype and Twitter. And many, many more that offer unique and diverse features and functions.

Mobile technology will transform the way trucking does business. In fact, experts say by 2013, more people will use their mobile phone to access the Internet than their PC, while mobile penetration will skyrocket to 6.5 billion connections by 2014. Those are mind-blowing figures! Yet these stats are just the tip of the iceberg; they only hint at some of the exciting ways mobile technology will make life easier for tomorrow's trucking industry.

As the popularity of smartphones grow, so will the kind of apps that help carriers and shippers spark ecommerce, enhance productivity, and build relationships online with millions of other mobile users. Gartner, Inc. a top information technology research company, says application downloads may reach 4.5 billion by the end of 2010, and exceed 21.6 billion by 2013. But, these aren't just numbers. Having the ability to download a toolbox of apps with a single mobile device will literally put the power in your hands ¾ the power to manage your business anytime, anywhere. How much you take advantage of mobile technology is limited only to your imagination, because "there is an app for that".

It's clear that mobile phones aren't just for making calls anymore. The speed, ease-of-use, affordability, and convenience of today's mobile technology not only enhances life, but has the potential to elevate your everyday approach to trucking. Millions (4.6 and growing!) of mobile users can't be wrong. What they know is that doing a better job at work and life is as easy as reaching in their pocket, pulling out their iPhone, Blackberry, or Palm Pre and getting online.