As the freight industry wrestles with a labor shortage and lobbies for looser age restrictions in an effort to widen the talent pool, a Trucks.com article by John Carione confirms that technology is driving change as well as changing the way new truckers learn to drive.

Carione, vice president of marketing at IntelliShift, a company that provides connected vehicle and asset operations, points out that nothing compares in efficacy to coaching and mentorship. However, providing such opportunities in the trucking industry can be challenging because workers make most trips alone. Increasingly, more freight companies are looking to artificial intelligence as a training solution, Carione explains.

AI-powered video systems can help develop trucking trainees' skills by alerting them of seen and unseen dangers on the road and providing real-time guidance. Moreover, Carione writes, "Fleet analytics can discover patterns in the mistakes new drivers are making. That offers companies insight into how they can improve training and development. It also can provide a roadmap for adjustments in hiring and onboarding drivers."

And in the event of a crash, advanced in-cab technology can capture infallible records, which may prove valuable when companies are confronted with accidents and other liability cases.