Trucking in the Age of Information provides a comprehensive overview of the contemporary trucking industry. Prior research on trucking has focused on the effects of deregulation on the industry, but the industry's current transformation is driven by information technology, emerging business strategies, globalization of commodity production and the rise of package express and logistics. The volume brings together acknowledged and emerging scholars of the industry including Thomas Corsi (University of Maryland), Chelsea White III (Georgia Tech), Starr McMullen (Oregon State University), Will Mitchell (Duke University), Jeff Liker (University of Michigan), Francine LaFontaine (University of Michigan), Kristen Monaco (California State University at Long Beach) and Michael Conyngham (International Brotherhood of Teamsters) to address issues including technological change, third party logistics, lean trucking, driver safety and health, homeland security and the consolidation of trucking services. Each chapter provides an overview of industry issues and a discussion of current research.

Long-haul trucks have been described as sweatshops on wheels. The typical long-haul trucker works the equivalent of two full-time jobs, often for little more than minimum wage. But it wasn’t always this way. Trucking used to be one of the best working-class jobs in the United States. The Big Rig explains how this massive degradation in the quality of work has occurred, and how companies achieve a compliant and dedicated workforce despite it. Drawing on more than 100 in-depth interviews and years of extensive observation, including six months training and working as a long-haul trucker, Viscelli explains in detail how labor is recruited, trained, and used in the industry. He then shows how inexperienced workers are convinced to lease a truck and to work as independent contractors. He explains how deregulation and collective action by employers transformed trucking’s labor markets--once dominated by the largest and most powerful union in US history--into an important example of the costs of contemporary labor markets for workers and the general public.

A behind-the-scenes look at how digital surveillance is affecting the trucking way of life Long-haul truckers are the backbone of the American economy, transporting goods under grueling conditions and immense economic pressure. Truckers have long valued the day-to-day independence of their work, sharing a strong occupational identity rooted in a tradition of autonomy. Yet these workers increasingly find themselves under many watchful eyes. Data Driven examines how digital surveillance is upending life and work on the open road, and raises crucial questions about the role of data collection in broader systems of social control. Karen Levy takes readers inside a world few ever see, painting a bracing portrait of one of the last great American frontiers. Federal regulations now require truckers to buy and install digital monitors that capture data about their locations and behaviors. Intended to address the pervasive problem of trucker fatigue by regulating the number of hours driven each day, these devices support additional surveillance by trucking firms and other companies. Traveling from industry trade shows to law offices and truck-stop bars, Levy reveals how these invasive technologies are reconfiguring industry relationships and providing new tools for managerial and legal control—and how truckers are challenging and resisting them. Data Driven contributes to an emerging conversation about how technology affects our work, institutions, and personal lives, and helps to guide our thinking about how to protect public interests and safeguard human dignity in the digital age.

This landmark book begins with the premise that an organization must often fundamentally transform its business practices and organizational culture to fully align with and realize the value of product and process innovations. The methods and practices that are set forth give readers the tools to create the essential organizational transformations needed to meet the challenges of a complex, rapidly evolving global economy. Enterprise Transformation is organized into four parts: * Introduction to Transformation begins with an introduction and overview of the book. It then features a systems-oriented view of transformation as well as a theo-retical perspective on the forces that propel transformation and the nature in which transformation is pursued. * Elements of Transformation addresses issues of transformational leadership and organizational and cultural change. Next, it examines transformation principles and case studies relevant to manufacturing, logistics, services, research and development, enterprise computing, and quality management. * Transformation Practices focuses on transformation planning and execution, financing, bankruptcy, tax issues, public relations, and the lessons learned from a variety of transformation experiences. * Transformation Case Studies features detailed studies of Newell Rubbermaid, Reebok, Lockheed Martin, and Interface. This part also considers transformation in academia with an overview of fundamental change at Georgia Tech. These case studies demonstrate the application of principles and practices and their results. The authors of this contributed work are senior executives, leading consultants, and respected academics. Their experience in leading enterprise transformation and supporting management teams is unparalleled. Managers and executives from all industries, as well as business students, will learn about the critical tools needed to transform their organizations to keep pace with market demands and surpass competitors.

This is a must-have resource for anyone interested in the latest information about the complex field of transportation—and how it is transforming today's business environment. This wide-ranging, two-volume work explores the transportation industry in all its many guises. It demonstrates how transportation is vital to most businesses and how it facilitates trade and globalization. It also explains how transportation figures into environmental and supply chain security challenges in the modern world. The contributors get into the nitty-gritty of how the business of transportation works and who the players are. Equally important, they show why those who depend on transportation in their business cannot afford to ignore such details when seeking greater efficiency, growth, profit, and market share.

Trucking in the Age of Information provides a comprehensive overview of the contemporary trucking industry. The volume brings together acknowledged and emerging scholars of the industry, and each chapter provides an overview of industry issues and a discussion of current research.