Until recently, television has been a rare treat for drivers on the road. It’s mostly been enjoyed in drivers’ lounges – where program choices are dictated by majority vote as opposed to individual tastes – or on rare evenings when a driver checks into a hotel.
But new advances in reliable high-quality satellite TV systems are allowing more drivers to catch their favorite shows in the privacy of their sleeper cabs. Also, more progressive fleets are viewing in-cab television as a shrewd way to attract new drivers and keep good ones.
Why now?
The adoption rate of in-cab satellite TV entertainment has grown significantly over the past couple of years, says Lance Platt, chief executive officer of EpicVue, an in-cab satellite TV provider. Platt says the overall market for live television service in trucking is dominated by the long-haul segment.
“Long-haul drivers that are away from home for extended periods are most affected by quality-of-life issues that EpicVue is targeting,” he says. “Prior to EpicVue, there was not a formalized program for fleet companies to provide live satellite television to drivers, and therefore, very few drivers were able to benefit from the service.”
