According to the Pew Research Center, one-third of U.S. adults own a smartphone. With smartphones dominating the consumer market, it is more possible now than ever to conduct business while on the move. What does this mean for the transportation industry? It means drivers can have the increased ability to communicate transit information to agents and carriers, while agents can have a snapshot of every load they've brokered in their pocket. In essence, mobile applications provide the opportunity to take a streamlined approach to operational efficiency in the transportation industry.

Once a new technology tool becomes embedded in the business world, one tends to forget the doubt and confusion that marked its debut. As anyone over the age of 30 will recall, companies once debated the value of having websites. Early users of the internet were actively hostile to the notion of a network that was created for the defense and academic communities being co-opted by the commercial sector. Now, of course, any business that isn't on the internet is either utterly clueless or not serious about being a success. Yet we seem to be having the same debate all over again, this time centering on the proper role of social media.