QYou were acquired by IBM Corp. in 2015. What did IBM purchase?
AIBM acquired our business solutions group, our adver- tising business that is now Watson Advertising, and
The Weather Channel’s digital properties, which include
the Weather Channel app, Weather.com, and Weather
Underground. IBM did not acquire the Weather Channel
broadcast network.
Q Truck fleets for years have relied on National Weather Service (NWS) reports and other sources of secondary
research to help plan routes and driver schedules. Can you
describe how your service works and how it differs from
what’s already out there?
AOur operations dashboard com- plements the data provided by the
National Weather Service with weather
information tailored to specific customers. Additionally, we go beyond zone
forecasts and can provide temporal and
spatial resolution, offering a forecast over
more than 2. 2 billion locations around
the entire globe. This means that drivers
can understand what is ahead of them no
matter what their destination.
QHow do you define ROI (return on investment) for your service, and can
you provide an example of how a customer has benefited from using it?
AWhen we look at ROI for trucking, we consider two key issues: accident prevention and delay mitigation.
Combining both issues, here’s an example of potential ROI
for a 5,000-truck fleet. There were over 430,000 large-truck
accidents on U.S. roadways in 2014. That means accidents
affected about 4 percent of the estimated 11 million large
trucks on the road that year. Using that ratio, an operator of a 5,000-truck fleet can expect 200 accidents a year.
If that operator arms drivers with advance knowledge of
expected hazardous weather, they are able to plan around
it or at least be adequately prepared for it. This knowledge
can reduce accidents by at least 5 percent, at an estimated
cost of $148,000 per accident. This results in a $1.5 million
savings for the company.
When it comes to delay mitigation, it is estimated that the
average cost of congestion is $5,664 per truck in the U.S.
With advance weather knowledge, coupled with our traffic
flow and incident data, we are seeing at least a 5-percent
reduction in delays. This converts to $1.3 million in annual
savings for the same 5,000-truck fleet.
Q Can you describe a solution that you would provide to a carrier?
A A typical solution would involve a combination of ser- vices. Drivers and driver business leaders would have
access to our “Operations Dashboard” app to track weather
and traffic on their routes before they drive. This situational
awareness would help them select the right routes, maximize their hours of service, and increase safety. In addition,
driving alerts are designed to notify drivers via their in-cab
telematics systems when hazardous weather is reported on
the road ahead. This lets the drivers stay focused on the
road but anticipate conditions that will
impact both travel speeds and safety by
giving them time to change or pull off the
road if conditions warrant. Additionally,
drivers can combine our weather and
traffic data with their own dispatch and
asset tracking displays.
QWhat non-IT tips would you give to fleets to help them get ahead of the
elements?
AWe like to say that drivers should “brief before you drive.” Pilots don’t
enter a cockpit without a weather briefing, and neither should drivers. With
the tools available today, drivers can be
better prepared for what lies ahead if they take a minute to
review traffic flow, traffic incidents, and the expected road
weather conditions before getting in the cab. A quick review
during a drop-and-hook or after a fuel stop can improve
situational awareness for the next several hours.
Q What was the catalyst to extend The Weather Company’s reach into truck transport?
AFor 40 years, we have worked with global airlines to provide the foundational weather tools used in their
daily operations. The extension into surface transport
seemed natural, especially with IBM’s deep roots serving
the industry. The two industries parallel each other more
than is visible, and it has everything to do with route optimization, enhanced safety, and maximized performance
and efficiency. Ground drivers are the pilots on the ground;
they have the same needs when it comes to potential
weather conditions. Add into the equation that there are
