Truck Communication Systems

It all depends on what radio service do you want, what the terrain is how far away your trucks operate from the "Base " site.

It also comes back to what do the trucks do?

Are they general freight carriers, or Concrete Agitators, or Tippers. Garbage Trucks, Fuel Tankers or emergency service vehicles. Or you may have a mixed fleet which combines some or all of the above?

Do they come back to base after each load or do they meander around the country side from job to job?

What do you want from the communication? To Despatch the vehicles to jobs, track their whereabouts, query the drivers on eta's or inform them of changes to circumstances?

Also what communications infrastructure is available to you.

For most Transport operators, a MPT Trunking system works out better if they have the infrastructure available to them. Usually set up so that communication is only between the controller and select vehicle. Easily upgraded to provide GPS tracking information and Data transmission to the vehicles.

If your only a "local" operator then a Talk Thru system will be suitable. You might like to adopt "SelCall" to allow disciplined communication between the Operator and the vehicle and disallow chitchat between vehicles on the "Company" frequency.

My best suggestion is to contact your local Two Way Communications Company, check to make sure they have their own Shared base stations, or Have their own Base sites(if using local Talk Thru). Or are accredited agents to provide Trunking solutions.

Organise a trial operation with a Base Controller and a couple of vehicles (preferably with drivers who have good attitudes) Two weeks should be sufficient to judge the suitability or other wise.

Brands of radio to look for (in no order of preference) Kyodo(Sawtron), Kenwood, Yaesu, Motorola, Tait, Simocco(Philips TMC).

As with all things Fun costs money, how hard do you want to laugh.

In Communications its doubly so, buying or leasing crap will cost you double in the long run to buying/leasing quality.

Quality Commercial Mobile Two Way radio equipment has a planned first service life of 5 years, in 5 years time it may not be possible to get that equipment repaired (I'm an Old Radio Techie who left the "trade" to pursue other avenues because of the non repairabilty of equipment produced these days) for various factors. So leasing it with a $0.00 residual makes sense.

Your question unfortunately poses more questions in order to give you a better answer.

Hope that is of some help to you.