Please help me with A, B, C, D, and E? Long haul trucking companies are entities that develop relationships with customers (those who need goods transported over long distances200 or more miles). The trucking companies need access to trucks in order to provide service to their customers. Trucking companies either own a fleet of trucks or they develop relationships with independents these are typically individuals who own a truck. When a company manages its own fleet, its main concerns are: Making sure the trucks are in good condition and that care is taken by the driver who uses the truck (s/he doesnt beat the truck into the ground with aggressive and careless handling). The longer the life of the truck, the higher the trucking companys returns are. Coordinating the fleet so that capacity is generally available in markets in which trucking services are most demandedthat is, the trucking company would like to be in the right place (or places) at the right time. For example, the dispatcher at the trucking company may coordinate routes to provide the most flexibility to serve additional customers who may arise on short notice. When the truck is utilized more, the companys returns are higher.

A. Whose trucks would you believe are in better condition on averagethose that belong to the trucking company or those that belong to an independent owner/operator and why? Please give at least one example to illustrate your point(s). B. Is coordination easier for companies that own the trucks they deploy or for companies that contract with independent operators and why? C. What would be the characteristics or situation of a trucking company that should primarily own its trucks? D. What would be the characteristics of a trucking company that should primarily contract with independent truck owners/operators?

NEW INFORMATION: On-board trip computers were developed by the early 1990s. A trucking company dispatcher could centrally monitor the speed, location, and many other vital statistics of the truck and the driver (for example, the company could continually conduct breathalyzer tests) wherever in the country that truck was if it were equipped with an on-board trip computer.

E. After the invention and deployment of on-board trip computers, does it make more or less sense for the trucking company to own the fleet?