Simple life

Cyber Trucker laptop holder

These high-tech devices are designed to make your life easier in 2006. Less hassle, less time wasted – more time making money.

Signal Boost
Keeping the dispatcher – and your family at home – happy is easier with Call Capture, a device that enhances the signal of your cellular phone. The device reduces dropped calls, extends cellular range for voice and data, and improves signal strength by more than 10 times, says its maker, Richardson Electronics. It works with all cellular phones and all carriers and is available in two versions – hard-wired into the vehicle or portable with a 12-volt cigarette lighter power adapter. The device is hooked up to your vehicle but not directly to your phone, so your movement isn’t restricted while talking. It’s sold at many truckstops around the country for about $299. Find more information at www.cellcaptures.com.

Laptop Holder
Cyber Trucker keeps your computer at your fingertips with its Trucker’s Workstation laptop holder. Designed and road tested by a trucker, the workstation is stable and secure, ensuring your laptop will not fall during normal operation, the company says. The unit mounts on the passenger air ride seat, reducing road shock and vibration. The mounting brackets use the seat’s existing bolts, and no drilling is required. Dual cooling fans on the bottom prolong laptop life. The laptop tray pivots and swivels for driver or passenger use. It also easily lifts out, permitting passenger access to the sleeper. Find more information at www.cybertrucker.com or at (866) 55-CYBER.

‘Silent’ Sirens
On a dark road the last thing a driver wants to see is the glowing eyes of a deer staring straight into his grill. The Sav-a-Life Deer-Alert can deter animals from the road more than 80 percent of the time, the company says. The Deer-Alert consists of a pair of 2-inch long, cylindrical devices that can be easily mounted on the front bumper of a vehicle. As the vehicle reaches a speed above 30 mph, air rushing through the cylinder emits an ultrasonic signal (between 16,000 and 20,000 Hertz), up to a quarter mile away (the length of four football fields), deterring animals in the area from entering the roadway or, if already on the roadway, from staying there. The sound emitted cannot be detected by passengers in the vehicle and is not perceptible to people on the roadside. The device is easy to install and uninstall, without any damage to the vehicle, the company says. The device has been tested on wildlife and is used by hundreds of government agencies and emergency vehicles operators. The Deer-Alert comes in chrome, black and metallic gold varieties and retails for $23.95. It can be purchased online at www.deeralert.com, via phone at 1-800-OK-4-DEER (1-800-654-3337), through AAA or at retail stores nationwide, including Ace Hardware, TrueValue and Blain Supply.

Partner Insights
Information to advance your business from industry suppliers

Fax on the Go
Fax documents directly from your cab with the new Sky-Fax service from SkyMira LLC. Unlike traditional faxing where access to a landline phone is necessary, Sky-Fax enables the sending and receiving of faxes through any Internet connection, including satellite, cellular and WiFi. The device features a built-in capability that will store your fax for later if you lose cellular signal; the fax will automatically send the waiting fax when the signal improves. Sky-Fax offers monthly plans ranging from $0.10 to $0.48 per page. A toll-free fax number is included, and faxes can be sent to anywhere in the U.S. or Canada at no additional cost. Use the service with any all-in-one fax/scanner/printer or the Sky-Fax-recommended compact Pentax DS Mobile scanner and Pentax PocketJet 3 Thermal printer. Check out this site for more information.


Got a favorite time-saving or life-improving device you’d like to recommend to your fellow drivers? Send your ideas to Kristin Walters at [email protected] or 3200 Rice Mine Rd. NE, Tuscaloosa, AL 35406.