Nationwide PTT Radios in Trucks

Why trucks are a hard test for two-way radio

A haulage fleet is the situation traditional radio handles worst. Drivers cover hundreds of miles in a shift, cross regional boundaries constantly, and spend the day well outside the range of any single base station or repeater. A conventional UHF or VHF system would need repeater coverage along every route the fleet drives, which for a national operator is neither practical nor affordable.

Push-to-talk over cellular removes that constraint. Because iPTT radios talk over mobile networks rather than their own radio infrastructure, range stops being a function of how many masts you own. If a driver’s phone would work on a stretch of motorway, an iPTT radio works there too.

What we found in the cab

• Coverage held across regions. Multi-Network SIMs let each radio move between mobile networks automatically, picking the strongest available signal instead of being tied to one operator’s coverage map.
• One talkgroup, whole fleet. Drivers, yard staff and the transport office sat in the same talkgroup, so a message reached every vehicle at once rather than being relayed one call at a time.
• Live location as standard. GPS tracking is included with the user licence, so the office could see where each vehicle was on a map and review the route afterwards.
• No licence to arrange. Because PoC uses cellular networks, there is no Ofcom radio licence to apply for or renew when vehicles are added to the fleet.
• Hands-free operation. Paired with a Bluetooth PTT button or a fitted speaker mic, drivers can talk without taking hands off the wheel.

Fitting PoC to a fleet

Most operators run a mix: a fitted mobile radio wired into the vehicle for the driver, handheld portable radios for yard and loading staff, and the dispatcher software in the transport office. All three sit on the same platform and the same talkgroups.

If you want the detail on how the technology works underneath, see our guide to how push-to-talk over cellular radios work, or our comparison of PoC radios versus traditional two-way radios. For other fleet applications, see PTT radios for transport.