Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/510235
EQUIPMENT: CONNECTED ENGINES North America, says most of the focus has been on communi- cating issues with the engine, but there are many other systems on the truck and powertrain that can benefit from this same kind of communication. "Connected components on the horizon include safety, trans- mission, braking, HVAC, electrical – all of the systems that operate the truck," Pfaffenbach says. "Soon, the communication will be more predictive and less reactive. As telematics continues to evolve, the level of communication between the terminal-truck and the dealerships will also evolve from reactive to predictive and proactive." Current telematics sys- tems do not have the ability to "learn" as they encounter problems during their lifetime, Baney says. Future engines will be equipped with powerful, compact computing systems that will allow them to build an ever-increasing portfolio of both problems and solutions for both individual vehicles and even entire engine/transmission families or truck model lines. "With a reasoning engine, the vehicle will come into a dealer- ship with a warning light on," Baney says. At the beginning of that engine model's life, a technician at the dealer will begin his repair effort with a set of OEM-prescribed steps to troubleshoot the problem. "Let's say in a particular case there initially were eight trouble- shooting steps in that fault tree, and the ultimate repair was a loose wire that wasn't one of them," Baney says. "The technician will input his solution, and that information will instantly be broadcast out over our entire dealer network." In Kenworth's case, that's 687 locations across the country with technicians who seamlessly will know that the next time a truck comes in with that same warning light, there now are nine steps in the fault tree that will help them resolve that issue – and that the loose wire is now one of those possible fixes. Cook cautions that the industry won't see dramatic leaps with this technology. "There's no need to worry about new learning curves or mastering new technology," he says. "Telematics technol- ogy by itself is not that dramatic. What is dramatic are all of the Telematics is changing the repair experience, but enhancements will evolve over time. – Conal Deedy, director of connected services, Volvo Trucks Volvo envisions Remote Diagnostics enabling a more predictive and sophisticated approach to maintenance. 66 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | MAY 2015