Cover Story
16
H
eavy-duty truck-
ing's technologi-
cal renaissance is
about to shake up
the aftermarket. Again.
The Right to Repair debate
might be solved, but the
independent aftermarket's
fi ght to access vehicle main-
tenance information is only
beginning.
Another issue lingers on
the horizon.
What is the aftermarket
going to do about telematics?
Telematics products were
fi rst introduced in the truck-
ing industry in the late 1980s
to aid in vehicle monitor-
ing and logistics. Originally
aftermarket hardware, these
fi rst telematics systems cre-
ated a revolutionary level of
transparency between drivers
and fl eet dispatchers.
By knowing where their
trucks were located at all
times, fl eets were able to
optimize scheduling, route ef-
fi ciency and asset utilization.
"The early systems were
very much track and trace,
says Jimmy Fortuna, vice
president of product manage-
ment at Omnitracs.
In the decades since, more
telematics providers have
emerged and the capa-
bilities of their products have
increased.
Logistics remain a priority
but now share the spotlight
with asset and driver us-
age data, fuel economy
information and live vehicle
maintenance reports, says
Garland Jackson, general
manager-OEM at PeopleNet.
What started as a solution
to fl eets' logistical ques-
tions has evolved to answer
so much more, says Velociti
President Deryk Powell.
"At a base level [telematics]
is still 'Where is my truck?'
but in truth it's so much more
than that. It's also 'How is
my truck doing?' 'What kind
of shape is it in?'" Powell
says. "[Telematics] is a total
T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E | N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 5
By Lucas Deal, Editor
lucasdeal@randallreilly.com
The
aftermarket's aftermarket's
next
hurdle
Telematics will shape the future of vehicle
maintenance, and the aftermarket
