Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/936627
56 commercial carrier journal | february 2018 EQUIPMENT: DIAGNOSTICS the application's recommended action to the driver," Covington says. However, the maintenance manager may choose to receive alerts only when a vehicle reaches a high severity level to provide input on managing the needed repairs, he says. "Fleets should use these systems in the manner that best benefits them. You don't have to fix every issue that remote diagnostics are capable of detecting. Look at the issues that will directly affect the bottom line, and prioritize those." Tapp says technicians probably are not as wary of this technology as their department managers because they already know how to use a diagnostics computer. e learning curve with remote diagnostics is more in the cus- tomization of how the system commu- nicates between the driver and fleet. "What we can do with remote diagnostics is, we get an email that says, 'Hey, this truck is getting sick,' " he says. ose emails allow Tapp and his team to bring trucks in for ser- vice and prevent a tow, road calls and emergency repairs. "All those things are advantages to the maintenance depart- ment," he says. Another advantage is the capabil- ity to diagnose a problem before it becomes severe enough to trip a dash light, Covington says. "Aside from help- ing fleets manage faults that can lead to a breakdown, TripVision also alerts fleet personnel to issues a driver may not notice," he says. e application indicates the pres- ence of faults that can affect fuel econ- omy and emissions systems or cause a potential Compliance Safety Account- ability violation, Covington says. "With no 'check engine' light illuminated, the driver likely has no idea there is a prob- lem causing decreased fuel efficiency, but the insight of TripVision allows the fleet to address the concern before it becomes too costly," he says. e ability to diagnose and correct an issue before one is reported by a driver could be the difference between uptime and downtime, Covington says. "Rather than waiting on a driver to report an issue, fleets have access to the information to know what is wrong with the vehicle and what the recom- mended action is to avoid a costly breakdown," he says. "Quicker detec- tion, coupled with quicker action, will not only reduce maintenance costs but also extend the life of a vehicle." Diagnosing drivers Paul Mages, leader of the company efficiency team for Dart Transit (CCJ Top 250, No. 58), says remote diag- nostics – primarily the deployment of Kenworth's TruckTech+ – have helped give the Eagan, Minn.-based fleet more insight into driver behavior. e abil- ity to change driver habits has helped reduce related downtime, he says. "Before, the truck could be de-rated if a driver overlooked an alert or waited too long to clean the emissions system, especially aer the truck had been sitting over a rest period," Mages says. Many platforms such as Noregon's TripVision have built-in support systems that offer explanations for what is wrong with the truck and guide the fleet when making decisions regarding maintenance and repairs. Once a fault code is displayed through Eaton's IntelliConnect platform, the system will show shop per- sonnel a picture of the problem, list what parts need to be replaced and notify the fleet if the truck needs to be shut down or if the condition can wait for a more con- venient repair window.