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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/108761
Fleet Management By Robert "Bob" Johnson You Can't Escape Technology: Take Advantage of It egulatory requirements governing fuel economy, emissions and safety have turned today's work trucks into rolling computers. At the same time, pressure to reduce operating costs has led manufacturers to add even more electronics to vehicles and truck equipment to improve operational efficiency. The net impact of these technological advancements is that fleet managers need to re-think every aspect of how they design, maintain and manage their fleets. R Embedded technology and beyond Much of the technology that fleet managers are exposed to on a daily basis is embedded in the vehicles and equipment that they purchase. This technology offers numerous opportunities to improve the way work trucks are designed and managed. For example, data that can be retrieved from vehicle powertrain control modules (PCMs) can be useful both in vehicle maintenance and in helping fleet managers design bet- Much of the technology that fleet managers are exposed to on a daily basis is embedded in the vehicles and equipment that they purchase. Technology is changing the way fleet managers manage their fleets. For example, Telogis Progression offers real-time job creation, tracking (including estimated time of arrival and completion), routing (including preplanned routes and dynamic changes throughout the day), dispatching, customer service notifications, route compliance reporting, job completion reporting, real-time traffic conditions and a rich interface to existing ERP systems. — Photo provided by Telogis 12 Landscape and Irrigation February 2013 ter, more efficient replacement vehicles. By adding telematics to vehicles, fleet managers can get real-time or near-realtime information on how their trucks are performing, and can use that information to define individual vehicle drive cycles. The GPS tracking and geo-fencing features associated with telematics systems can be used to improve the operational efficiency of a fleet and to reduce fuel consumption, both of which directly help the bottom line. Telematics systems can also be used to influence driver behavior. Other available technologies, both electronic and mechanical, may allow fleets to limit idling time, reduce rolling resistance, improve vehicle aerodynamics and reduce vehicle weight — all of which will improve a fleet's fuel economy and may reduce maintenance costs. Vehicle upfitting The productivity of a work truck is directly tied to the way it is designed and built. In many cases, truck equipment and component manufacturers now find it advantageous, if not necessary, to interface their products with the truck chassis. In the process, they can often provide features and capabilities that were prohibitively expensive, or even impossible, in the past. Likewise, truck equipment upfitters are discovering that OEM components and system capabilities, which are often accessed through the vehicle's multiplex wiring system, can help them upfit a vehicle more efficiently. The knowledgeable fleet manager leverages these capabilities when specifying new work trucks to both reduce upfitting costs and to improve vehicle productivity. Most chassis manufacturers offer multiple upfitter component packages. One popular example is pre-installed switch packages in the dashboard that can be programmed to provide specific functionalities. www.landscapeirrigation.com