Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/129328
technology: big data III To compare vehicle performance, Jeff Foster Trucking – a 200-truck carrier based in Superior, Wis. – turned to Vusion, a data analytics division of PeopleNet. While several of Gordon Trucking's customers are using commercial software systems to make predictions, the Pacific, Wash.-based truckload carrier has built its own model. electronic control modules: This data normally has some outliers and exceptions but is fairly consistent, he says. The main problem with ECMs is that they overstate mpg, a difference detected by comparing ECM data to the actual or "physical" mpg calculated from fuel purchases and odometer readings. But the physical mpg is not entirely accurate, either: Drivers do not fill tanks to the same level each time they fuel. Meanwhile, both measures include external influences such as driver behaviors (shifting, speeding and idling), load weights, temperature and topography. To compare vehicle performance, Jeff Foster Trucking turned to Vusion, a data analytics division of PeopleNet. Vusion's cloud-based software platform uses a predictive model that distills variables like driving behavior, load weights and trailer types in order to isolate the mpg for each vehicle make and model. 54 commercial carrier journal 0513_TECHFeature.indd 54 Norrell initially used Vusion's services to analyze the data for January, and the results were startling; one vehicle manufacturer had a much lower mpg than expected. To be sure the model was correct, he had Vusion look at another eight months of data. The results came back the same. "The data got extremely confident," Norrell says. "We now have much better data to make an educated decision." For many years, Heartland Express operated a homogenous fleet with one truck manufacturer, engine and transmission specification. The North Liberty, Iowa-based truckload carrier now has added another truck maker to the mix and is using the Vusion platform to evaluate the fuel efficiency of different powertrain specifications as well as aftermarket equipment like trailer skirts and bunk heaters. Heartland Express also is able to use Vusion to identify engines that need maintenance due to a drop in fuel efficiency. "If we see a particular model year of engine deteriorate with age, we can trade it out quicker," says Jim Tornblom, director of operations. Operational planning Predictive analytics also is useful to steer clear of mistakes when planning loads, routes and freight pricing. During the past 18 months, Gordon Trucking has worked with a number of its customers to forecast freight patterns using predictive models. While several customers are using commercial software systems to make predictions, the Pacific, Wash.-based truckload carrier has built its own model. By using this information, Gordon Trucking hopes to create a more predictable freight network and position its assets in advance. "Our customer demand is not smooth," says Steve Gordon, chief operating officer. "We are reacting to those increases and decreases in volume. It is important to us to position our assets in the right market at the right time." The models show weekly and monthly patterns; if a customer historically has had a seasonal increase in orders before July, Gordon Trucking can get a head start and increase its capacity in relevant markets. Predicting freight patterns and volume is critical for companies to respond to bid proposals, especially for nonasset logistics providers that manage a large sum of freight. A "what-if" analysis might determine which less-than-truckload shipments can be consolidated to truckload, and what locations are best suited for pooling and cross-docking, to help determine how to blend new freight into an existing network. TMW Systems offers route planning and optimization software through its Appian division. Last year, the company created new algorithms using its core Appian product, DirectRoute, that can be used for strategic network planning. The new product, Transportation Modeler, provides both asset and nonasset companies a platform to run various what-if scenarios to consider load consolidation and mode shift opportunities, find the lowest-cost carrier and evaluate carrier performance levels. Once the what-if analysis is run, the strategy can be executed on a loadby-load basis by a fleet or third-party logistics company using TMWSuite and other dispatch software systems, says Mike Kositzky, vice president and general manager of TMW's Appian division. Predictive modeling can be used to determine daily optimal driver-load matches. A critical element of this process is the ability to predict the time and location drivers will be available for load assignments. Driver&Load from Manhattan Associates – a system used by large and mid-size carriers, generally more than 300 trucks – considers real-time hoursof-service information, driver qualifica- | may 2013 4/22/13 10:44 AM