Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/936627
commercial carrier journal | february 2018 55 EQUIPMENT: DIAGNOSTICS retrofit kits available through DTNA dealers or through the company's telematics partner, Zonar Systems. However, Zonar's V3 platform cannot deliver the same OEM diagnostics insights that Detroit's Virtual Technician provides, instead relying on information pulled from the truck's J1939 network. at information feed can lack the kind of detail captured by native diagnostics platforms, but it still can communicate layers of information needed to drive uptime decisions. "If a fleet is running older equipment, their vehicles are naturally more susceptible to the catastrophic issues that can put a vehicle on the side of the road," Covington says. Easy to understand Older trucks not equipped with diagnostics equipment rely on visual indicators – primarily a dash light – to relay prob- lem signs to the driver. Newer models provide information to drivers on a dashboard screen, while remote diagnostics broadcast that same information to someone else, including dispatchers and the maintenance department. Still, shops not used to being a member of such a com- munications loop oen have to overcome a perception that diagnostics technologies are too complex and best le to dealers and OEM experts. "Fleets worried about the complexity of remote diagnos- tics systems certainly do not have unwarranted concerns," Covington says. "ey may have used a system in the past that presented an overwhelming amount of data with no guidance." Many platforms such as Noregon's TripVision and Navistar's OnCommand Connection 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. Todd Wright, director of maintenance for Minneapolis- based Koch Trucking (CCJ Top 250, No. 105), says once a fault code has been displayed through Eaton's IntelliConnect platform, the system will show shop personnel 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 condi- tion can wait for a more convenient repair window. "We know most fleets don't have technicians monitoring their vehicles in real time, so we provide enhanced OEM descriptions as opposed to just sending SAE codes for every single fault the vehicle is producing," Covington says. Email blasts and descriptions of faults and repair methods can seem imposing to the end user, especially if the recipient isn't the one equipped to make the repair. at's why many remote diagnostics applications can be configured to provide as much – or as little – information as a fleet wants. "If a fleet only wants to track vehicles that have faults af- fecting their fuel economy, they can set up filters to do so," Covington says. "On the contrary, fleets can also drill into the detailed information beneficial to technicians and main- tenance professionals." Getting started Covington says the simplest way for a fleet to get started with remote diagnostics is to sign up for a service that allows for the customization of the application, providing only infor- mation considered useful, and have that data routed to the appropriate department. Wright says IntelliConnect gives Koch Trucking the option to select the manner in which it receives analysis and action plans from Eaton: email, Eaton's web portal or a third-party remote diagnostics system. "A fleet dispatcher can be set up with an alert when a vehicle reaches a medium severity level so he or she can relay Rick Tapp, PacLease's maintenance manager, says using remote diagnostics allows his company to plan for service times and repair minor issues on the road. Most Detroit-powered Freightliner and Western Star trucks built since April 2011 include the connectivity platform that delivers Detroit Connect's Virtual Technician remote diagnostics service.