Telematics and data-driven truck analytics have come along way since their inception. No longer are they obtuse, mystical systems. Today’s data-powered solutions come with email updates, at-a-glance dashboard reports and more to help fleet managers make split second equipment decisions. But these systems still have some road to cover before it’s considered an equipment necessity.
“The biggest fleets were, not unexpectedly, the first adopters of analytics because they have the best ability to leverage the finding that they can find to maximize efficiencies across a large enterprise,” said Steve Gilligan, Navistar’s vice president of marketing. “However, even the smallest fleets can find significant opportunities in better understanding their routes and dwell times, as well as finding means to lover their operating costs and improve their efficiencies.”
The simplest message for late adopters is that these systems keep trucks on the road generating revenue. International recently announced that all International engines in 2017 will have the ability to be re-flashed “over the air” using a WiFi network. This means that fleets will be able to insure that the vehicle calibration that they are using is the latest available and optimized for maximum fuel economy. Over-the-air updates are a huge growth opportunity for these systems, one that could potentially be a “game changer.”
Expanded dealer uptime support
When thinking about the biggest trends of 2015 and 2016, let’s not forget about the dealer and uptime support that OEs have invested in this year. Take Kenworth, for example, who launched the Kenworth PremierCare Gold Certified program, which features the Kenworth PremierCare ExpressLane at Gold Certified dealers. Each Gold Certified Kenworth dealer will have dedicated ExpressLane technicians to support quick diagnosis and estimated repair time and cost.
“When a customer brings in his or her truck, the dealer will do a full diagnostic analysis and prepare an estimate for the time and cost of that repair—all within two hours,” said Jason Skoog, Kenworth’s assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “The goal is to do away with trucks sitting in the queue and drivers waiting for an estimate. And that’s critical to our customers, especially when the repair may be very simple and can be completed within hours. Knowing what’s happening, quickly, will help customers make the decisions needed to keep their deliveries on schedule.”
Extended evening hours on weekdays and extended hours on the weekends are also a requirement for certification.
Kenworth dealers have invested nearly $500 million in new and relocated facilities in the past five years, according to Skoog. “And that is reflected in a 20% growth rate for dealership locations,” he added. “We now offer over 360 locations in the United States and Canada.”
