Stretching from Class 2 to Class 7 vehicles, the “medium-duty” label is a broad one, so medium-duty engines are made to tackle a variety of applications. Remote diagnostics can help by keeping fleets on top of any maintenance issues by letting them know the nature of the service issue and how urgent it is, so that the fleet manager can make an informed decision. They say that knowledge is power, and a fleet manager’s ultimate power is the ability to have all of his or her trucks out on the road generating revenue. Remote diagnostics can play a big role in making that a reality, if you know how to leverage them.
Most engine companies that offer engine remote diagnostics have a portal of some kind through which customers can access the engine data. Of course, simply receiving fault code alerts doesn’t solve any problems on its own; it’s what you do next that counts. Fleets with remote diagnostics should have processes in place for how to deal with particular fault codes when they are triggered. Most remote diagnostic portals include information about the severity of the fault and recommended next steps.
What’s available?
Detroit’s DD5 and DD8 medium-duty engines come standard with the Detroit Connect Virtual Technician remote diagnostic service. It is available to fleets through the Detroit Connect portal, which is the hub for Detroit’s telematics offerings, is available on any Freightliner or Western Star truck with a Detroit engine. It shows users vehicle health information, fault codes from Virtual Technician, and Detroit Diesel Engine Control (DDEC) reports, which use diagnostics to further analyze driver and vehicle performance.
“The Detroit Connect portal gives users information about overall fleet health, as well as enables them to take a deeper dive into specific fault events communicated by Virtual Technician,” explains Brian Daniels, manager of Detroit powertrain and component product marketing. “The portal also delivers full diagnostic information, including the cause of the fault and, in some cases, the steps needed to repair the issue. The portal reveals trends that may lead to a more serious event, and organizes vehicle data into insightful metrics. Detroit Diesel Engine Control (DDEC) reports can also be viewed and archived to further analyze vehicle performance.”
“The Detroit Connect mobile app is also available for Freightliner and Western Star customers who have an active Detroit Connect subscription, and offers the same features as in the Detroit Connect portal,” he adds. “This allows customers to access information about their vehicle’s performance without needing to be at a desk or computer.“
Hino offers Insight, an integrated connectivity platform of telematics and comes standard on its 2018 model year lineup of trucks, alongside the J05 and J08 series of engines. Among other features, the Insight platform offers segmented reporting, transmitting a notification of a fault to the fleet manager, along with the severity of the fault and the suggested steps to take. According to Hino, fleets are using Insight to monitor and improve driver performance, schedule maintenance, track service tracking, communicate with dealers and improve fleet operation
efficiencies.
Frank Friesacher, executive director of Cummins Digital Accelerator—product and commercialization, detailed the following Cummins Connected offerings for its medium-duty engines:
Connected Diagnostics is Cummins’ remote diagnostics platform. Connected Diagnostics wirelessly connects Cummins-powered equipment to the company for immediate diagnosis of an engine system fault alert, allowing for quick conversion of data to actionable information, Friesacher explains. Users receive an immediate notification of a fault, along with clear recommendations for continued vehicle operation or immediate service needs. All of this information can also be accessed via the Connected Solutions portal or Connected Diagnostics mobile app.
The Cummins Guidanz product suite is for technicians, supplying them with repair time estimates, the most likely repair parts, 30 days of fault history, and the ability to start a work order before a vehicle even enters the service bay.
Connected Advisor is Cummins’ predictive maintenance platform, which Friesacher says supplies users with prioritized, time-based recommendations, as determined by Cummins engine experts, to distinguish between immediate repair needs and those that can be scheduled a few days out.
Cummins also offers Connected Software Updates, its over-the-air programming software for its engines.
What’s coming?
Remote diagnostics have come a long way in a short time, but like any technology, they are constantly evolving and gaining new capabilities. So what might those capabilities be? We asked the reps from these companies what’s coming down the pipeline, and here’s what they had to say.
“DTNA is committed to continually investigating technologies and services that help our customers make informed maintenance decisions and avoid downtime,” Detroit’s Daniels says. “Our dedicated teams are assessing the connectivity road map for vocational applications and identifying what makes the most sense for specific applications and job requirements.“
“In the not-too-distant future, fully integrated vehicle systems, such as OEM sub-system component telematics capabilities linked with Cummins Connected products and services, will become the industry standard,” Cummins’ Friesacher predicts. “This integration will improve and broaden prognostic capabilities. In addition, the digital ecosystem will continue to extend beyond the engine and beyond the vehicle to integrate other supporting systems and information.
“For example, the integration of service operations data with real-time engine and vehicle data can enable a seamless service experience, from locating an available service center to scheduling a service event to having the right repair parts on hand. A connected ecosystem can enable faster, more accurate repairs with minimal downtime.”
Friesacher notes that today, Cummins uses machine learning to analyze service events and look for patterns they can use in future versions of their software; with machine learning constantly improving, their ability to predict and manage service needs will improve as well.
“In addition, as device on-board processing increases, today’s telematics solutions will become more accessible, providing users with portals and mobile apps that look deeper into engine health and usage patterns to provide fleet managers with useful insights for better maintenance and performance management,” he continues, “these products will be connected to the machine’s data, wirelessly transmitting data to give operators and fleet owners instant access to a suite of advanced solutions.”
Friesacher also notes that the industry is shifting toward customization, especially when it comes to IT and asset management. With a wide variety of applications and needs to meet, providers are offering more options to fleets and owner-operators to set their telematics systems up to work for them.
“Whether tweaking for fuel economy, adjusting to operational changes while on a job, or other capabilities, the industry is shifting more power into the hands of the customers to ensure the equipment they are operating is meeting their needs at any given moment,” he says.
