Volvo to offer built-in, hardware-free fleet management platform

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Volvo Trucks has expanded its partnership with Telogis, to provide integrated fleet management tools with no additional hardware required.

The Built-In Fleet Intelligence system will be available on new Volvo trucks beginning in September, as well as the 60,000 or so vehicles that have been purchased since 2012 with Volvo’s Remote Diagnostics capabilities. The new offering uses the same data-gathering system as Remote Diagnostics, and uses that information to provide fleet management tools such as hours-of-service monitoring, navigation, IFTA reporting, inspection reports and other real-time alerts. The system also taps into Telogis’ community of 130,000 drivers, who can provide real-time road updates. For example, when road construction or a severe storm has taken a route out of service to trucks, a driver can provide an update with the push of a single button and once the truck has stopped, provide further details that will be visible to other drivers.

“We refer to it as social navigation, where other drivers are helping each other,” Erin Cave, vice-president, product management with Telogis said during an online press conference today.

The system is based on a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) model, allowing drivers to use any Android or Apple-enabled tablet or smartphone to access information via a free app. Fleets can access the data in scorecard form and intervene with drivers who are displaying bad habits such as excessive idling, speeding or hard-braking. The system can also generate “vehicle health reports” so that fleet managers can identify inefficiencies and spot trucks or drivers that aren’t performing to expectations.

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The partnership is unique, because Volvo trucks will come straight from the factory with the necessary software and can be generating usable data immediately with no associated hardware costs, said Conal Deedy, director, connected vehicle services, with Volvo Trucks.

“Typically, when a truck has to be fitted after delivery, it may take a day or two to install the hardware and get fully functioning,” Deedy said. “Now, we can go from the dealership right into service collecting data.”

Deedy said Built-In Fleet Intelligence compliments Volvo’s Remote Diagnostics program, which monitors fault codes and advises the operator on the proper course of action before a breakdown occurs. The subscription cost can be incorporated into the financing of the vehicle. The Telogis navigation bundle and fleet management bundle can be ordered separately or together as one package.

“We’re pleased to collaborate with Telogis to deliver tremendous value to motor carriers seeking flexibility and the robust information needed to fine-tune their operations,” said Göran Nyberg, president, Volvo Trucks North American Sales & Marketing. “Leveraging the connectivity of our vehicles to facilitate fleet management services represents a breakthrough for fleet managers, who are no longer captive to hardware. As part of our long-term strategic focus, we’ll look toward further integration of our vehicles and best-in-class fleet management solutions.”

Built-In Fleet Intelligence will be rolled out in Canada and the US at the same time in September. Data consumption rates vary depending on the parameters chosen but typically amount to about 1-2 MB per vehicle each month, officials said.

 

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James Menzies is editorial director of Today's Trucking and TruckNews.com. He has been covering the Canadian trucking industry for more than 24 years and holds a CDL. Reach him at james@newcom.ca or follow him on Twitter at @JamesMenzies.


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