Features
21 Jun 17

Telematics drives vehicle uptime

Onboard engine monitoring systems are allowing fleet operators to identify faults early, and implement preventative maintenance to avoid breakdowns.

 

 

Telematics systems are helping light commercial vehicle fleets to achieve dramatic productivity improvements by reducing vehicle downtime. By creating automatic communication between a vehicle’s on-board diagnostic system and a fleet IT system, fleet managers can keep abreast of critical information about the performance and condition of a vehicle’s engine, with exception reports signaling vehicles requiring attention. 

The diagnostic data allows fleet operators both to identify vehicles that are developing mechanical problems, and to arrange repairs before a breakdown occurs. Depending on the sophistication of the system, a fleet operator might receive reports about the excessive temperature of a vehicle’s engine coolant, or whether the oil change warning light is showing, or even whether tyre pressures need correcting.

Less sophisticated systems can still highlight if a vehicle’s average fuel consumption has fallen, often an indicator of a developing mechanical problem.

Predictive management

Moreover, the data captured by a vehicle allows fleets to arrange the timing of servicing with precision, and has the capacity to alert the workshop to the parts required, so that the service and maintenance process is as efficient as possible, minimising downtime. The new ‘Security and Service’ function of Volkswagen’s Car-Net system reports the servicing it requires to a pre-selected Volkswagen Retailer, and the workshop can then contact the customer directly to arrange a convenient time for the service work to be undertaken.

In many respects, cars and light vans are catching up with solutions already widely in use for heavy plant and machinery. Cummins, for example, has devised a system that automatically transmits key engine data through a telematics connection. If a fault arises, instant analytics can then advise whether it is safe to continue operating the vehicle, or whether it needs immediate service.

In the airline world, Rolls Royce engines automatically transmit data about their performance after every flight. By analysing this information, Rolls-Royce can ensure the aircraft are ready for service 24/7, by making sure the right parts and technicians are available. The financial consequences of downtime may be greater in the airline industry, where a grounded aircraft can cost an airline thousands of dollars per day, but the principle is the same for commercial vehicle fleets.

In Scotland, construction service company, Mulholland Contracts, changed its 100-strong van fleet to Ford to take advantage of the management information available via Ford Telematics.

Kevin Breen, finance director of Mulholland Contracts, said, “We needed to be much more proactive in our approach, in spotting where greater competences could be made, and addressing any maintenance issues before rather than after they happened.

“With no prior vehicle intelligence, we had no forewarning of a van breaking down. This often meant that with each van transporting a team of six workers to a site, we incurred a valuable loss of billable hours, delaying the project. Now, we receive alerts regarding maintenance issues, which we can proactively address, making us more consistent for our clients.”

 

Picture: The ‘Security and Service’ function of VW’s Car-Net system automatically reports the servicing it requires to a VW workshop.

Authored by: Jonathan Manning