April/May 2003

The next generation of on-board computer could combine digital tachograph functions with vehicle diagnostics and performance monitoring, security, tracking, toll payment and routing and scheduling capabilities.

This, at any rate, is the vision conjured up by the Freight Transport Association. As reported in the last m.logistics, the organisation is calling for a revision of the proposed standards for digital tachs, and has now asked the European Commission to consider an instrument combining tachograph features with all these other functions.

According to FTA policy director James Hookham, incompatible black box technologies "are each subject to different operating systems, maintenance agreements and user instructions." He says industry leadership is needed to avoid "a costly and unnecessary proliferation of different systems which vehicle operators will have to buy."

The association has been inviting what it terms expressions of interest in the development of "a future-proof, scaleable and integrated black box solution", and has planned a meeting on the subject in Brussels on 22 May.

 

Whilst various relevant standards such as CANbus and FMS already exist, the FTA's proposals go far beyond these. Some operators will no doubt welcome its ideas, although others may feel they play into the hands of truckmakers and big multinational electronics companies with the resources to develop multi-function devices, and run against the trend of smaller suppliers offering a range of bespoke but more narrowly-focused solutions.

The FTA proposals could also suffer if they are perceived as too "vehicle-centric". As currently presented, they are relatively limited in terms of integrating on-board computers with POD gathering and other operational activities; yet these often represent a priority for companies fitting on-board computing equipment.