May/June 2005

Historically, truckmakers took a somewhat vehicle-centric approach to telematics, but these days some have much more to offer operators. Sharon Clancy investigates

UK vehicle operators are notoriously conservative, and slow adopters of technology, whether it be the latest Euro 4 diesel engines or telematics systems that could improve their profitability. Possibly in recognition of this, truck manufacturers have traditionally focused their telematics efforts on developing the on-board telemetry that captures vehicle and driver performance.

And perhaps with good reason. UK operators now face the highest diesel prices in Europe, and for many of them, fuel remains the biggest business cost. With maximum-weight vehicles returning in the order of seven to 10 mpg, depending on age, operation and driver, it takes only a small improvement in fuel economy to pay back investment in on-board driver and vehicle systems.

However, plenty of third-party suppliers can also supply that sort of data, especially on the latest generation of trucks - those equipped with CANbus (Computer Area Network) drive-by-wire electronic systems that comply with the FMS-Standard (Fleet Management System) common data standard.

 

This makes it possible to download data from any make of vehicle, using third-party communications equipment, and capture it in a readily-usable format. Based on the SAE J1939 protocol, the standard includes set transmission speeds and protocols for electronic messages that get sent around the vehicle. Each CANbus has a firewall to prevent data corruption, so CANbus interfaces can listen and extract the data, but not input or change parameters.

Realising that they face this competition on their traditional telematics turf, truck makers are now looking at other services they can provide their customers. Integration is the name of the new game, with the vehicle and driver combination seen as representing just another link in the supply chain. And the easiest way to integrate other applications and communicate with vehicles, the truck makers believe, is via their hosted Internet portals. Increasingly these are being harnessed not just for vehicle and driver data downloads, but also to offer a communications interface with the vehicle for all the company's operations.

To date, such portals have all used relatively slow GSM mobile networks for data transfer. To UK operators familiar with low-cost live tracking and communications via GPRS networks, the truck makers' preference for GSM might seem laggardly. In part it reflects their European perspective; on the Continent, GPRS roaming charges are higher than in the UK, yet in that (theoretically) borderless environment, such roaming is much more common than it is in our more insular UK-centric world.

However, that GSM focus is about to change. Volvo has just pipped Scania to the post of becoming the first truckmaker to offer GPRS communications. But it seems that there is still some scepticism as to how many operators actually need it.

"It is true that GPRS allows you to transmit large amounts of data cheaply, and that because it is always-on, live position updates are fast," admits Daryl Taylor of Scania. "However, GPRS does not sit as well with voice communications as GSM. You either have to rely purely on text communication with the driver, or invest in additional voice hardware."

Taylor points out that a combination of geofences around delivery points and automatic SMS text alerts when vehicles move in and out of the designated area can be as effective as live tracking. "It's a question of thinking smarter - working out what the operation needs rather than what are the must-haves in a telematics system. An SMS will give you a time stamp, recording the delivery time, he points out, which is as good as a historic trail when it comes to route analysis.

"Polling on demand via GSM is not as cheap as GPRS tracking," admits Richard Case, managing director of DaimlerChrysler's Fleetboard telematics business. "However, many operators have still to take that first step in monitoring vehicle and driver costs. GSM downloads will give you a tangible payback, and we can offer bulk text messaging deals with Orange." Case says it will be 2006 before a GPRS-enabled Fleetboard will be available.

Any fleet using GPRS for tracking needs to build in protocols to ensure data has been received, says Scania's Taylor. "With SMS, the network is responsible for making sure your message gets through. It will continue to try and deliver the message even if the vehicle is temporarily out of range. Switch to GPRS, and the sender is responsible for the handshake procedure between the sender and receiver." Most GPRS systems have SMS as a fallback, but it is crucial to know drivers have received any live update, so do check.

Four truck makers continue to be enthusiastic promoters of on-board telematics: DaimlerChrysler, MAN, Scania and Volvo. DAF, Iveco and Renault all have offerings too, but they report only a lukewarm response from UK operators. On the Continent they have been more successful, possibly because operations are different over there. Distances travelled are longer, for instance, so there is more urgent need to find a backload. On the other hand, high UK fuel prices means the return on investment for UK operators should be quicker.

"We have not seen any big demand in the UK for DAF-tel," says DAF marketing director Tony Pain, who believes the market will grow at its own pace. Renault takes a similar approach. It has teamed up with Alcatel to offer wireless downloading of vehicle data and communications via either satellite or GSM mobile networks, but in the UK at least it is promoting its Diag 3 wireless maintenance diagnostic unit - which certainly has appeal to its traditional customer base.

What's on offer

Volvo was preparing to relaunch Dynafleet Online in June, with GPRS communications as an option and increased functionality. Dynafleet already has 5,000 UK users, and the Online version allows operators to access all the vehicle data in their fleet and get reports on driver and vehicle performance remotely. Volvo collects the vehicle and driver data, and operators can specify the type and level of report they want.

Simplified reporting is now seen as the best way to encourage medium and smaller fleets to sign up for the telematics experience, says Volvo's Sharon O'Meara. "Operators do not want a host of data on all their fleet, but do want reports that will allow them to manage vehicles and drivers more proactively."

Like most of the truck makers' offerings, Scania's Fleet Management System adopts the premise that operators will probably want to start with vehicle management and add transport management services when users are more confident and when business needs change.

FMS aims to deliver what it calls flexible services. There is a choice of hardware platform, with driver displays ranging from handheld Pocket PCs to full-scale PCs with colour touch screens fitted in the dashboard. Everything is built to Open Database Compliance standards, and Scania also offers a software development kit to integrate existing transport or logistics software.

The Fleet Management Portal is an Internet-based system that delivers and collects information about the vehicle and driver activities. "The portal offers seamless integration between the vehicle and the rest of the enterprise," explains Daryl Taylor, one of Scania's FMS specialists. "It can even deliver data from third-party WMS and transport management systems to the vehicle. The main benefit is that the operator only has to enter data once, and it is then available to anyone in the organisation who needs it."

The Order Support application bridges the gap between an existing transport management system with routing and scheduling and the vehicle itself. Scania says the system is very flexible and can be tailored to suit customers needs and third-party.

There are currently four different vehicle platforms - Communicator 100, and Integrated 200, 500 and 600. However, in the autumn Scania is planning a major relaunch of FMS which will allow operators to choose from a menu of hardware, software and communications options. "We discovered that to get the optimum solution for their needs, operators wanted to pick different elements from the various platforms. The menu-style subscription will help them get exactly the information they need for their business."

DaimlerChrysler's Fleetboard was comprehensively updated in 2004. It now includes the DispoPilot in-cab portable computer for transport management services, which has navigation among its features. Operators can add a SIM card for data communication. In the office, an Internet connection to a PC is required.

The on-board unit has an open access protocol that any third party can connect to and extract data from, but there is now also a secure Fleetboard Web site that operators can use as a portal between the company and the vehicle. "More operators want integration with other systems, and a single source for communication with the driver," says Richard Case.

Case adds that although operators are often accused of not being interested in telematics, the do want data from on-board computers. "There is a tangible benefit in terms of reduced fuel consumption." He thinks operators have been put off telematics by poor early experiences.

"Many applications proved expensive and unreliable in the field, or produced reams of data which operators were expected to spend hours analysing. All that most fleets need is a basic overview which alerts them to any possible problems."

Case says one of the strong benefits of Fleetboard is its ability to deliver objective data on each of the drivers in the company. "It is of little use to say that Driver A uses more fuel than Driver B without putting it into context."

The FleetBoard utilisation analysis summarises collected driving data and displays it in a comparative overview. It can analyse gear changing technique, steady speed maintenance and retarder operation. Drivers are evaluated on a scale of 1 to 10. Factors such as the total weight of the vehicle, elevation gained, the distance profile and the traffic situation are also taken into account.

FleetBoard also publishes on its Web site a handy cost-efficiency calculator to help you work out potential savings per month. You enter fleet data, including annual mileage, fuel consumption, diesel price, downtime costs per day and communication costs. The system then calculates potential savings achievable form constant monitoring.

MAN has a separate division called MAN Telematics Services. As well as standard real-time information and communications services, the package offers direct connection to MAN's breakdown recovery network. Response to a breakdown is more efficient, the company argues, because MAN dealers are given remote access to the vehicle CANbus, which gives the technician the ability to view diagnostic codes, ensuring he arrives with the correct parts and tools.

What next?

The good news is that the truck makers have realised that important though vehicle and driver data is, in modern transport and logistics operations vehicle users need simple and cost-effective ways of accessing it, preferably in real time. They also recognise that the ability to re-route vehicles in real time has a role in reducing fuel consumption by cutting out unnecessary mileage.

Establishing themselves as the communication portal between vehicle and base could help spread the telematics message to more small and medium-sized operators, encouraging more of them to experiment with applications that may benefit their bottom line, including re-routing and navigation.