April/May 2007

This year's CV show had plenty of vehicle tracking and telematics news.

Telematics providers are now targeting smaller fleets, citing improved fuel economy from better vehicle utilisation and driver monitoring as key benefits for these customers. Trailer tracking is fast becoming mainstream, and there was more evidence of integration and collaboration as suppliers strive to answer the varying needs of operators.

Vehicle telemetry

In the past, one thing that vehicle manufacturers' own on-board telemetry systems could nearly always offer was a wealth of data about vehicle and driver performance - an ability that was felt to distinguish them from third-party systems, which in some cases were broader in scope or narrower in their capabilities. But if true, that distinction is now blurring - thanks in particular to the access provided by modern on-board telemetry systems to the generic FMS port fitted to all heavy-duty trucks. This is a data connection port meeting Fleet Management System standards, which gives access to the built-in CANbus data spine used nowadays on most trucks.

Masternaut, Verilocation and Minorplanet are among the latest third-party telematics suppliers to add CANbus data access to their applications. The FMS port allows such companies to 'listen' to the data being sent along the CANbus (Controller Area Network) without being able to change any of the vehicle parameters.

CANbus monitoring captures detailed data on driver and vehicle performance, including mpg by journey and driver, harsh braking or acceleration, over-revving and excessive engine idling. This offers significant potential for fuel savings.

Verilocation's version is called VL-CANbus, and the company says that four-week trials with several haulage companies indicated potential fuel savings of between 5 and 10 per cent. The data is summarised into 'journey events' which are analysed to provide information about each driver's performance. The system can be configured to provide instant alerts for events such as fuel siphoning or over-speeding.

Masternaut Vehicle Intelligence (MVI) is the name of the solution from the Leeds-based telematics supplier. It includes monitoring of driving time and waiting time for drivers' hours records as well as the in-depth on-board telemetry data.

Minorplanet launched CANbus support in a new and more sophisticated version of its in-house developed 'black box', or data collection unit, which also features 'IP pass-through', providing Internet access to connected devices such as PDAs; a microphone input for hands-free functionality; a three-axis accelerometer; and a casing rated at IP54 for dust and water resistance.

Operationally, Minorplanet has expanded its capabilities through partnerships with suppliers such as 360 Technologies (real-time scheduling solutions) and Integral Mobile Data (mobile business applications). It has also launched a new Web site with a 'system selector' where users can determine the best type of system for them and calculate the possible benefits. The company says its two main product lines, its traditional user-hosted system and its online VMIgreenlight system, will converge steadily to offer a spectrum of solutions for different requirements.

Low-cost tracking

Verilocation launched VL-Fleet at the show, using GPS tracking technology and Internet-based reporting. CFC unveiled FleetHorizon, a slimmed-down version of its FleetPlus management reporting software for fleets with fewer than 500 vehicles. It is designed to help fleets meet their O-licence and drivers' hours responsibilities and to appeal to public sector organisations through its ability to track key performance indicators. It allows management of all driver, vehicle and other asset records, plus fuel and maintenance spending. Reports are generated easily, and there are automatic alerts when preset parameters are breached - for example, if fuel consumption drops below a certain level.

The software integrates with CFC's Drivers Hours Module, which allows drivers to log on via a dedicated in-vehicle device, the digital tachograph or an existing telematics system. It supports multiple drivers using the same vehicle.

Trakm8 (pictured) has been a seller of telematics 'black boxes' since 2003, but is now repositioning itself as a service provider as well. Its Swift (Simple Web Interface for Tracking) product is designed for fleets between five and 50 commercial vehicles. The reader unit costs £170 plus £75 installation and £17 annual service charge, which includes communications and downloads and over-the-air upgrades.

Once the device is installed in the vehicle, businesses use the Web to monitor and produce reports on their vehicle activities in real time. Detailed reports are available shortly after a journey ends. They show start and overall driving times, average speed, over-speed and excessive idling incidents, plus working time compliance. There is a route replay facility to confirm that no unauthorised detours have occurred. The company says the timeline and vehicle utilisation report will help companies manage overtime payments and monitor off-duty private use of vehicles.

Trakm8 has resisted the temptation to add satellite navigation or voice communications, saying these add to the cost, and what small companies want is a basic fleet management tool.

Autoalert is a low-cost tracking system that combines a tracking unit and a mobile telephone. Already established in the classic car sector, the company has developed new versions aimed at small fleets, where the owners/managers are possibly mobile themselves, but need to check regularly on fleet status. The company says over half of the 22,800 van fleets in the UK consist of five or fewer vehicles. Vehicle position reports can be checked via the Autoalert with a mobile phone with Internet-access capability. Drivers can also use the site to get navigation maps.

The solution includes many of the features found in conventional tracking systems, including alerts when the vehicle is moved without the keys in the ignition, tampered with or driven without authorisation, and remote diagnostics.

Truck makers consolidate

The telematics offerings from the truck makers are now fairly mature, and all companies offer more or less the same three types of package. These, respectively, provide vehicle and driver performance monitoring; vehicle location; and full-blown operational management, including customer and load monitoring and wireless communication between vehicle and base.

The biggest news on this front at the CV Show was a liaison between MAN and Microlise, (see report on page 31). MAN Telematics already provides online fleet management packages to its customers. Microlise will add the ability to handle operational management data as well, broadening the appeal of the MAN offering, especially for larger fleets.

Volvo's Dynafleet has been repackaged. There are now three versions: Perform, Perform and Locate, and Operate. It is now approved for ADR transport of hazardous loads. Drivers can now log on via their digital tachograph, and Internet access is available from the cab (useful for those sleeping there). Upgrades are now possible over the air, so there is no need to return vehicles to the workshop. A 'Quick Assistance' button for emergencies has been incorporated.

Scania is taking integration to its ultimate level with the launch of Total Transport Solutions. TTS includes not just fleet management, but also servicing monitoring, ancillary equipment servicing and accident repair management.

One development that looks certain to catch on is online electronic storage of vehicle service records, which has now been sanctioned by the Vehicle Operator and Services Agency. FD-Tek (pictured) and Truckfile offer comparable systems. Operators pay to register their vehicles, and then each time work is done on the vehicle, a document is uploaded to the database. For multi-site operators, it means access to documentation on any vehicle in the fleet wherever it is based. The facility is already being used by Iveco, Mercedes-Benz and Scania dealers, and it is being combined with wireless vehicle service data capture in their own workshops.

Trailer tracking

A sign that the market for trailer tracking is maturing rapidly is that for many operators, the question has changed from 'Do I need to track my trailers?' to 'What is the best method of tracking my trailers?' The market appears to be dividing into two key types of offering - inexpensive solutions for periodic location of unpowered assets (perhaps for servicing and asset location purposes), and applications that provide real-time tracking of goods-in-transit independently of the tractor unit.

To satisfy operator demand, many of the trailer-tracking specialists can now provide live tracking when required, and some of the conventional truck tracking specialists have begun to offer trailer-tracking products.

Some companies are now on their second generation trailer tracking systems - a point made by ICThings.com managing director Tom O'Connor. 'There is wider recognition among managers who are accountable for unpowered assets that some kind of automatic reporting system on asset location is required. There is a duty-of-care responsibility, for example, when it comes to trailer servicing.'

ICThings.com has added more reporting and management features to support and control the IC500e tracking device for trailers and other unpowered assets. The company says the new Web interface is faster for the user, and there is a wider range of reports available.

The unit itself now comes with a magnetic base - not so much for attaching it to the trailer but to facilitate finding the best location to position the device in. It has one of the latest GPS chipsets, which is unaffected by metal, so the device can be positioned anywhere suitable on or in the trailer. The company remains committed to the standard battery pack. 'They cost a fraction of the amount of specialised rechargeable batteries, and condition can be monitored.'

A newcomer to the UK trailer tracking market is WebTech Wireless Europe. There are three versions of its system: a stand-alone trailer tracking system for locating untethered tractors; a trailer ID system which identifies the trailer to the tractor unit towing it; and a combined system. Location information is sent to WebTech Wireless's online Quadrant fleet management, monitoring and reporting system. Microsoft's MapPoint mapping shows trailer locations down to street level.

GE Equipment Services' Veriwise asset tracking Web site has been upgraded following the group's acquisition of Terion earlier this year. Terion was one of the pioneers of the untethered trailer tracking market in North America, and the interface is rich in functionality. Rather than simply generate lists of trailers sorted in various ways upon request, VeriWise reporting identifies problems and ranks trailers, issues and events on the basis of user-defined criteria.

GE is also simplifying its tracking products into a basic system that includes low levels of daily reporting (with an automatic movement alert), and a more comprehensive offering that includes two-way communications and sensor monitoring of events such as out-of-range temperature and door openings.

Minorplanet has added its 5800 trailer tracking unit to its portfolio. This piece of equipment is powered by batteries that recharged from a trickle charge. The company believes a rechargeable power source is essential for companies who want live management of their assets.

While live temperature logging has been available on refrigerated trucks for some years, it has previously tended to be provided via a separate system not linked to any truck or trailer tracking system.

Satamatics says it is the first third-party telematics provider to incorporate Carrier Transicold's new communications protocol into the firmware on its SAT-201 satellite modem. This will allow the tracking unit to capture temperature data, set point, fuel levels and history and report on this information along with location data via the Inmarsat D+ satellite packet data network.

With the predicted growth in the trailer tracking market, there are indications that trailer makers may start to fit tracking systems as original equipment. German trailer builder Schmitz Cargobull has done so for two years now, and fellow German trailer builder Krone is expected to follow. It is relatively easy for trailer builders to add a telematics unit by utilising an auxiliary power feed off the EBS braking system to trickle-feed the rechargeable batteries.

Satnav

Map&guide, the German fleet management systems supplier, has teamed up with Bridgeclear to include low-bridge height warnings for UK and Ireland roads in its Truck Navigator application. The software, which uses Navteq mapping data, also has a redesigned interface to make it easier to use, and includes a new feature for international navigation. The Web site checks its database for up-to-date information on road closures, critical clearance heights and permitted lorry weights for bridges before presenting a suggested route to the operator or driver.

The international mapping features automatically route trucks on major roads and have provision for smaller country maps to be inserted. The maps distinguish between vehicle profiles in terms of length, height, width, weight and axle load. Versions with dangerous goods restrictions are optional. The application can be preloaded on to handheld or in-cab computers and PDAs and can be integrated with scheduling systems.

Not all fleets want the trouble or expense of hard-wiring satnav systems into their vehicles. Recognising this, TomTom has developed a stand-alone version of its TomTom Work product called TomTom Compact. Instead of requiring a hard-wired 'black box' called TomTom Link to be fitted on the vehicle, the Compact version uses a GPRS modem and SIM card that are added to the TomTom Go 715 navigation unit (see m.logistics, last issue). Tracking and navigation data are delivered via the Webfleet Internet site.

WebTech has added a driver identification kit for its WT5000 GPS/GPRS tracking unit. Each driver has a keyfob which he presses against an cab reader. This sends a message to the fleet controller, who in turn sends a signal to the vehicle enabling the ignition system.