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Telematics – an intelligent future, like it or not
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Mar/April 2009
Information highway – the truck makers round out their telematics offerings
 Historically, truck makers took a somewhat vehicle-centric approach to telematics, but these days they have much more to offer operators. Sharon Clancy reports High diesel prices ensure that fuel remains the biggest business cost for UK fleet operators. This means that affordable systems for reducing fuel consumption have even more appeal nowadays than in the past. That is presumably why truck makers are putting so much emphasis on telematics at the moment. It takes only a small improvement in fuel economy to pay back the investment in on-board driver and vehicle systems, and those gains should continue over the life of the vehicle. Among the latest makers to aim their focus squarely in this direction are Renault, with its Optimax system; Volvo, with its Fuelwatch; and MAN, with its Safe and Economic Driving programme. In this feature we look in detail at these and other truckmakers' telematics systems, and consider how they square up to the third-party telematics market. 
Interestingly, all makers seem to stress that a two-pronged approach is needed: identifying the fuel consumption of each vehicle, and monitoring individual drivers. In other words, you need to use the system sensibly and methodically to get the best out of it. Vehicle and driver telemetry Data on vehicle and driver performance is generally captured directly from an on-board vehicle management computer or by an interface with the vehicle's built-in CANbus data network. The interface can listen and extract data on fuel consumption, harsh braking and acceleration, engine idling, use of cruise control, speed and so on. Combining the two means the truck makers can capture data from other makes of trucks, so theoretically you can get all the information from one supplier. Chris Evans, head of Volvo's FuelWatch programme, has identified two keys to encouraging operators of medium-sized and smaller fleets to sign up for telematics: crunching the data, and making it easy for operators to identify which vehicles and drivers are costing them the most money. 'Operators don't want a host of data on all their fleet, but they do want reports that will allow them to manage vehicles and drivers more proactively.' 'Keep it simple' is also the message from Darrell Taylor, head of market for Scania OnBoard. 'First identify where all that expensively purchased fuel is going. Are engines idling too much? Drivers often leave engines running on a scheduled break simply to keep warm. An independent cab heater can quickly pay for itself by cutting that idling time.' Taylor advises concentrating on narrowing the gap between the best- and worst-performing drivers initially to get fast results, and then looking at other areas that could deliver more savings. MAN is using the Safe and Economic Driver reports developed by telematics partner Microlise. Drivers are rated on a scale ranging from A to G (picking up on a common way of rating domestic appliances), and MAN reckons this makes it easy to identify the worst-performing depots, vehicles and drivers quickly. The system takes into account different locations, operating patterns and loadings. 'It's about measuring driver behaviour, not simply fuel consumption,' says Dave Lester, head of MAN's fleet management services department. 'Combining technology and training will help operators improve performance and cut costs.' Other truck makers echo this emphasis on the need to match monitoring with driver training programmes, helping even experienced drivers raise their skill level. Renault says the difference in fuel consumption associated with different driving styles can be as high as 15 per cent. Fleet management telematics Maximising vehicle utilisation is another key factor in reducing costs, and this focuses attention not on the vehicle as such, but on how it fits in with the operator's business. That is why truck makers have developed fleet management applications similar to those traditionally offered by third-party suppliers – companies specialising in activities such as real-time tracking, job despatch and order management.  An Internet or Web portal usually provides the communications interface. Managers can use this to transmit jobs to vehicles already out on the road, and to locate vehicles, send directions and communicate with drivers by SMS messages. Scania's Taylor points out that fully-fledged live tracking is not always necessary to achieve the desired benefits. Just as effective in some cases can be a combination of features such as geofences around delivery points and automatic SMS text alerts when vehicles move in and out of the designated area. 'An SMS will give you a time stamp, recording a delivery time for instance, which is as good as a historic trail when it comes to route analysis.' He also reports that 90 per cent of Scania OnBoard users don't use the portal to access reports or track vehicles, but rely on exception reporting. So the transport office only receives an alert, for example, if the vehicle is late arriving at a delivery point.  Most truck makers' telematics systems now include an automatic link to their roadside assistance services. The driver simply presses a button to send the location of the vehicle and its identification to the relevant service centre. A benefit of this, says MAN, is that dealers can get remote access to the vehicle CANbus and diagnostic codes, increasing the chances that the technician attending the vehicle will arrive with the right parts and tools. Digital tachographs The new generation of digital tachographs that are now fitted to all new trucks over 7,500kg include an interface that allows driver data to be exported wirelessly. In the past, tachograph data was only accessible via the driver or company smartcard, and with the rules demanding periodic downloads of the tachograph data memory, this has become a administrative headache for larger and multi-depot fleets in particular. The interface will also make it easier for telematics systems to identify the driver via the smartcard he has to insert in the tachograph, eliminating the need for a separate card for the telematics unit. T Truck makers' telematics: make-by-make rundown DAF  Later this year DAF is launching a new version of its Daf Telematics System. It will be available for retrofit to existing vehicles as well as on new vehicles. The in-cab unit has seven buttons and double DIN smartcard slot. The screen can also be used as a display for an externally-mounted reversing camera. The latest version of DTS includes Europe-wide navigation, plus an information bar that shows the next destination, and clearer display of text messages. 'We are aiming DTS at operators who want transport management implementation as well as driver and vehicle telemetry data,' says product marketing manager Phil Moon. 'Two-way text messaging is the key. It reduces communication costs but gives transport planners maximum flexibility to manage the fleet and jobs dynamically throughout the course of the day, by routing drivers to new collections.' The two-way text messaging allows real-time communication with the driver at a fraction of the cost of voice calls, says Moon. There are 50 pre-defined messages which can be sent either to base or to the customer, and provide real-time updates on vehicle status (for instance, arrived, unloading, waiting to unload and so on). Managers can also write up to 50 pre-defined messages of their own and send them to one truck or the whole fleet. For safety, it is impossible for the driver to compose a text message while driving. The system automatically stores any unfinished text message when the driver starts driving, in case he forgets to do so. Geo-fencing capability is being added, and will automatically alert the back office when a vehicle is entering or leaving a pre-defined area. DTS also allows planners to upload routes from the back office to the in-cab terminal, including navigation with live traffic updates. The system will also integrate into back-office transport management software. There is a comprehensive contact book with address and contact details for the operator's contacts. DTS covers 42 countries, and DAF says the free text messaging service means operators can save up to 50 per cent on mobile phone costs while travelling internationally. The pan-Europe navigation maps now cover 41 countries. Daimler Fleetboard  Daimler claims to be the first truck maker to make it possible for operators to download data from tachographs automatically by wireless link while the vehicle is out on the road. On most current digital tachographs, the data is captured by the driver inserting the tachograph smartcard into the FleetBoard unit. FleetBoard's new TACHOready application allows operators to capture the mass-storage memory on the tachograph unit wirelessly without this interim step. General manager Ron Thompson says downloading the driver tachograph data via FleetBoard has proved popular as it allows transport managers to allocate jobs according to drivers' remaining available hours. 'TACHOready will appeal to international operators and save administration time for larger fleets.' FleetBoard's DispoPilot terminal is now mounted on the top of the instrument panel to make it easier for drivers to reach function buttons and read the screen, and it has a faster processor and larger memory. There is a 2GB SD memory card which holds the Truck Navigation software. Delivery and collection addresses can be sent directly to the device, eliminating manual entry. Maps can be displayed in plan view or in 3D. Alternatively, FleetBoard is available with an Intermec CN3 portable computer which can be used for delivery operations such as POD and barcode scanning, and ALK's Co-Pilot truck-specific navigation. Iveco Iveco is another maker that has a new telematics package – its Blue&Me Fleet. Like DAF, Iveco has teamed up with a telematics partner, in this case Qualcomm, which is supplying its FleetVisor Web-based fleet management service. In the cab there is an Onboard Computer Platform that collects vehicle-related data from the CANbus; it can relate to functions such as fuel consumption, vehicle distance and speed, together with driver identity, and it allows fuel consumption and driving style to be attributed accurately to each driver. The Blue&Me Fleet hardware transmits data using the cellular phone network up to the Qualcomm satellite platform. From there the vehicle operator can access fleet information via the FleetVisor platform. Data can be integrated into existing in-house software systems. A Bluetooth connection between the on-board 'black box' and internal displays allows operators to choose the portable computer that best fits their operation: a PDA, smartphone or rugged handheld computer. There is also an interface with the digital tachograph to allow remote card authentication and download of the tachograph data. MAN  MAN's Telematics Services division has just introduced a new EcoStyle driver performance monitoring application that includes a lot of detail but presents it in a style that makes it easy for managers to spot poorly-performing parts of the business. It categorises depots, fleets and individual drivers on a seven-point scale that mimics the energy ratings given to domestic appliances. So A (for Absolute Star) represents the greenest, most efficient driver, while a driver rated G 'is so bad it's *goodbye'', explains Dave Lester, tongue somewhat in cheek. He says an analysis of over 1,000 drivers by MAN revealed that 80 per cent fell into categories C (competent but could improve) and D (driver development required). However, nine per cent of drivers were rated E (expensive economically and environmentally) and B (a benchmark driver for that fleet). The colour-coded buttons are applied through the various reports, providing an at-a-glance comparison of depots, vehicles and individual drivers. As well as seven driver ratings, there are seven key monitoring items, including over-speeding, engine idling, 'sweet spot' driving and correct use of gears. Managers can drill down to individual driver level to check whether a driver who is above-average in general is, for example, below average in one aspect. 'To sustain savings, managers need to ensure that drivers remain at level B in the long term,' Lester says. Renault Renault reckons operators who analyse fuel consumption can save up to 10 per cent on fuel costs. While the company doesn't offer a conventional telematics package with wireless over-the-air data downloads, Renault has developed a driver and vehicle analysis program for its Infomax diagnostic software. Data is downloaded from the vehicle Onboard Diagnostics Port (OBD) to a laptop, where driver and vehicle telemetry information can be analysed instantly. The software uses the red-amber-green traffic light system to alert managers to poorly-performing trucks and drivers. All new Renault Trucks over 7,500kg are equipped with an Infomax plug, and there are also plugs for Euro 2 and Euro 3 trucks as well as current production modules. Scania  Scania OnBoard combines vehicle and fleet management software. The system aims to deliver flexible services that operators can pick and mix to suit their operational needs. 'Experience has shown that to get the optimum solution for their needs, operators want to pick different elements from the various platforms,' says the company's Darrell Taylor. 'The menu-style subscription service will help them get exactly the information they need for their business.' There is a choice of hardware platform, and all hardware is built to Open Database Compliance standards for easy integration into existing transport management software. 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 requirements. Volvo  Volvo's Dynafleet telematics system plays an essential role in the Fuelwatch fuel-cost reduction system the company is running to help operators cut costs. 'Even a fuel consumption reduction of two or three litres per 100 kilometres can have a positive effect on the bottom line for the majority of hauliers,' points out the company's Chris Evans. Dynafleet monitors fuel-tank levels and provides fuel usage reports. Drivers are identified by cards that are inserted into the in-cab terminal at the start of each day, so fuel usage can be attributed to drivers as well as vehicles. There are three basic packages. Perform is the basic vehicle and driver performance monitoring package, and collects data on fuel consumption and driver behaviour, and allows managers to check service intervals. Perform and Locate adds basic vehicle tracking and street-level mapping, and Operate adds text communications. Maintaining driver skills is crucial to retaining improvements in fuel economy, and Volvo has devised a Web-based driver training programme. For operators who want to demonstrate the effect their operations have on the environment, Dynafleet can also produce CO2 emission reports.
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