3 January 2012

Analysing and improving driving technique can play a big part in reducing fuel consumption (currently a major preoccupation for fleet operators) – and it's something the truck makers' own telematics systems are good at. Sharon Clancy considers how they go about it, and whether they square up to operators' requirements in other respects

For a make-by-make rundown on recent developments by truck makers, click here.

One in three Volvo trucks is now sold is equipped with Dynafleet, the company says. Scania’s Communicator 200 telematics black box is fitted as standard to all new trucks sold in the UK, and comes with a free six-months basic monitoring report package.

Daimler is fitting its Fleetboard telematics package as standard on new Mercedes Actros trucks, and will extend this policy to new models as they are introduced. And MAN’s Fleet Management System is already installed on 6,000 vehicles in the UK – including over 1,000 non-MAN vehicles.

Italian manufacturer Iveco is relative newcomer to the telematics mark.et, but its Blue&Me hardware is a key component in Iveco’s guarantee that buyers of its EcoStralis tractor unit will see at least a 4 per cent improvement in fuel economy over three years.

Fuel prices remain high, and typically account for 45 per cent of any transport or logistics operator’s biggest costs. Reducing fuel consumption therefore translates quickly into bottom-line savings. No wonder truck operators are currently so preoccupied with this objective.

 

When it comes to telematics systems, this preoccupation plays exactly to the strengths of truck makers, who are particularly good at vehicle and driver performance monitoring. Many of them now offer fuel consumption-reduction programmes and services based on vehicle and driver telemetry.

Despite this, some fleet operators are apparently lukewarm about using telematics to monitor vehicle and driver performance, as Volvo Trucks solutions development manager Chris Evans admits. "Typically," he says, "many say they are achieving good fuel consumption figures anyway, and ask why they should need to pay to confirm that."

He has a convincing response to this reticence. "If you aren’t measuring how your drivers and vehicles are doing," he argues, "you don’t know if they could be doing even better. Even a small improvement can translate into thousands saved on the fuel bill over a year."

Focusing on fuel cost reductions offers a quick payback, says Steven Lovatt, UK head of sales for Daimler Fleetboard. "It’s easy to overload yourself with data and to try and do too much too soon. Focus on those areas that will deliver the quickest benefits. This often means driver and vehicle performance, but might also include examining how mileage can be reduced. You can always add functionality later."

It’s not just fleet engineers who are showing this renewed interest in economical driving; operations people too can benefit. The manufacturers stress that a key factor to success is immediate post-trip driver debriefs to identify causes for any particularly poor fuel consumption.

Vehicle manufacturers have another key advantage over independent telematics suppliers. When viewed in the context of third-party telematics market that has been bedevilled by over-selling and under-delivering, the truck makers are perceived as trusted suppliers.

"Our systems carry a full warranty, which includes consequential damage cover in the unlikely event of a failure," says Darryl Taylor, telematics manager at Scania. "That’s a really important consideration for any operator, large or small. Each system is factory-installed and comes complete with a reliable, tested firewall for maximum security and protection."

"We value our customers. We won’t simply sell you a black box and leave you to it," adds Lovatt. "We’re there with advice on how to get the best out of the system."

On-board data capture

If there’s one thing vehicle manufacturers are expert at, it is capturing data on how their vehicles are performing and being driven. Modern trucks and vans incorporate an array of microprocessors essential for controlling a host of functions from fuel injection to emissions control and braking.

The FMS standard is an agreed subset of CANbus data that is available to anyone with a connection to an FMS port in the vehicle. It covers braking, acceleration, fuel consumption, engine RPM and trip mileage.

However, FMS doesn’t cover everything. Truck makers may not capture a variety of data that can help in comparing driver performance, such as such as engine load time, power take-off usage and actual vehicle weight.

Then again, truck makers are in a prime position to exploit the ability to capture driver data directly from the latest generation of digital tachographs, bypassing the company or driver card that was previously required to download the data. Tachograph data is crucial for driver identification and to match drivers to vehicles, allowing accurate comparison between drivers.

Driver and vehicle monitoring

Driver performance monitoring has become a key feature of many telematics systems. It helps identify not just which drivers have a style that is uneconomic in terms of mpg, but also which aspect of driver behaviour is the cause – excessive idling or harsh acceleration, for example.

Small improvements count where fuel is concerned. "Idling uses 2.4 litres of fuel an hour, so a reduction in engine idling time is a big win for any fleet," says David Lester, department manager for MAN Fleet Management. "Our standard performance parameter is that any idling period should not exceed two minutes. Above that it gets flagged up."

All the experts agree that it’s a mistake to concentrate solely on vehicle fuel consumption when trying to reduce fuel bills. "Don’t focus on mpg," warns Chris Evans. "You’ll end up in a muddle trying to explain why you have differing results, when in reality they’re often due to other variables." He cites a whole range of other factors that could have a bearing – the weather, wind and rain, the difference between winter and summer, trailer height, axle alignment and tyre pressures.

"We focus on encouraging driving techniques that deliver a fuel-efficient driving pattern. Working with driver techniques means we can measure, analyse and compare drivers at any time. If we set the targets correctly for the operation in question, and develop the driver’s style to a fuel efficient pattern, the mpg will be the best it can be in the circumstances."

Evans says there are between ten and twelve driver "behaviours" that have an impact on fuel consumption. "As a rule, good technique means staying within the economy band, coasting, and maximising use of cruise control and time spent in top gear. Bad techniques include prolonged idling, too many brake applications, and long periods with high engine load."

Evans works with operators to devise a structured programme. Reports include an overview of the main performance data under different driver technique headings, and an analysis of where drivers are meeting or missing targets.

Evans thinks the summary report is particularly useful in highlighting good and bad driving techniques. "The effect of coasting and engine load is shown in terms of mpg, and idling in terms of diesel consumed. It’s a wake-up call for many operators."

MAN, which has Microlise as its telematics partner in the UK, uses an overall ranking system, with individual behaviour graded A to G. "It’s essential that drivers know the telematics system is there to help them do a good job, and not as a spy in the cab," says Lester. "Personal KPIs and small improvement targets encourage them to drive economically."

He believes that with coaching every driver can achieve a B-grade. "That’s usually equivalent to a 10 per cent saving in fuel, plus less wear and tear on components, not forgetting fewer accidents."

The manufacturers agree that sharing any cost savings with drivers can help drive long-term improvements. As XXX puts it: "Our detailed reports show in pounds and pence exactly how much the driver is saving when he achieves a target, compared with the benchmark for the fleet. Drivers are professional and competitive. League tables and driver-of-the-year schemes help retain focus, as do incentive schemes."

Integration

Some operators have complained in the past about the apparent reluctance of vehicle manufacturers to let them export telematics data to other systems and analyse it locally. The truck makers prefer to do the analysis themselves and send the operators reports. This is of course in the makers’ interests, because it gives them direct feedback of operational experience with their vehicles in the field.

The thorny question "who owns the data?" has not been entirely resolved yet. Reasonably, the makers would argue that any data they gather goes towards improving future products for everyone, but the operators gathering the data are seldom doing it with this semi-altruistic long-term intent; they want to see specific short-term benefits for their own fleet.

Happily, there is growing recognition by some manufacturers that in mixed-vehicle fleets operators want all the driver and vehicle information in one place, and that operators with legacy systems will want to incorporate data into those systems. Daimler Fleetboard and MAN are also happy to have their kit installed in other marques of vehicle.

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