{"id":12679,"date":"2021-11-07T11:08:21","date_gmt":"2021-11-07T10:08:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=12679"},"modified":"2021-11-07T11:08:21","modified_gmt":"2021-11-07T10:08:21","slug":"data-firehose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2021\/11\/07\/data-firehose\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Leverage the Data Firehose"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo: PacLease<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Maintenance ranks within the top three line-item expenses at most fleets, and greater use of data coming off the trucks can help keep those costs down.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s nothing quite like a truck for pumping out firehoses of rich data. From integrated systems to onboard technologies, these steady data streams can better inform how a truck is maintained, how it is spec\u2019ed, and how safely it is being operated, the latter of which also eventually impacts both maintenance practices and spec decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Where this data meets the road, so to speak, is when a fleet manager can make dollars and cents of it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLeveraging available data in an actionable way can be a big cost savings for most fleets,\u201d says Doug Schrier, vice president of strategy at Transflo, a provider of data-management services for truck fleets. \u201cMaintenance ranks within the top three line-item expenses at most fleets. If you take maintenance and depreciation and group them together, keeping the truck on the road can be as expensive as keeping it insured and keeping diesel in the engine. That\u2019s the direction you should be working toward \u2014 using anything you can to help reduce those costs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, \u201cinstead of basing preventive and routine maintenance intervals on a 30,000-mile cycle, carriers can use data from their engine diagnostics components and sensors to do maintenance when it\u2019s needed, which could be at a 45,000-mile cycle or longer. That reduces costs and downtime, including by replacing components when they need to be replaced instead of on mileage.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Schrier advises fleets to first select a telematics device that pulls \u201cgood, clean data\u201d off the engine. \u201cIf you\u2019re not getting good data, you don\u2019t have anything to use to set up a data-driven maintenance program.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The next step is refining how you use that data. He notes that several OEMs have solutions that take the engine diagnostic data coming in via telematics and run it through a predictive analytics system to identify component failures or issues that could be resolved within warranty.<\/span><\/p>\n

Actionable Insights<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cAs someone relatively new to the transportation industry, and with an aviation background, I strive to have as much actionable insights as possible,\u201d says Shaun Sadler, senior vice president of equipment and maintenance for Chattanooga, Tennessee-based U.S. Xpress, one of the nation\u2019s largest truckload carriers. \u201cData is the link between knowledge, performance, and decision-making.\u00a0All types of data will help shape us into a more effective company and give us insights that we have never had before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

At Paccar Leasing (PacLease), they started from scratch, going back 20 years to pull data on vehicle specs and costs, says Michael Willey, PacLease assistant general manager.<\/span><\/p>\n

With the data in hand, he says, the \u201cnext step was to clean it and move it to the cloud, so we could use it effectively. From there, you use data analytics, looking at it by truck, by component, and by duty cycle.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust from what we know from our specs,\u201d he continues, \u201cwe found 17 main drivers that have statistical significance in the costs of operating a truck.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Quality Transport Company may not be as far along as some fleets, \u201cbut our interest in data-driven maintenance is high,\u201d says SVP Amanda Schuier.\u00a0 The\u00a0Freeport, Illinois-based carrier hauls short-, regional-, and long-haul freight nationwide with a fleet of 31 tractors.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFleets are certainly aware of what data can do,\u201d Schuier says. \u201cBut there is a wide range to that awareness. Some are using lots of data. Even with a small fleet, I\u2019m trying to streamline data.\u201d She says that\u2019s in part to tamp down data overload. \u201cThere are so many dashboards \u2014 36, to be exact \u2014 that I have to log into separately and sort through every day, from maintenance to hours-of-service compliance and detention times.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Path to Predictive<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sadler says the first objective at U.S. Xpress is \u201cto continue along the preventive [maintenance] path, but also build in predictive capabilities.\u201d That means using telematics to gather data from sensors within key systems, assemblies, and components in tractors where problems could lead to breakdowns.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaintenance data can complement these telematics systems,\u201d he says. \u201cEstablish robust data linkage and complete analysis to find correlations between specific thresholds and a failure. Fleets can categorize the severity of resulting failures and the time elapsed from triggering a threshold until a component fails.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

From there, Sadler recommends expanding analysis into \u201creal-time data streaming with alerts based on which component is likely to fail within a predicted number of miles and\/or days. To get started on this, create pilot programs so you can implement changes as you learn.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith the right algorithms,\u201d he continues, \u201cwe\u2019ll soon be able to monitor sensor-equipped items on our tractors. This can help provide predictive and prescriptive maintenance events, helping to prevent breakdowns over the road. It will also help us align scheduled downtime with driver home time.\u00a0With future technology, we\u2019ll align with charging cycles or fueling cycles.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He points out that this also can minimize lost opportunities to generate revenue miles. This is not only good for the fleet\u2019s productivity, but it can also help reduce driver frustration, positively impacting employee satisfaction and reducing turnover.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to focus on data integrity before deployment across all assets in the fleet, Sadler says. And don\u2019t feel like you have to do it alone. Combine your internal data analysis with the expertise of trusted external partners to identify correlations and patterns in data and failure events.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Data-driven<\/span>
\n

Data-driven maintenance can minimize breakdowns, and with a greater percentage of repairs completed at a company shop or a preferred vendor, fleets can save money. <\/span>Photo: U.S. Xpress<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cPartner with others and learn what they are doing to facilitate these technologies. Learn and share information as much as possible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

All this can lead to reduced time lost to roadside breakdowns and less time to complete diagnosis and correct failures.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou also decrease the cost to complete repair, with a greater percentage of repairs completed at a company shop or a preferred vendor,\u201d Sadler adds. \u201cAnd reduced driver turnover leads to increased seated tractor count (as a percent of overall fleet), and lower driver recruiting costs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Plug in the Data<\/span><\/h2>\n

PacLease\u2019s Willey says analyzing data can not only help lower maintenance costs; \u201cit also points to which specs are most effective by truck application. So, with a data-driven approach, you build a truck, you plug in the fleet\u2019s data, and then you redo it [the specs], based on what the data is telling you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He says this leveraging of data allows the lessor to be \u201c50% more accurate in predicting vehicle lifecycle costs based on a truck\u2019s specs and duty cycle. From there, we can negotiate with vendors to address the performance of specific items on the truck.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, fleets can also use a data-driven approach in refining their own truck specs. Willey stresses that data has inherent value.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re definitely not maximizing its potential if you\u2019re not collecting and analyzing it,\u201d he says. \u201cFrom there, predictive maintenance becomes the next step. Fleets can definitely buy off-the-shelf software to run analytics on the quality data that has been captured.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

At PacLease, he says, \u201cthe toughest part of all this was getting the data points out and stored in the cloud to use them.\u201d The key data points PacLease works from include telematics data pulled off trucks; operations-related data drawn from electronic logging devices; maintenance history; specs; and data pulled from such devices as filter indicators and tire monitors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Once all the pertinent data has been cleaned, sorted, and analyzed, \u201cit becomes a valuable management tool that only requires the updating of maintenance information, typically once a quarter.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Leading-Edge Approach<\/span><\/h2>\n

Quality Transport\u2019s small size belies its efforts to be on the cutting edge of innovative management approaches. Indeed, Schuier currently chairs the Fleet Maintenance Management (S.5) study group of the American Trucking Associations\u2019 Technology & Maintenance Council.<\/span><\/p>\n

She notes that S.5 is working with the Society of Automotive Engineers on opening a new TMC task force on Health Ready Components and Systems. Admitting that\u2019s a mouthful, she says it boils down to \u201clearning how to manage your fleet\u2019s run time in terms of \u2018total vehicle health.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The scope of the task force includes mapping the path from today\u2019s remote diagnostic monitoring of vehicles to gaining predictive vehicle-level \u201chealth management\u201d for drivers and techs. From there, it\u2019s on to developing autonomous, real-time self-adaptive management to control and optimize vehicle operation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy goal is to get all my data as streamlined and integrated as possible,\u201d she says. \u201cWhile we aren\u2019t a leading-edge fleet, we\u2019ve done a lot of upgrading since the pandemic began. We toyed with a lot of ideas to upgrade systems and have focused mostly on improving dispatching and maintenance software as well as updating our ELDs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Schuier points out that the ELD upgrade at Quality \u201copened the door to more integration,\u201d including an electronic driver vehicle inspection report system. \u201cNow our drivers report their results, and those go right to the shop so techs can triage for scheduling maintenance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Going forward, Schuier says she is \u201cpushing back on vendors to integrate more with our other partners. For the most part, they have been receptive, which is the sign of a good partner.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are only going to receive more data from our trucks,\u201d she adds. \u201cWe have to figure out what to do with it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

No one can drink from a firehose. But if you can aim the data that pours out of today\u2019s trucks into the correct buckets and analyze the impact of that content on fleet operations, your thirst for actionable business intelligence might well be slaked.<\/span><\/p>\n

This article first appeared in the October 2021 issue of Heavy Duty Trucking.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

by David Cullen<\/a><\/p>\n

Source: https:\/\/www.truckinginfo.com\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo: PacLease Maintenance ranks within the top three line-item expenses at most fleets, and greater use of data coming off the trucks can help keep those costs down. There\u2019s nothing quite like a truck for pumping out firehoses of rich data. From integrated systems to onboard technologies, these steady data streams can better inform how…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[39],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12679"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12679"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12679\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12681,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12679\/revisions\/12681"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}