{"id":13951,"date":"2022-06-26T10:32:58","date_gmt":"2022-06-26T08:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=13951"},"modified":"2022-06-26T10:32:58","modified_gmt":"2022-06-26T08:32:58","slug":"tractor-trailer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2022\/06\/26\/tractor-trailer\/","title":{"rendered":"Suppliers set sights on enhancing tractor-trailer connectivity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today\u2019s fleets require increased asset visibility, ease of software integration, and the knowledge that their units are operating safely as one.<\/p>\n

Once upon a time, truck and trailer equipment suppliers manufactured only hard parts. What was once considered off the shelf, more mechanical components and information have since shifted to today\u2019s connected, data-driven ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Commercial vehicle suppliers today are putting even more emphasis on connecting tractor-trailer data to create holistic units for fleets. They are also focused on the importance of integrating with existing fleet telematics software as well as offering turnkey solutions that might be a carrier\u2019s first step toward a connected fleet environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we look at the tractor-trailer relationship, the trailer has information and data both when it\u2019s connected to the truck, as well as value when it\u2019s not connected,\u201d Mark Ehrlich, senior director of business development at Wabash, pointed out during Endeavor Business Media\u2019s recent virtual CV Tech Conference<\/a>, which was led by FleetOwner<\/i> and other Commercial Vehicle Group editors.<\/p>\n

When fleets are making decisions about spec\u2019ing trailers and equipment given today\u2019s abundance of technology options, David McKean, business development lead at Clarience Technologies<\/a>, advised looking at a telematics system that is completely scalable. Road Ready<\/a>, for example, is Clarience\u2019s advanced telematics portion of the company that provides visibility into the health and location of fleet assets.<\/p>\n

During the panel, Robert Brazeau, director of strategic initiatives for Meritor\u2019s<\/a> front-drive and trailer business, pointed out that the industry is focused on developing sensor technology and algorithms to thoroughly mine the data coming off fleets\u2019 assets.<\/p>\n

\u201cFleets need actionable data, and they need it boiled down to what\u2019s really important,\u201d Brazeau explained.<\/p>\n

Historically, the industry has had an abundance of data on the truck side of the equation, Lisa Mullen, CEO of Dr\u014dv Technologies<\/a>, told FleetOwner<\/i> in a separate interview.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the missing link was the part that was carrying all the goods,\u201d she explained. \u201cConnecting those two is essential.\u201d<\/p>\n

When picking up and dropping off trailers, fleet managers today want to see that the vehicle picks up the right trailer and when it picks it up, explained Pete Jankowski, Dr\u014dv Technologies CTO.<\/p>\n

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A screen capture from a Dr\u014dv Technologies user interface reveals a trailer with super single tires that have active tire pressure management, which inflates and deflates the tire based on the weight on the axles. It also illustrates the pairing of the truck and trailer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

They also want to know that their tractor-trailer units are operating safely. That means using smart trailer technology to ensure that all tires are at the right pressure, that ABS systems and lights are working, and that trailer doors are secure.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you look at it holistically, those are one unit,\u201d Jankowski told FleetOwner<\/i>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we see from our data is that sometimes the trailer moved, or drivers can\u2019t find the right trailer,\u201d he added. \u201cOne of the other issues we see is there are a lot of tire issues on the road. We have one fleet that gets a few million miles on select trailers of theirs, and they\u2019ve had well over 100 major tire events, but we\u2019ve gotten them off the road safely and not sitting on the side of the road with a blown tire.\u201d<\/p>\n

In terms of spec\u2019ing new trailer technology, Mullen said Dr\u014dv encourages fleets to think about what their needs are now and what they foresee their needs to be in the future, especially when they start to think about autonomous technologies.<\/p>\n

A diagnostics evolution<\/h3>\n

Leveraging connected technologies can help fleets become smarter and more specific about their condition-based maintenance practices, Dr\u014dv\u2019s Jankowski pointed out.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur core feature set is being able to inflate and deflate the tires based on the load,\u201d Mullen said of Dr\u014dv\u2019s offerings. \u201cWe\u2019re finding more and more fleets and tire companies becoming interested in that capability to precisely manage the tires<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that is also true for the wheel-end package and monitoring its overall health.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe feel that is the most important aspect of the trailer\u2014the tires, the wheel ends, and the brakes,\u201d Mullen said.<\/p>\n

During the CV Tech panel discussion, Paul Washicko, VP and general manager of ConMet\u2019s<\/a> digital business unit, said the telematics industry is undergoing a natural evolution from its remote diagnostic origins some 20 years ago.<\/p>\n

ConMet, a global manufacturer of wheel hubs, also launched its eMobility business<\/a> in 2020 to help enable the development of electric vehicles.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the years, we have developed and understand well what the thermal vibrations are for hubs that are beginning to fail and for bearings that are beginning to fail,\u201d Washicko said. \u201cThis provides better utilization of equipment and drivers, and from preventing thermal events.\u201d<\/p>\n

ConMet is working on a second-generation prognostics algorithm that can detect a bearing problem even when it\u2019s too early for a technician to detect something is wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have all these different components that we put on the board, but the firmware and the expertise that we drive into that firmware is what allows us to see this so early,\u201d Washicko explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am reluctant to say that because everyone has been promising it for a long time,\u201d he added. \u201cBut we had a recent event where we saw similar signatures on a bearing failure, which was a flat-out bearing failure. When it was brought in for a PM, the technicians let it back out and we said, \u2018You\u2019ve got to bring it back in.\u2019 When they brought it back in, they ended up averting a catastrophic event.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it comes to scheduling maintenance, Meritor\u2019s Brazeau added that fleets will have to change their models slightly to make use of the data as it comes in. Part of that will mean a better understanding of how they can get the full life from their components.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt also gives them the peace of mind,\u201d Brazeau noted. \u201cEach fleet has a different answer depending on their operation and where their costs lie. With the data we have now, we can help fleets improve their uptime, help with their operating costs, and when it comes to wheel-end componentry, we can apply data that will help make that vehicle safer on the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moving toward an EV\u2014and autonomous\u2014future<\/h3>\n

As commercial electric vehicles become more widespread, Clarience\u2019s McKean believes telematics and vehicle connectivity will be that much more important\u2014particularly when it comes to range management.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s critical to know the weight in a trailer and what point in time so you can recalculate range, so the driver can get from Point A to Point B successfully or know if they need to get to a charging station,\u201d McKean pointed out. \u201cAt the same time, connectivity is important on those electric CVs. If you can monitor tire inflation, for instance, and minimize rolling resistance, you will get more miles to the charge.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Dr\u014dv Technologies, Jankowski said the company has been adding more visibility, including enhanced camera technology, to its solutions. Dr\u014dv is also investing in improvements on weight estimations for fleets\u2019 tractor-trailer units.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been working on giving them visibility for the security of the trailer, so if something happens, they can go back and look at video,\u201d Jankowski said. \u201cAlso, if they have some issues with getting the maximum load and the total gross weight of the whole vehicle\u2014truck and trailer combined\u2014we can help them get as close to 80,000 lb. as possible without going over.\u201d<\/p>\n

When discussing autonomous vehicles in particular, stakeholders agree that it\u2019s critical for the entire industry to take all the appropriate actions and protocols so commercial vehicle systems aren\u2019t hacked.<\/p>\n

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Dr\u014dv\u2019s AirBoxOne smart trailer system captures and sends multipoint operational data back to fleets. This particular installation shows the location on the trailer bogey.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

When tractor-trailer units are pairing up, Jankowski noted, rolling automatic passwords and signals are hidden so others won\u2019t see a Wi-Fi signal coming off the unit. All cellular data should be encrypted, he added, and saved in the cloud.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if someone did get in, there are a ton of safety provisions included for not allowing them to do anything that would actually affect the vehicle,\u201d Jankowski explained. \u201cLet\u2019s say somebody decided to turn all a trailer\u2019s tires to 0 psi. The mechanical systems will fall back and do not allow the tires to go below a certain tire pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n

What if someone tries to hack into an autonomous system on a tractor?<\/p>\n

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\u201cThat to me is probably more key on where you really have your systems secure,\u201d Jankowski said. \u201cI know some of these autonomous systems have a manual takeover for a driver remotely, but on some of them, it could be good or bad depending on how they are secured.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Cristina Commendatore<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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

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Today\u2019s fleets require increased asset visibility, ease of software integration, and the knowledge that their units are operating safely as one. Once upon a time, truck and trailer equipment suppliers manufactured only hard parts. What was once considered off the shelf, more mechanical components and information have since shifted to today\u2019s connected, data-driven ecosystem. Commercial…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13952,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[165],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13951"}],"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=13951"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13951\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13953,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13951\/revisions\/13953"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}