| Cover Story education, information and tools right at their fingertips. With a challenging technician base, the industry requires a more automated and connected process of parts identifi cation, service and available training. Th ings such a such as quick, short repair videos, easy-to-fi nd and understand technical information and timely assistance when required. Next year, Hendrickson will launch its fi rst online Education Portal in North America. Th is will be accessible 24 hours a day 7 days a week through the company website. Th is portal has been designed around three simple platforms requested from our customers: • Make it quick and simple. • Provide short two- to three-minute product repair videos. • Provide an administration function with the ability to test technicians. As in everyday life and business, the key is obtaining correct information quickly. Having access to electronic tools and maintenance and repair information while performing the job is a trend that will be redefi ned in the future as the virtual technician. TIRE COSTS Th e safety and compliance of drivers and fl eets also pushes technological advances that will reshape maintenance trends. Hendrickson’s TIREMAAX PRO automatic tire pressure control system for trailers and ULTRAA-K with ZMD Zero Maintenance Damping air springs are two examples. Driving down tire maintenance costs is a top concern for all fl eets, and the TIREMAAX PRO was designed to address this concern. It will infl ate or defl ate the tire to maintain the desired pressure, enabling longer tire life and peace of mind that tires are infl ated at the proper levels for roadside inspection compliance. Shocks present another maintenance area that drives costs up due to replacement requirements, or costs associated with non-compliance to regulatory mandates. ZMD is an air spring that combines the characteristics of an air spring with the characteristic of a shock. By eliminating the shock absorber all together it removes a maintenance item, lowers maintenance costs and improves regulatory compliance without compromising the performance of the system. AFTERMARKET Smart systems and products can also aff ect trends on where parts and services can be found and performed. Closed systems force fl eets to visit the OEM dealer. Open systems allow fl eets to shop the OES (Original Equipment Suppliers) and independent aft ermarket channels to garner the most competitive price for parts and service. Approximately a year ago, a heavy duty right to repair memorandum of understanding was signed between independent aft ermarket associations and heavy truck OEMs. Online Exclusives Connected BEYOND MAINTENANCE By Isotrak How fl eet telematics and software solutions are evolving beyond maintenance procedures. Go to: VehicleServicePros.com/20842180 FOUR KEY IMPACTS By MERA A remanufacturing trade group’s perspective on fl eet maintenance trends. Go to: VehicleServicePros.com/20842189 LEGISLATIVE SHIFTS By WIX Filters A view on the continuing impact of legislative shifts on maintenance. Go to: VehicleServicePros.com/20842101 SMARTER MAINTENANCE By Teletrac Navman, Vnomics, Decisiv How technology is making fl eets smarter about maintenance. Go to: VehicleServicePros.com/20842102 EQUIPMENT INNOVATION By Transervice Logistics The impact of equipment innovation and technician training. Go to: VehicleServicePros.com/20842115 Th e independent aft ermarket will now have access to OEM-controlled information that will complement the OEMs, independent repair facilities and fl eet customers. Th ree maintenance trends come to mind: 1. Open competition will drive maintenance costs down for fl eets. 2. Addresses the shortage of available skilled technicians by accessing a larger pool (both channels). 3. Drives further innovation. Since information, technology and tools are openly available, maintenance and repair operations will create programs to keep customers coming back to them. Th is will accelerate the parts, service, and maintenance technology trends in the heavy duty market. Our industry will continue to be inundated with new interconnected smart technology and developments at a very rapid pace. Th ese technological advances in products, systems and subsequent maintenance trends, as outlined, are manifested by listening to the marketplace, technicians, fl eets, dealers, independent parts and service providers and many others. vehicle technologies By Rachel Suttle Supervisor, Connected Vehicle Strategies Hino Trucks (www.hino.com) assembles, sells and services environmentallyfriendly Class 4 to 7 conventional and cabover commercial trucks in the U.S. When thinking of the future of the automotive and trucking industry, it is easy to jump to selfdriving trucks barreling down the highway. But the connected vehicle technology that allows for this innovation has some pretty exciting building blocks that are currently available to fl eets. Th e building blocks are in the basics of telematics, which is taking fl eet management to the next level of effi ciency. Suttle OEMs are increasingly seeing the value in off ering fl eets connected vehicles, as demonstrated this year when Hino Trucks off ered the connected vehicle platform INSIGHT as a standard on all new trucks, expanding on what the connected vehicle really means to fl eets. Th e Cloud, connectivity, mobility and big data are all concepts that are impacting nearly every industry. While many have a general sense of what it all means, really leveraging new technology in the trucking industry is on the brink of expansion. FLEET OPTIMIZATION When fl eets think of a connected vehicle, they typically think of dots on a map and GPS tracking, though telematics has truly progressed beyond track and trace. Th rough rich data, fl eets are able to obtain information on their vehicles’ health, driver behavior and vehicle effi ciency, allowing true optimization of their fl eets. According to Frost & Sullivan, fl eets using telematics can experience a: • 15 percent increase in productivity. • 25 percent decrease in fuel cost. • 20 percent increase in vehicle utilization. • 30 percent reduction in idle time. Each of these factors impacts the bottom line operation costs for a fl eet. In addition, changing legislation, such as electronic logging devices and hours of service, are pushing fl eets to adopt technology more quickly. A connected vehicle as a standard allows fl eets to comply immediately, without the research and added investment for their fl eets. STANDARDIZATION Traditionally, OEMs have left the choice of Continued Page 14 12 FLEET MAINTENANCE ❚ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 ❚ VehicleServicePros.com
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