Guest blog: Forget about escaping truck technology; instead, take advantage of it

Regulatory requirements governing fuel economy, emissions and safety have turned today’s work trucks into rolling computers. At the same time, pressure to reduce operating costs has led manufacturers to add even more electronics to vehicles and truck equipment to improve operational efficiency. The net impact of these technological advancements is that fleet managers need to re-think every aspect of how they design, maintain and manage their fleets. 

Embedded Technology and Beyond

Much of the technology that fleet managers are exposed to on a daily basis is embedded in the vehicles and equipment that they purchase.                                                                              

This technology offers numerous opportunities to improve the way work trucks are designed and managed. For example, data that can be retrieved from vehicle powertrain control modules (PCMs) can be useful both in vehicle maintenance and in helping fleet managers design better, more efficient replacement vehicles.

By adding telematics to vehicles, fleet managers can get real-time or near-real-time information on how their trucks are performing and can use that information to define individual vehicle drive cycles. The GPS tracking and geo-fencing features associated with telematics systems can be used to improve the operational efficiency of a fleet and to reduce fuel consumption, both of which directly help the bottom line. Telematics systems can also be used to influence driver behavior.

Other available technologies, both electronic and mechanical, may allow fleets to limit idling time, reduce rolling resistance, improve vehicle aerodynamics and reduce vehicle weight — all of which will improve a fleet’s fuel economy and may reduce maintenance costs.

Vehicle Upfitting