august2021 - 12

unused, the time it takes to locate a trailer, maintenance,
and other insights to help fleets eliminate
waste and become more efficient in workflows
while serving more customers. "
Regardless of which items are being tracked,
Geoffroy recommended that a fleet place someone
in charge of the trailer telematics effort. This
person(s) must be invested in the project so they
provide the required attention and resources.
" If a fleet can't get all of these things, what usually
happens is that a few trailers are upfitted with
the technology, but then they go off into the wild
and nobody knows what is happening with them, "
Geoffroy said.
Another component to a sound trailer telematics
plan is making sure the tracking can expand
as fleet needs evolve.
" It's very important for a fleet to choose a trailer
telematics solution that is scalable, " said Rob
Phillips, founder and CEO of Phillips Connect
Technologies. " The more they see the benefits
and potential [of] the sensors, they will want to
eventually add. "
Drōv Technologies' Mullen said that although
different fleets may have different priorities, safety
is always the common denominator. " Wheel-end
information, such as integrated tire management
and monitoring, provides every fleet with a great
" It's very
important for a
fleet to choose a
trailer telematics
solution that
is scalable. "
Rob Phillips, founder and CEO,
Phillips Connect Technologies
place to start, " Mullen said.
From a preventive maintenance perspective,
Geoffroy agreed that tire pressure and wheelend
temperature are important data points for
any fleet to monitor.
" This could be an early indication of tire or bearing
failure that can lead to unexpected repairs
and associated downtime, " Geoffroy said. " A
real-time alert could notify drivers of a potential
safety issue, allowing dispatchers to schedule an
immediate repair. "
ABS fault codes are also helpful to monitor. " We
can provide a fault code alert, " Phillips Connect's
Epler pointed out. " But what has become really
valuable to fleets is knowing what the specific fault
is. Maybe it's a rear right inner wheel sensor that is
reading low psi. Our user interface has that kind
of detailed data in it. "
Similarly, the Phillips Connect system monitors
wheel-end temperatures and lets the fleet
know exactly which wheel is having an issue.
12 Fleet Maintenance | August 2021
» The AirBoxOne smart trailer system from Drov Technologies incorporates 15 different sensors
on a trailer, including those for wheel-end monitoring and automated tire inflation/deflation.
Photo courtesy of Drov Technologies
Nine ways new trailer tracking
solutions benefit a fleet
Telematics on trailers isn't new.
What is less known, however,
is how the new generation of
trailer telematics is changing the
landscape of trailer management
by improving safety, utilization,
and driver satisfaction.
" Solutions go way beyond
location tracking to provide
near real-time data on health
issues such as tire pressure,
ABS status, lights, and more, "
said Casey Ellis, president
of EROAD North America,
a provider of fleet management
solutions and tracking
systems. " Also, load volume
is vital to ensuring safety,
reducing costs, and increasing
performance overall. "
Ellis said that a newer, more
advanced trailer telematics
solution can benefit a fleet
in nine important ways.
Operational team efficiency
in the yard. Locating trailers
on a map makes everyone in
the operation more efficient.
" We cannot stress enough the
importance of automating yard
check reporting which helps
your team easily find the right
trailer in the yard, " Ellis added.
Maximize load volumes. Let
your dispatchers get a view of
load volume on each trailer so
you can maximize revenue.
Asset utilization. Don't
miss opportunities due to
detention and uninformed
capacity planning. " Take a
data-driven approach to
manage the busy season and
rapidly reposition under-utilized
trailers in other areas where
things are tight, " Ellis said.
Improve safety. " More
than 70% of all FMCSA
(Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration) violations are
from service and maintenance
problems, many of which can be
addressed by proactive knowledge
of service requirements
on trailers, " Ellis pointed out.
" Advanced solutions can let you
see inoperative lights, low tire
pressure, and ABS problems
remotely so you service proactively
and keep your drivers
and loads safe and in service. "
Better service for customers.
The importance of data
on load position, delivery
status, and proof of delivery
is crucial to everyone in shipping
and logistics. Tracking
trailers helps give shippers,
customers, and brokers the
data they need. " With the
level of affordability for trailer
tracking solutions, small fleets
are now able to provide the
same type of real-time data as
the largest fleets, " Ellis said.
Reporting on detention time.
The better data you have on
detention, the more ability you
have to negotiate with your
key customers and shippers.
Make drivers more productive.
Having a driver hook
up to a trailer with bad lights,
tires, or other maintenance
problems wastes time and
money. " Make sure your trailers
are ready for the road before
they get loaded, " Ellis said.
Prevent shrinkage and pilfering.
Cargo theft is on the rise,
amounting to as much as $35 billion
in losses each year, according
to the National Insurance
Crime Bureau. " Trailer tracking
coupled with compatible door
and cargo sensors can alert fleet
managers to a trailer door being
opened when it shouldn't be, "
Ellis said. " The inclusion of GPS
tracking can also aid in the recovery
of lost or stolen trailers. "
Risk, revenue, and profitability.
Operating efficiency, asset
utilization, and safety all impact
the number of loads and tonnage
a fleet can haul. Addressing
service issues like low tire
pressure has a big impact on
fuel costs and tire wear. " Backing
up on preventive maintenance
can impact your CSA score
and can put you at higher risk
for accidents, " Ellis added.

august2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of august2021