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REMOTE DIAGNOSTICS
designed to access the core data networks
within the trucks in order to reliably collect and store data without interfering
with truck operations. The sensors collect streaming IoT data, including where
a particular mechanical event happened
and what conditions were present during the fault, such as altitude, ambient
air temperature, rpm level, and torque
load to give the information context
for diagnosis. "
Having a vehicle manufacturer offer a
remote diagnostic integration brings with
it the advantage of total system understanding and simplifies the decisionmaking process when choosing a provider
for fleets that run one manufacturer type.
" Mack uses software from SAS to
apply complex and analytical-based
rules, " Pardue continues. " If an issue is
detected, the software creates support
cases and sends them to an outbound
message queue. Mack uses the ASIST
system, a web-based service management platform, to pick up messages
from that outbound message queue to
process customer notifications. Customers are then notified of faults by a Mack
Trucks Uptime Center employee based on
their preference for email, text, and/or
phone notifications. "

INFORMATION DISSEMINATION
The way in which the information gathered from remote diagnostic systems is
relayed and displayed is just as crucial
as the information itself. Presentation is
everything, and the ability to tailor that
data to the needs of a fleet operation can
make all the difference in successful utilization of remote diagnostics.
" Remote diagnostic software is typically a web portal or mobile application, "
Noregon's Bolt says. " The portal should
offer high-level information from a dashboard view so the total health of a fleet can
quickly be discerned in a glance, but offer
advanced capabilities to drill into issues
on individual vehicles to pass along to

10 I Diagnostic Process I December 2020

maintenance professionals. "
" There is a fine line between overwhelming the user with too much data
and not offering enough information to
make actionable decisions, " Bolt advises.
" This signifies the importance of a customizable system that the fleet can configure to their needs ... One of the great
aspects of remote diagnostics is managing
who receives which bits of information.
For example, a maintenance manager can
be set up to receive comprehensive diagnostic information when trucks reach a
certain severity level, while dispatchers
are made aware of actionable faults, which
are faults that the driver can address
through actions such as adding coolant. "
Remote diagnostics systems such
as Noregon's TripVision Uptime offer
fleets the flexibility to be alerted to certain parameters of their choosing, such
as when a truck registers a fault code that
affects fuel economy, Bolt explains. These
parameters can be fine-tuned according
to a fleet's operation across all vehicles, or
to specific vehicles and routes.
" For Jaltest Telematics, what you get
is a user portal where you can filter by
vehicles, features, and functionalities, "
Cojali's Gattamorta says. " The goal is to
have a holistic approach with insights
from customers [on pick up and deliveries], from the technicians [based on maintenance data], and the fleet manager [via
geofence, driver behavior, GPS tracking, et
cetera]. When you enter the platform, you
can use one vehicle or run driver behavior comparisons, load distinction, harsh
braking metrics, et cetera. Guiding drivers
through their metrics gives great insight
on consumption. "

ACTIONABLE INSIGHT
When a fleet decides which information
is most pertinent to their operations, and
the manner in which they prefer its delivery, the next determination is how this
remote diagnostic information can be best
utilized to maximize uptime and improve

operational efficiencies.
" After identifying an issue, Mack
GuardDog Connect has the ability to let
customers know if it's a critical fault that
could potentially shut a truck down, or
if it's something more minor that can be
addressed at a later date, " Mack Trucks'
Pardue says. " In addition, the system does
confirm parts availability, as well as dealer
service by space, all while the customer's
truck is still on the road. "
Bolt relays that Noregon considered
users of remote diagnostic tools may not
have extensive maintenance backgrounds,
and so designed TripVision Uptime to
" feel like there is a master mechanic
monitoring all of your trucks. " When an
issue is detected, information presented
as " action plans " is delivered and explains
the best way to handle the truck in its current state. This could be notifications to
pull over before extensive damage occurs
or coordinating diagnostic information
with a shop to initiate a triage before the
vehicle arrives on site.
" One of the latest technologies we
added to TripVision Uptime is predictive
health, " Bolt says. " We can alert users [to
conditions] that are likely to escalate into
a serious problem, give time and mileage estimates for when the failure would
occur, as well as the relative likelihood
that the failure will happen. With this
information, customers can schedule
maintenance for an issue that has not yet
occurred but could lead to a breakdown
or more costly repair if not addressed. "
Remote diagnostics are the forefront
of total insight into operations and performance. Fleets have the ability to integrate
such systems into their vehicles in order to
capture real-time data without having an
asset parked in a service bay. Utilizing the
insightful data provided through remote
diagnostics offers the ability for fleets to
stay ahead of impending failures, accurately and timely unveil performance issues,
and furthermore optimize efficiencies
and uptime.

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