Posted in Fleet Utilization and Availability on August 8, 2016

The entire trucking industry is starting to come together to leverage big data to drive profitability and operational efficiency.

recent article in Fleet Owner details how OEMs are using “the ‘big data’ extracted from their products to not only improve efficiency and performance but also help their fleet customers generate more revenue as well.”

While the article singles out freight volumes as a tangible way for OEMs to generate efficiency-driving insights for fleets, there’s also a huge opportunity for manufacturers to make a significant impact in their customers’ fleet maintenance efficiency and costs.

Keep reading to discover how some OEMs are taking a proactive approach to using big data to create value for fleets.

OEMs: Using Big Data to Make an Impact on Uptime

Some OEMs, like Hino Trucks, are already leveraging data connectivity to enhance the management capabilities of new trucks for their fleet customers. Some of these capabilities include repair case management, remote diagnostics and telematics.

Other OEMs, such as Mack and Volvo, have seen significant reductions in triage time (70%) and downtime (25%) leveraging this type of information and applying it to trucks in real time. Plus, fleets such as Oakley Transport are seeing significant savings (more than $150,000 per year) by leveraging a data-enabled service supply chain from OEMs like Volvo Trucks of North America.

OEMs have two major opportunities to use big data to help fleets dramatically improve uptime — by analyzing the data to adjust scheduled maintenance intervals and provide greater insight into diagnostic fault codes.

For instance, everyone understands that manufacturers’ recommended maintenance schedules may or may not apply directly to their specific circumstances. But by examining fleet maintenance data from all of their customers along with specific truck usage information, OEMs can see the big picture and help adjust or adapt maintenance schedules dynamically .

Similarly, diagnostic fault codes and associated breakdown and repair information from assets from multiple fleets operating in similar conditions and applications gives OEMs the unique ability to understand what faults or combination of faults actually mean in terms of severity, as well as the likely cause and specific diagnostic steps and labor operations to fix the issue.

By providing fleets this information, OEMs should be able to help them increase uptime, reduce unscheduled repairs, and maximize the service life of the trucks and related components. As OEMs capture more and more data through their connected truck initiatives, the value and effectiveness of these programs will also increase.

The Benefits of a Data Integration Platform

For OEMs to conduct a proper data analysis, they need reliable access to quality data throughout the life cycle of a truck. This data can come in many different forms — such as telematics and repair data — and from many sources. Because of this, OEMs benefit greatly from the use of a closed-loop system, such as a Service Relationship Management (SRM) platform, that integrates data from multiple sources.

Since this system is designed from the ground up as an integration platform for the collection of data from disparate internal and external fleet sources, OEMs that sponsor SRM-enabled service supply chains have the best and easiest way to capture this data and turn it into actionable results.

Truck Manufacturers, Join the Conversation

In what ways are you leveraging big data to provide more value for your fleet customers? What tools help you accomplish this? Have you seen any impact on customer retention rates? Please share your thoughts by posting a comment below.

Take the Next Step

Discover how SRM technology creates value for fleets, service providers and OEMs.