The entire area of commercial vehicle maintenance has evolved over the past six decades, and that's a positive move for the industry and its vehicles. Properly caring for trucks, tractors and trailers has advanced from a "just fix it" mindset, to technicians keeping a watchful eye for likely trouble spots or failure-likely components and systems, to the formal preventive maintenance, to today's more popular predictive maintenance.

Traditionally, fleet maintenance managers and industry suppliers have used reliability statistics from standardized testing to structure preventive maintenance intervals and schedule fluid or component replacements and tire rotations.

Going forward, real-time technologies and actual fleet data are replacing these old methods. This will significantly reduce maintenance costs, improve vehicle performance, improve vehicle emissions compliance and increase vehicle time in-service (uptime).

ONE COMMON ELEMENT

Interestingly, one common element crosses all the evolutionary steps: solutions. From the most elementary stage of "just fix it," to the data-driven solutions of today, there has been tremendous improvement, plus a steady progression towards preventive maintenance.

Nearly a decade ago, a Technology & Maintenance Council technical session from March 2003 reported on the Sound Science for Fleet Prognostics. The exploratory paper was produced as a framework for things the industry should be watching.

Nine years later, the main value of predictive maintenance remains to allow convenient scheduling of corrective maintenance and to prevent unexpected equipment failures. This approach offers cost savings over routine or time-based preventive maintenance.

Vehicles and respective owners have benefitted from the ability to transport more freight and goods more efficiently to consumers and businesses across North America.

The key has been having the right information at the right time. By knowing which piece of equipment needs maintenance, the maintenance work can be better planned for parts and people resources. Plus, what would have been "unplanned stops" are transformed to shorter and fewer planned stops, thus increasing plant availability.

Other values are increased equipment lifetime, increased shop safety, fewer accidents with negative impact on environment and optimized parts inventory and usage.

NO SHORTAGE OF DATA

All on-highway trucks and tractors now have a minimum of four computers, and most have as many as six. A recent examination of a late model tractor revealed a separate onboard computer for each of these systems: engine, exhaust, cab, antilock braking system, driver side airbag, automated manual transmission, in-dash driver center and a management/driver log system.

These onboard computers are known as an engine control or electronic control module (ECM) or electronic control unit (ECU). Along with running the operating systems for the component they were designed with, these computers also monitor sensors for variances that are outside of their normal operating parameters.

These variances, called fault codes, are logged and stored into the system's memory as they occur. When an inactive fault code become active or severe, then a dash-mounted malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) is turned on to warn the driver about system malfunctions.

REAL-TIME INFORMATION

As vehicles get connected to the Internet via telematic systems, more and more maintenance managers are collecting performance data into their maintenance systems and receiving e-mail messages from their vehicles. The e-mail messages let managers know about both active and inactive fault codes as they occur.

The e-mail messages can also include GPS location information, ambient temperature and other critical information that can be vital to help diagnose the root cause of the fault code. With such information, a fleet maintenance manager can direct the driver to a repair location if component failure may be immediate, or order parts and have them ready if the fault codes are inactive and the vehicle can safely and reliably run back to the home base location.

The data collected from the vehicles includes many buckets of both detailed and summarized statistics, including:

Miles per gallon.
Gallons of fuel consumed.
Gallons of diesel exhaust fluid consumed.
Total miles.
Trip miles.
Engine hours.
Idle time.
Sleeper time.
Miles run in top gear.
Miles traveled in cruise control.
Number of hard stops.
Miles traveled with an in-dash MIL lamp on.
Top speed.
Time at various speeds.
Time/miles in engine RPM bands.

This data can be analyzed to determine the performance of both the vehicle and the driver.

Telematics technology has become so helpful to fleets using it they are now beginning to ask suppliers to add sensors onto the vehicles to gather more data and monitor more systems, such as: tire pressures, oil quality, filter plugging status, battery life, brake life, alternator performance and starter amp draw.

Of course none of this data is of any value to the fleet if they don't start to collect and systematically analyze it.

It is easy to imagine a future where fluids and components are not changed based simply on time, miles and or some statistic generated in a lab environment on expected life. Rather, they are changed based on actual performance degradation onboard the vehicle in real-time.

Predictive maintenance helps technicians determine the condition of in-service equipment in order to predict when maintenance should be performed. This approach offers cost savings over routine or time-based preventive maintenance because tasks are performed only when warranted.

USEFUL MAINTENANCE INTELLIGENCE

Without a doubt, strategic predictive maintenance is a key component of achieving lowest cost of ownership. This is an untapped opportunity for fleet managers to lower their costs through more sophisticated, data-driven predictive maintenance systems that are currently available.

Nowadays, fleet managers are more aware of costs and simply must produce more uptime and fewer breakdowns. Predictive maintenance systems can help with this by supporting vehicles more proactively, than reactively.

Making proper use of the data is the key. That data can and will influence driver behavior for optimum operation, which means reduced maintenance costs, and determining a fleet's individual, accurate maintenance schedules.

THE TIPPING POINT

Realizing the overall net savings potential of shortening the equipment lifecycle may be the most under-utilized predictive maintenance strategy of all.

The data mining capabilities today, matched with good analytics, can actually pinpoint the moment when the cost of even the most efficient preventive maintenance schedules, combined with other factors, becomes higher than the overall cost of replacement. Determining that tipping point, and acting on it quickly, is truly a critical predictive maintenance decision.

Elaborating on the benefits of good, solid vehicle performance data and lifecycle management, John Flynn, CEO of truck lessor Fleet Advantage, said: "Applying business intelligence tools to that data can get you a true total cost of ownership. And that goes beyond fuel consumption, and considers a wide range of lifecycle costs that change over time.

"Total cost of ownership isn't a simple math exercise done when you originally purchased a truck. Fuel costs change, the fuel economy potential of equipment changes, replacement part costs change.

"The most accurate lifecycle analysis needs real-time data because the factors that drove the initial lifecycle decision have changed, and so should the vehicles replacement strategy," he said.

FLEET-SPECIFIC PREVENTIVE STRATEGIES

Still another paradigm on the horizon in predictive maintenance consists of not just relying on manufacturers' standards, but creating a fleet's own, more tailored, more accurate maintenance approach. This could take into account the nuances and differences in trucking operations, such as truckload versus pickup and delivery.

There is a downside to generalizing assumptions about loose data, including the risk of running up costs and under-estimating the extended life value of some components.

One other critical point is the manner in which information or data is collected and used. The data tracking and analysis must be more sophisticated as the products are achieving longer, more reliable life.

The good news is some industry experts have already developed business analytics programs and reporting designed specifically to maximize the practical value of preventive maintenance data in achieving lowest cost of ownership.

PROPRIETARY SYSTEMS

Several truck OEMs are now offering their proprietary software-based systems that facilitate predictive maintenance.

Daimler Trucks North America's Virtual Technician is a real-time onboard diagnostic system that provides real-time engine diagnostics, enabling drivers and fleet managers to quickly and accurately evaluate events.

According to the company, Virtual Technician helps reduce downtime and decrease maintenance costs by providing a technical snapshot of the engine's status as soon as the Check Engine light comes on.

When it does, the Detroit Customer Support Center is then notified and it investigates to determine the exact issue, recommended service, how soon the engine needs to be serviced and closest authorized Detroit service location. This information is then relayed to the provided fleet contact.

Once it is decided where the truck will go for service, the support center notifies the service location so it can line up the parts and arrange for service to repair the problem.

"Detroit Virtual Technician combines the best of our resources trained technicians, parts availability, expert call center support and advanced technology - into one package that immediately benefits our customers," says Brad Williamson, manager, engine and component marketing, Daimler Trucks North America. "With Detroit Virtual Technician, we take the guesswork out of repairs to keep our fleet customers on the road."

SERVICE PLATFORM

MVASIST is Mack Trucks' fleet service management platform, offered at no charge to customers who purchase a new Mack.

Launched in 2008, it is a web-based system that allows fleet managers, service providers and dealers to work together in real time to expedite repairs and maximize uptime.

MVASIST allows customers to improve communications, manage costs, reduce downtime and increase operating efficiency, says John Walsh, Mack Trucks' vice president, marketing. Through an online portal, customers are able to communicate with the dealer, initiate repairs, access a complete service history, approve and monitor repair status and manage repair expenses.

"MVASIST enables timely communication, accurate estimates and access to a complete service history, all in one portal," he says. It is among the tools the company has developed "to help truck users more efficiently and effectively do their job."

MVASIST also allows the option of proactively planning and scheduling routine inspections and service. A service advisor can recommend appropriate maintenance, and fleet managers can, at a glance, see the vehicle's service history.

BEST PRACTICE APPROACH

From the most elementary "just fix it" practice of yesteryear, to the data-driven solutions of today, the entire maintenance process has come such a long way, making vehicles run smoother, longer and more efficiently.

It's the total cost of ownership (TCO) that matters to fleet owners, and a best practices preventive maintenance approach can move the needle far closer to achieving lowest cost of ownership (LCO).

Take the time to integrate the most advanced business analytics capabilities into your fleet maintenance operations, and the ultimate goal of LCO is one you can achieve.

A Prognostics Primer

By Steve Sturgess, Automotive Journalist

Breakdowns happen. To avoid them, fleets pour money into preventive maintenance. But across America, fleets overspend on preventive maintenance by an estimated 25 billion dollars a year.

"Over-maintenance of vehicles is costing the industry a fortune," says Duke Drinkard, industry consultant, former vice president of maintenance for Southeastern Freight Lines and an active member of the Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC). "The object of maintenance should be to get 95 percent of the life from a component before it is replaced."

Sandeep Kar, global director of commercial vehicle research for consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, says one of the biggest opportunities on the horizon for trucking fleets and equipment operations is the ability to better manage downtime through prognostics, also called predictive maintenance and condition-based maintenance (CBM).

With prognostics, problems that take equipment out of service can be identified early and managed, he notes. This saves surprises - like roadside repair and towing - and avoids expensive and disruptive service failures and helps manage costs.

NEW WAY OF THINKING

Preventive maintenance is how fleets attempt to avoid breakdowns today. But new maintenance thinking is moving towards predictive repairs, transforming the traditional model of preventive maintenance that is time- or mileage-based with one that is based on evidence of need.

"Fleets know a starter is good for 150,000 miles, so they routinely replace them as the truck reaches that mileage," says Guy Rini, president of consulting firm GTR Development and chairman of TMC's Tomorrow's Truck CBM taskforce. "But what is more important than vehicle miles is the cranking time the starter experiences.

"If the engine ECM can be programmed to store starter cranking time, then a much more informed decision can be made about when the starter has reached the end of its useful life."

But while this is an undoubted improvement, it still falls short of a condition-based vehicle "health" maintenance system.

PREDICTIVE HEALTH MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY

"Predictive technology doesn't prevent failures, but it provides early warning of future failures that allows managers to decide where and when to repair before the failure occurs," says Nick Frankle, director of systems health management, Frontier Technology, Inc., (FTI), a California-based supplier of Predictive Health Management technology to the military (www.fti-net.com).

FTI's NormNet PHM tool creates standard operating profiles for a piece of equipment, establishing the norm (hence the name) from the data stream taken from sensors on the vehicle.

With PHM, streams of data are compared in real-time to the established norm and any slight deviation analyzed.

"In a complex system like a vehicle engine, if one particular data stream is off the norm, so, too, are others," he explains. "By comparing the variances, the system can predict - with quite surprising accuracy - the component responsible, the failure mode and the time to failure."

Warning further into the future allows for better planned action, including optimum scheduling of parts, personnel and maintenance facilities, notes Joel Luna, FTI's senior operations research analyst. "Equally important, the data recorded after the repair will confirm that the problem has been completely fixed as the data stream reverts to the norm."

"By preventing downstream failure," Frankle says "predictive maintenance allows for fixes that cost hundreds of dollars instead of thousands."

VEHICLE AVAILABILITY

It has been shown that traditional preventive maintenance frequently includes over-maintenance in parts replacement and lost opportunity for the trucks. Introducing predictive maintenance will not only help to avoid costly and disruptive roadside repairs, it also helps get the maximum life from vehicle components and systems, avoiding the expense of over-maintenance.

Repairs are only completed as they become necessary, but before disabling failure, so the availability of trucks and equipment is maximized.

Predictive maintenance can lower costs and increase revenues - the goal of every fleet maintenance manager. Consequently, prognostic technology is emerging as the game changer for the trucking industry.

Steve Sturgess is an automotive engineer and a long-time automotive journalist. He is a contributor to trucking and equipment magazines worldwide and provides consulting services from his base in Capistrano Beach, CA. www.stevesturgess.com.

Telematics-based applications help achieve operational profitability

By Dyan Finkhousen, Mobile Resource Intelligence Strategy Leader, GE Capital Fleet Services

No other management tool drives as stark a contrast between success and mediocrity in mobile operations than telematics. In the hands of managers who appreciate the value of mobile resource intelligence and can influence organizational change, telematics-based applications are being used to drive dramatic advances in competitive positioning and operational profitability.

The power of these applications resides in the accuracy of the detail, and the breadth of functional business decision-making that can be improved with the insight.

In general application, fuel efficiency and diagnostic information offer valuable perspective for managers considering the replacement of aging equipment. Trends outside the expected norm help managers identify where they may have deployed vehicle types that may not be best suited for their intended business use, may be indicators of excessive driving behaviors or may be signs of aging equipment that should be replaced.

With these trends identified, managers can drill into telematics insight to better understand the relationship between vehicle use and performance, and the factors that will help them improve future equipment purchase specifications.

EQUIPMENT PURCHASE DECISIONS

Fleets considering the replacement of aging or costly equipment with alternative fuel vehicles should deploy a telematics-based solution no less than six months - and ideally 12 months - prior to the vehicle replacement purchase decision.

To accelerate the return on their purchase, fleet managers need this level of historical insight to maximize in-field operations productivity and avoid value detractors, like burning gasoline rather than using the charge, inefficient routing in order to access charging stations and incurring peak-rate charges due to business operating constraints (operating hours or routes).

With six to 12 months of telematics insight, managers can optimize territory assignments, single- and multi-day scheduling, and designate where hybrid vehicles and charging stations will best suit their business objectives.

While improved equipment purchase decisions can drive substantial value, telematics-based solutions offer insight for managers to reduce the total cost of ownership prior to the equipment replacement event. Managers can use these tools to, on average, reduce fuel consumption by at least 10 percent, preventable accidents by 20 percent and maintenance costs by 5 percent, plus improve asset remarketing value.

Thought leaders in fleet management using telematics solutions have far better insight today to support their equipment management and purchase decisions. These solutions are delivering the precision business intelligence managers need to implement highly effective fleet management policies and controls.

Whether these solutions are integrated with other enterprise applications or leveraged on a stand-alone basis, the value of the information is indisputable.

Dyan Finkhousen is the mobile resource intelligence strategy leader for GE Capital Fleet Services, is a global fleet management company that provides commercial car and truck financing and integrated fleet management services.