FONTANA, Cali. — Mack and Lytx are partnering to bring pre-wired telematics and video systems to a third model of the truck-maker’s vocational trucks.

The companies announced the service would be available on the Mack Granite straight truck models ordered in the third quarter of 2018 . This follows the service being announced for the Mack LR and the Mack Terra Pro cab-over models in April – being delivered this Fall.

Curtis Dorwart, refuse product manager for Mack says the partnership makes adding the Lytx telematics and video systems really easy without having to get into the dashboard and “mess around” with the electronics systems, which can cause problems down the road.

The pre-wired system makes the Lytx technology “plug and play” when the truck arrives from the factory, saving fleets the time and expense of installing the systems in new trucks.

Downtime for a typical installation can range from one to two hours for a single truck, to four months or more for a whole fleet.

The pre-wired system is covered under the standard two-year Mack warranty on the electrical systems, with the aim of saving fleets not only the hassle of installation, but making sure the system is protected – something not available with an aftermarket installation.

Dorwart says the partnership was borne of a desire to improve safety for both fleets and other road users.

The Lytx DriveCam program helps to reduce unsafe driving behaviours by giving managers the tools for effective coaching. Telematics, predictive analytics, and both front-facing and driver-facing video cameras monitor driver behaviour and other incidents on the road, and give managers and drivers a dashboard to facilitate conversations about how to improve driving.

Video trimmed to 12 – or 20 – second clips, based on fleet preference, is triggered by an on-road incident or other event, such as hard braking or swerving. The video is then viewed by global members of the Lytx team to determine if the event is a learning opportunity.

Kristin Costas, Lytx director product management says the prospect of reviewing the on-road behavior of drivers can seem overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be time-consuming.

“It’s really designed to be manageable,” she says.

Drivers with coachable moments average less than five minutes a month of video that needs to be reviewed and that time can be seen as an investment, reducing possible insurance expenses.

The Lytx systems offers fleets an added layer of security by offering video to help fleets provide proof in cases where their driver was involved in an incident that wasn’t their fault, reducing insurance premiums and payouts.

Jonathan Randall senior vice president, sales and marketing, for Mack say if the system exonerates a fleet in just one lawsuit, the monthly subscription service pays for itself.

While the driver-facing camera is only triggered by an event, the road-facing camera has the option to record continuously, giving fleets the opportunity to use it in other ways.

A popular choice with waste management companies, Costas says the video has made it possible for those companies to dispute customer claims that refuse wasn’t picked up during a scheduled pick-up by verifying that trash wasn’t at the curb as it should be.

Randall says the response from customers to the pre-wired option has been good, but blames the hot market for slow adoption.

“Right now it’s a limited take rate, but we were so far out on the order board,” he says. “There’s a lot of interest in new orders coming in.”

The market has remained strong causing a back-up in orders Randall says he expects will continue into 2019. Currently trucks ordered from Mack will be available for delivery in the early part of next year.