Mack, Volvo programming over the air

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NASHVILLE, TN – Mack and Volvo Trucks have each unveiled over-the-air programming that seamlessly connects their respective vehicles to software upgrades and service support.

Leave the key on, and updates will load. (Volvo photo)Powertrain and vehicle parameters like road speed will be updated remotely on new vehicles with proprietary 2017-compliant engines and transmissions, using Mack Over the Air and Volvo Remote Programming, wherever cellular access is available. The optional service will be tied to remote diagnostics programs, and rolls out later this year.

They are steps that can significantly reduce the potential for downtime in a service bay, which Volvo says can cost carriers an average of $1,100 in revenue per day. Instead of missing updates, truck owners can ensure they always have the latest software to optimize performance. Updates can include things like transmission modes, maximum road speed, and maximum engine speed.

If fleets see diesel prices on the rise, they might choose to reduce road speeds, says Wade Long, Volvo’s director of product marketing, referring to an example. Another fleet might want to change to a gentle shift pattern because a truck originally spec’d for dry bulk loads is now hauling liquid bulk. But such upgrades can take time if the trucks need to go to a shop. “If it’s a 10,000-truck fleet, it could take six months to get them all in,” he says. Now fleets select the time when they want upgrades to occur, and drivers will be informed simply to leave the keys in the on position during the update.

If the downloads are not complete, the vehicles simply revert to the previously loaded software.

“We typically roll out two updates a year,” Long says. They’ll even update more rapidly in coming weeks, when Volvo switches to a 4G network.

The systems integrate with Mack’s GuardDog and Volvo’s Remote Diagnostics telematics systems, which are a standard offering with 2017 equipment. Through those, support teams can diagnose problems, schedule repairs, and help confirm that parts are ready when a truck arrives in a service bay.

Volvo is expected early next year to roll out the service for trucks built since Model Year 2010, Long says.

It involves more than software. The technology is aligned with the support from live agents located at Mack and Volvo call centers.

“It’s how we package the technology with our people,” said David Pardue, vice president – connected vehicles and uptime services. “We put a lot of time and energy in understanding the customer’s expectations.”

More than 50,000 Macks have been equipped with GuardDog Connect since 2014, and 72% already have some form of extended subscription beyond the first two years included with new Mack trucks.

Meanwhile, Mack and Telogis are offering a 30-day free trial with the Telogis Fleet telematics system, which can be used to track truck and driver performance. It’s available on models built after 2014 with Mack MP engines and GuardDog Connect hardware. As many as 10 trucks can be hooked up through the trial, but customers need to sign up before June 30.

Telogis Fleet for Mack offers insights into diagnostic data, driver scorecards, a fleet intelligence dashboard, vehicle location, history, and real-time alerts. No additional hardware is required.

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John G. Smith is Newcom Media's vice-president - editorial, and the editorial director of its trucking publications -- including Today's Trucking, trucknews.com, and Transport Routier. The award-winning journalist has covered the trucking industry since 1995.


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