What does the Internet have to do with fleet maintenance management? Plenty, if you know the possibilities. Consider FleetAnywhere, a fleet maintenance software package sold by SanDiego-based Peregrine Systems. FleetAnywhere was developed some 20 years ago by another company under a different name. Four years ago, Peregrine bought the already-proven program and redesigned it with the Internet in mind. “The thought was you could access it from anywhere, whether it’s your home, office, or on the road with a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant, or handheld computer),” says Meg Davis, director of product management for Peregrine’s transportation group. “That’s where the name came from.”

Sure enough, being able to access fleet records and even day-by-day shop activity is handy for any responsible person who needs to be mobile. Facts, figures, and ongoing work can be immediately visible to maintenance executives in meetings, on the road, or at home fielding a phone call from the boss. The Internet found its way into other maintenance functions. Last year, for example, Peregrine introduced a program called “Weblication,” which helps track and control work done by outside shops-emergency truck repairs on the road, for instance.

“Weblication is simply a Web page,” Davis explains. “Our customers give the Web address of that page to their third-party repair shops.” Using a simple Web browser, those repair shops then enter required information into fields on an online database, including parts, labor hours, and all other cost elements. That data flows into FleetAnywhere, where it is automatically checked against established parameters. Of course, outside vendors must provide the information for payment. “Previously, a third-party shop had to fax the information. Somebody had to type it in, then double-check it,” she says. Automating the system reduces paperwork, speeds the process, and cuts down on opportunities for errors.

Maintenance ASP

Perhaps the greatest potential impact of the Internet on truck maintenance is the emergence of the ASP, or Application Service Provider. Peregrine became an ASP when it added the ability to access FleetAnywhere software completely over the Internet. In this case, the software and all data reside on a Peregrine server accessible from any computer connected to the Internet.

For most Peregrine customers, that computer will be in the shop office or on the shop floor. Users create work orders, inventory parts and track vehicle histories and warranties exactly as they would if the software were running on that very machine. They see the same screens, respond to the same prompts, and gather the same information.

But the information is not on their computers; rather it resides on Peregrine’s Internet servers. Among other things, that means customers don’t have to face the problems and costs of maintaining software or a network, at least for maintenance purposes.

A more immediate benefit to users is that little investment is required to implement software through an ASP. The user is not buying or licensing the software. Instead he is renting the software, so most of the start-up costs involve setup expenses such as entering or converting data.

Rented software is considered an operating cost rather than a capital investment. That means it’s immediately deductible and need not be amortized over time. The flip side, of course, is that rented software is never paid for. That deductible expense, usually in the form of monthly fees, never goes away.

Nevertheless, ASP-delivered software has obvious appeal in a truck maintenance environment. “I would say we have 350 customers, and of those, 35 are using FleetAnywhere in ASP mode,” says Davis. Ten percent, she notes, is a substantial amount-especially considering that FleetAnywhere is aimed at mid- to large-sized fleets.

Another maintenance software provider, Arsenault Associates of Atco, N.J., is generating buzz with its ASP product called 24/7 Fleet Online, which is based on Arsenault’s flagship maintenance management software, Dossier32. But Arsenault incorporates the Internet to another part of the maintenance environment: training.

Arsenault calls the process “shadowing.” According to company president Charles Arsenault, shadowing allows a software trainer at Arsenault’s headquarters to take control of a user’s computer and demonstrate how the software works as if the two were in the same room. “We set up an appointment, then the customer goes onto the Internet to our special training Web site and calls us. Using special software, we take over their mouse,” Arsenault explains. “We speak with them on the phone and they see us moving their mouse on their screen. Then we say, ‘Okay, you do it,’ and we watch them perform the various operations and correct them if necessary. Using shadowing, we can train folks anywhere in the world one-to-one, hands-on, without any expenses of traveling.”

Finding Shops

What if your truck is on the road and you need to find a trusted repair shop? Three years ago a Canadian group established TruckDown Info International, a free online directory of truck and trailer maintenance providers across North America. It’s not an ASP, but there are functions that can help you manage your use of outside shops.

The TruckDown database has swelled to include nearly 23,000 companies, cross-referenced to thousands of cities and towns in Canada and the United States. The search process is simple to use: when your truck needs service, you enter the name of the town or city closest to where you want the unit repaired. The database returns the names, contact information, and a brief description of the nearest service providers that meet your criteria. You can customize searches to specific service and dealer types: any tire shop may do the trick for you, but if you really need a Bandag dealer, you can probably find it if you ask. You can also tag preferred suppliers and record confidential comments about the shops you use-or are not to use again.