Remote updates coming for Volvo and Mack trucks

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Remote updates coming for Volvo trucks

Fleet Owner  /  February 28, 2017

Volvo Trucks North America is adding remote update capability for all of its vehicles equipped with 2017 Volvo engines, transmissions, aftertreatment systems and other powertrain components.  The new Remote Programming service will push our powertrain software updates, which average about two a year, as well as react to fault code conditions that can be corrected with a software download.

The new service, which will go live in the 3^rd quarter of this year, is initiated by live agents at Volvo’s Uptime Centers, who will notify fleets when a truck is eligible to receive an over-the-air update, according to Ash Makki, product marketing manager. Once the receive approval from the vehicle owner, the driver will notify the Uptime Center when the vehicle is parked and ready to receive the new software or calibration. Installation can take between five and 30 minutes depending on systems impacted, and the agent then confirms with both driver and owner that the download is completed.

Volvo is launching the over-the-air service because up to 75% of updates are currently being ignored because of the downtime involved in bringing a truck into a shop, Makki said during a briefing at the annual Technology and Maintenance Council meeting. “Downtime for doing upgrades in a shop currently averages 2.3 days, and we estimate that a truck out of service costs a fleet about $1,100 a day in lost revenue,” he said.

The periodic updates are important not only for correcting vehicle faults, but also for the improvements they bring in overall vehicle performance, Makki said. “Missing them can mean missing an opportunity to improve efficiency.”

The Remote Programing service is a direct outgrowth of the integrated diagnostic telematics system Volvo introduced five years ago, a company spokesperson said.  Future enhancements will include integration with other fleet management telematics services, he added.

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Volvo Trucks Increases Uptime, Efficiency with Remote Programming

Heavy Duty Trucking  /  February 28, 2017

Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) is expanding its connected vehicle services with new Remote Programming over-the-air updates for powertrain software and parameters.

Remote Programming uses Volvo’s factory-installed telematics hardware and allows Volvo customers to perform over-the-air powertrain software and parameter updates anywhere in the U.S. and Canada where a cellular connection is available, and at the discretion of the vehicle’s decision maker.

The system works through Volvo’s Uptime Center, which will trigger the required updates once the fleet decision maker as designated through its Asist system OKs the update. The Uptime Center communicates with the driver to make sure the truck is secure, with the key off and the brakes set, Wade Long, product marketing manager, explained to HDT on Feb 28 at the Technology & Maintenance Council annual meeting here.

Parameter changes can be initiated at the request of the fleet. For instance, Long said, a fleet might want to change its top speed settings if the price of fuel spikes. Or it may want to change the programming on an engine or transmission to better suit a change in the truck’s application, say from dry bulk to liquid tankers.

Starting early next year, he said, the system will be able to remotely correct fault codes using software fixes.

“You don’t have to go to the Apple store every time you update the OS on your iPhone,” he said. "This is the same general concept. Instead of having to bring a truck into the shop, plug in and change programming while the shop is in for a PM, it can be done in 10 to 30 minutes while the driver is eating lunch or fueling."

The service will be available in the third quarter of 2017 for all Volvo trucks equipped with engines meeting 2017 U.S. greenhouse gas emissions standards. However, Long said, early next year, the company will unveil a program with Geotab, using Geotab’s telematics gateway to offer much of the same functionality for engines back to 2010.

“Volvo Trucks continues to invest heavily in connectivity solutions, and we’re proud to bring a true over-the-air solution to market,” said Conal Deedy, director of connected vehicle services for Volvo Trucks. “With Remote Programming, customers can quickly and easily perform updates to help improve the performance and efficiency of their vehicles.”
In addition, Volvo notes, customers who historically have not performed software updates due to cost or inconvenience can quickly and easily keep their trucks operating at optimal performance.

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Mack Launches Wireless Software Updates

Heavy Duty Trucking  /  February 28, 2017

Mack Trucks has launched Over The Air, to let customers update software wirelessly to minimize scheduling disruptions and increase efficiency and uptime. The company announced the rollout at the American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council annual meeting here.

Two categories of software updates are available through Mack Over The Air: one for powertrain components and the other for vehicle parameters like road speed limits, optimizing performance for customers with trucks that change duty cycles based on economics load type and geographic area.

“Mack Over The Air represents the next step in Mack’s industry-leading approach to uptime,” said David Pardue, vice president of connected vehicles and uptime services for Mack Trucks. “Our customers can now make these updates whenever and wherever it is convenient for them.”

Mack Over The Air uses Mack GuardDog Connects integrated telematics hardware to deliver the software updates to customers. GuardDog Connect comes standard on every Mack model equipped with a Mack engine and provides proactive monitoring and repair planning, enabling real-time diagnosis of issues, scheduling of repairs and confirmation that needed parts are in stock and ready to install.

Mack Over The Air will be available for all Mack models equipped with GuardDog Connect and Mack’s 2017 engines.

Mack Trucks also announced with Telogis that it is offering a free 30-day trial of Mack Fleet Management Services with Telogis Fleet. Telogis Fleet for Mack is a fleet management and telematics solution that can be activated over the air and scaled to different fleet sizes.

Using data from GuardDog Connect, Telogis Fleet provides real-time visibility of truck and driver performance.

“It’s easy to read about the features that Mack Fleet Management Services with Telogis Fleet offers, but it’s a game changer when you can try them first hand,” said Mack's Pardue. “With a 30-day free trial, customers can see exactly how Telogis Fleet can improve their business performance.”

Mack models equipped with Mack MP engines and GuardDog Connect hardware built after 2014 are eligible for the free trial, and up to 10 trucks per customer can be included. All features of Telogis Fleet for Mack are available during the free trial period, including Mack-specific diagnostic data, driver behavior scorecards, a fleet intelligence dashboard, vehicle location and history, and real-time alerts. Customers may sign up for the trial through June 30, 2017. No additional hardware is required, and activation is completed over the air.

“Maximizing uptime while helping to improve driver safety and performance has become a mission-critical component for any successful fleet,” said Amy Hart Phillips, vice president, OEM business at Telogis. “The 30-day trial is the easiest way for any Mack customer with a connected truck to experience the transformative effects Telogis Fleet for Mack can have.”