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A better view - CANbus interfacing with FM systems will bring increased control to the back office, helping lower the number of personnel needed to mange a fleet.

At its core, fleet management is about two things: reducing operating costs and maximising payload. These two imperatives work directly against each other and as such, create a 'struggle' within the truck transport operating enterprise. Simply put, the more the fleet carries, the higher its operating expenses become. As a result, in order to run profitably, the challenge for all transport operators is to streamline their internal operational processes (both trucks and personnel) and effectively manage the external environment, be that client relations, legal compliance or the myriad risks that characterise the tough local trucking environment. The best way to achieve this is by using Fleet Management systems. Traditionally the domain of aftermarket developers, Fleet Management systems are now being marketed by truck OEMs, who are integrating their sophisticated factory-fitted electronic vehicle management systems with Fleet Management and Telematics systems. In the quest for 'total control' of fleet efficiency, this represents a watershed in the commercial fleet management arena, writes Paul Collings.

Why should this represent a watershed, a revolution? In a word, 'integration'. Modern business, of which the truck transport industry is very much a part, relies heavily on technology-enabled systems. Whether it's a tracking system, a routing scheduler or a payroll package, transport companies would struggle to survive without smooth-running hardware and software. Up until now, leading transport companies have sourced their management systems from a host of 3rd party suppliers, 'digitising' many areas of their operation with job-specific systems. While this has enhanced efficiencies to varying degrees, the high cost of these systems and the fact that most of them are not 'integrated' with one another results in 'information silos' and suggests there's still a long way to go before the local fleet management profession has 'the right tool for the job'. 
 

Early warning - Drivers are better informed of their truck's inner workings with in-cab CANbus communications.

Drivetrain meets office
Europe's truck manufacturers have made great strides in recent years as far as development of electronic On-Board-Computer (OBC) systems is concerned. Where once thousands of wires controlled different components of the truck's drive train, the introduction of CANbus (Controller Area Network bus) technology has reduced the number of wires to three and a single 'black box' (the CANbus) communicates with the OBC, relaying messages in a common 'language' (an 'open' protocol known as the FMS standard) to all the control units on the vehicle. 

As a 'vehicle brain', CANbus manages efficient component interaction as well as early warning and diagnostic functions to ensure the entire drive train works optimally. When a component breaks down, the OBC signals the CANbus, which in turn 'quarantines' the troubled component to prevent greater vehicle damage. The driver is also alerted via in-cab instrumentation. If the fault is critical, the CANbus has the ability to shut the engine down completely.

In essence, the CANbus is like a traffic controller, managing all electronic components from diesel injection units, through combustion and transmission to retardation, suspension and braking. CANbus also communicates with the tacho and instrument cluster, storing information in its memory for reporting purposes. 
 

Already here - Scania has it's FMS product in two versions - the European offering as seen here, and the local version built in partnership with CI-OmniBridge.

Enter Telematics
CANbus units are also equipped with extra 'bus' ports where 3rd party instruments can plug in and relay information to remote locations via telecommunications and satellite platforms like GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications, usually using SMS) and GPS (Global Positioning System via satellite). This allows fleet managers to obtain real time information about their trucks from remote locations via internet-based computers. In the near future, fleet managers will be able to diagnose vehicle faults remotely, making the repair process that much easier and cost efficient.

How does this differ from conventional FM and tracking systems, you may ask? The answer is: "In the integrity and comprehensiveness of information transmitted from truck to base."

While 3rd party FM systems have their own 'sensors' fitted to various parts of the truck to measure fuel consumption, speed, engine revs, braking etc, the CANbus has all these 'sensors' and more as integral parts of the engine/driveline allowing for more precise data collection about more components, with better fault reporting using less hardware. 

The upshot of this marriage between truck electronics (using CANbus) and Telematics is that fleet managers will have access to a sophisticated vehicle management system that is also an FM/Telematics system - an integrated system for vehicle, driver, logistics and risk management. 

In Europe, truck makers Mercedes-Benz, MAN, Volvo, Scania, DAF, Renault and Iveco are now marketing full-blown CANbus-based FM systems that integrate with a host of back-office management systems ushering in a new era of fleet management capability. 
 

Integration of its own in-house developed fleet management system (called MAX) with a 3rd party-sourced vehicle tracking system has brought significant benefits to Pietermaritzburgbased transport company, Manline, in terms of hands-on control of its fleet of over 170 vehicles. Operations controllers such as David Ndlovu have two screens in front of them; the one on the left operates the MAX system which gives scheduling and management data for each vehicle while the larger one on the right is integrated with MAX to link the vehicle to a live tracking system which tells exactly where that vehicle is. Integration is the new industry buzzword and it’s certainly working for Manline.

Will 3rd Party FM systems become obsolete?
This is the million-dollar question and one that is answered in the following pages of this report by four leading FM system developers. At this point though, it has been demonstrated over and over again that FM systems are not solely about technology. The success of any technology-based system depends on how the information it delivers is utilized by the people who run it. 
 

Hopping aboard the FM ship - brochures announcing the arrival of OE-developed FM systems.

FleetBoard is so easy to use, you can do it with your eyes closed, says Joachim Schild, Key Account Manager, DaimlerChrysler Services FleetBoard GmbH.

South Africa's FM industry is a world-beater because it understands the needs of its market, both locally and abroad. It knows how to adapt its products to new imported technology, be it hardware, software or telecomm-based, and it knows how to bring improved efficiencies to its clients through its value added services. This being said, 'joining forces' with the truck OEMs and moving ahead with CANbus shouldn't be a problem. 

What can we say but VIVA!