April 2000

Some of the more innovative developments in tracking and guidance systems are coming from the truckmakers themselves. Sharon Clancy brings an update

Reliable, affordable mobile communications and vehicle routing and tracking systems already seen increasingly as essential tools for managing supply chain costs are likely to become even more vital in a home delivery context. They can be invaluable in guiding vehicles to destinations not visited before, and allowing two-way interaction between driver and depot.

However, until lately on-board communications and IT systems, or "telematics", have generally been regarded as separate from the vehicles on which they are installed. This is scarcely surprising, since they have usually been sourced not from the vehicle manufacturers, but from third-party hardware and software suppliers.

Over the next few years, the vehicle manufacturers will be playing an increasingly proactive role in telematics. During the 1980s and 1990s they concentrated their efforts on improving vehicle reliability and reducing cost of ownership. They have been so successful that finding a competitive edge has become difficult. Telematics, it seems, is the new battleground. The truck is becoming a business tool, not just a means of delivering the goods.

According to one maker, Swedish truck manufacturer Scania, only IT systems can provide the real-time information logistics managers will need to cope with physical distribution in the early 21st century. By 2016, traffic densities will increase by 50 per cent and mileages will be 40 per cent higher because supply chains will be longer. Scania and Volvo have already announced IT packages for their trucks. Later this year DaimlerChrysler will start to roll out FleetBoard, an Internet-based telematics service. MAN's new TG-A range is described as "telematics-enabled", and the company has coined the term Trucknology to describe its new-generation vehicles. The trend is also spreading to vans; Volkswagen, for instance, is developing an on-board navigation and communications system for vans and minibuses.

For its new systems, Scania has set a separate joint-venture company called Infotronics with Mecel, a research company owned by Delphi, the General Motors subsidiary. It is based at Kista, Sweden's Silicon Valley, Infotronics has already developed what is believed to be the first WAP-enabled Internet browser for a truck environment. One role of Infotronics is to bridge the gap in development times between new IT systems and truck models. A truck has a technical life of at least ten years, yet new IT is often obsolete within a year.

Peter Gillbrand, managing director of Scania Infotronics explains: "The new technology enables us to build a continuous and individual relationship with both customers and drivers. We focus on mobile Internet solutions and services that improve operating economy and logistics handling for the customer as well as safety and security. Better logistics also reduces the environmental impact of road haulage."

The WAP browser is based on the AutoPC platform, Microsoft's open, flexible architecture proposal for in-vehicle information and entertainment. Besides radio, CD player and hands-free telephone, Mecel and Infotronics have integrated e-mail, voice memo, telematic services, a Bluetooth short-range radio connection and an MP3-player. The driver can use either voice commands or a few buttons on the steering wheel to use the browser. Information is relayed to him via synthetic speech.

Scania includes a one-way interface box using the high-level SAE J1939 protocol, which the truck industry is trying to establish as the standard interface for truck data communications. The interface reads the relevant parts of the data traffic on the on-board CAN bus (of which more later) and then communicates it to external systems. The data can then be used in standard fleet management systems.

Gillbrand says Scania decided to make the data available for use in third-party systems in the interests of giving operators and the FMS suppliers more flexibility to customise the vehicle's communication system and to integrate on- and off-board systems.

The new telematics systems will change the way vehicles are managed, say the manufacturers. The Internet plays an important role, as it is doing in other areas of e-logistics. For example, fleet managers no longer have to predict when a service is due; the vehicle will tell them via the Internet. Vehicle details can be downloaded to any service centre, eliminating the need to return to base for routine maintenance. A key development in the design of new-generation trucks makes all this feasible a vehicle management computer that links all the other electronic control units on the vehicle. Electronic control systems on trucks are not in themselves new; they already control key functions such as engine and braking systems. However, until now these have all operated separately. Now they are all linked to a central vehicle management computer via CAN data bus networks.

While Scania is looking firmly towards the future, Volvo's Dynafleet is already in service with many fleets. Dynafleet is a traffic and vehicle management system similar in many respects to the fleet management systems available from third-party suppliers. However, Volvo is the first truck manufacturer to integrate truck management and communications functions in a single package. Managers can have as little or as much detail as their business needs. Equipment and software can be leased, so even small fleet operators can play a full role in improving supply chain efficiency.

Inside the truck is a unit for displaying and keying in messages, plus a satellite tracking transceiver and an FM receiver with a Radio Data Systems Traffic Message channel for automatic reception of traffic information. The office software, Transport Manager, handles all messages between driver and base, and tracks the vehicle's location, while Logger Manager handles data on vehicle systems and driver hours. Each vehicle uses the GPS navigation system to locate itself. Position updates are as frequent as required, each costing about 10p.

The GSM-SMS short-message system is used for text messages. Hampus Hansson, business manager for Dynafleet, says the GSM-SMS system is widely used because it is more efficient and cheaper than voice communication. Volvo reports that in some fleets, communications costs have halved. Messages can be left for drivers even when they are not in the cab, and unlike receiving a voice call, they are not distracted while driving.

Vehicle utilisation can be improved by between 5 and 15 per cent, Volvo says. The drivers have a pro-active role. They can adjust their route according to traffic information received, or at least communicate delays to base. In-cab map displays can be transmitted, helping them locate customer premises more quickly.

All this is really just the beginning of what can be accomplished. What will be interesting to see is whether the aftermarket suppliers can retain the lead they have built up in this field, or whether these new initiatives by the manufacturers will allow them to take a more prominent role in future.