John Sommers II for TT
Penske Truck Leasing has expanded its technology offerings with the launch of its connected fleet solutions, which tap into existing telematics systems to enable services such as a remote diagnostics.
The proprietary data platform is designed to connect with virtually any truck and engine combination or telematics service provider, the company said.
Penske currently is using its connected fleet platform to support its new remote diagnostics capability, which gathers fault code and vehicle location data from onboard telematics hardware to respond more quickly to service calls.
Penske said is offering the connected fleet solutions to its fleet customers at no added cost.
“Our unique approach makes it easy for customers to connect their vehicles and share their vehicle data with us,” Penske Truck Leasing CEO Brian Hard said. “We’ve designed these connected fleet solutions to improve vehicle uptime, safety and compliance and help keep customers well informed about their vehicles.” The platform currently is collecting data on more than 20,000 vehicles, the company said.
Bill Combs, director of connected fleet at Penske Truck Leasing, said the company’s new remote diagnostics system was designed specifically for its truck lease and rental operations.
“Our customers don’t want some application where they’re going to log in and see 18 trucks with some kind of fault code coming off,” he said. “They want us, as their maintenance provider, to operate around that.”
The service collects vehicle data across truck makes, and Penske’s maintenance teams work with the truck makers to better understand the fault codes issued by those vehicles, Combs said.
When a driver calls Penske’s 24/7 roadside assistance call center with a maintenance problem, Penske’s coordinators can use the remote diagnostics system to quickly check key vehicle information and fault codes, rather than just asking the driver a series to questions to troubleshoot the problem.
“We can see a lot of things that can help that conversation go faster,” Combs said. “Those call times go down, and we can help trucks get back on the road faster.”
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