FRANKLIN, TN. Three companies are joining forces to create a product that will allow for internal vehicle data to be wirelessly written to or read from RFID tags while a vehicle is at a fuel dispenser.
QuikQ, a provider of cardless direct fuel connection systems, LHP Software, and Impinj,a provider of UHF RFID solutions, will work to produce the product. The announcement was made at the Truckload Carriers Assn. Annual Convention and Exhibition.
“RFID standards change and improve with time,” said Ernie Betancourt, president of QuikQ. “Until recently, RFID technology was ‘known’ not to allow physical connections to read/write data to the tag. With the latest enhancements, RFID technology can be used to wirelessly read/write bus data and we believe it can be done for a total cost of under $100 installed.”
By using the SmartQ system (formerly known as Fuel Island Manager), equipped vehicles will automatically transmit not only fuel dispensing information, but also data from the data bus, reducing the amount of data entry needed by drivers, QuikQ said.
The SmartQ system is a cardless fueling system and distributed by Comdata Corp. To use the system, vehicles must be equipped with low-cost RFID tags. Once a vehicle enters a SmartQ-equipped fueling station the tag will activate fuel dispensers according to each trucking company’s specifications for that vehicle and location.
“By adding this new capability fleets can now incorporate bus data information into the fuel transaction,” said Betancourt. “In other words, while the vehicle is being fueled bus data can be used to eliminate the need for driver data entry and provide the carrier with additional information related to fuel control. For carriers that do not have in-cab mobile communication, additional operational information can be made available through QuikQ systems.”
The new product will use international standards technology and be totally hardware compatible with the QuikQ systems currently being installed by Love’s Travel Centersand TravelCenters of Americalocations.
