DETROIT. With the introduction of a new integrated onboard tablet, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is consolidating its telematics offerings under the Detroit Connect brand name (www.demanddetroit.com/connect). Initially, the telematics arm will be home to two existing Detroit products - Virtual Technician onboard diagnostics and Visibility Fleet Software services as well as the new integrated tablet.
Detroit Connect is intended to serve as “a suite of telematics products that gives us a launching pad to bring out whatever future products we might want to develop,” said Brad Williamson, DTNA manager of engine and component marketing.
The new onboard tablet will be a key part of that development, Williamson said. Developed by Zonar Systems and offered exclusively by DTNA as a factory installed option, it runs on the Android operating system and features a 7-in. color touchscreen, GPS receiver, an integrated 5 MP camera, Bluetooth and WiFi communications, RFID reader, SD memory card slot, and a built-in flashlight. A cradle integrated into the dashboard and factory installed will provide 3G cellular communications.
Detroit will launch the tablet with four initial applications, though others are expected to follow as they are developed by DTNA, Zonar and perhaps even fleets. The initial apps are paperless hour-of-service log tracking, two-way messaging, advanced navigation, and pre- and post-trip inspection reporting.
Drivers and co-drivers use individually assigned RFID cards to log into the HOS app, which is based on Zonar’s ZLogs system. The tablet begins recording driving time automatically when the truck moves and prompts drivers to update their status as necessary. It meets current Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations for electronic logging devices and provides both visual and digital memory access to log data for enforcement agents.
The two-way messaging app handles both free-form and pre-written messages sent via the company’s Visibility software and gives drivers a text-to-speech option. Addresses sent via messaging can be transferred with a screen touch to the navigation app for routing.
The tablet’s navigation app is ALK’s CoPilot Live, which offers turn-by-turn routing customized to a vehicle’s specifications and cargo, optional real-time traffic, and other advanced functions.
The vehicle inspection application is provided by Zonar, using a system that requires drivers to use the handheld tablet to scan RFID buttons placed around the truck. Each scan brings up a list of items for inspection and requires the driver to acknowledge that they are functioning. Defects are noted and can even be documented using the tablet’s camera. Once completed, the tablet either sends the inspection report via available WiFi or by cellular 3G when it’s returned to the cradle.
DTNA will begin offering the onboard tablet as a factory installed option on new Freightliner Cascadia orders beginning early next year. Retrofit kits and Western Star availability will follow. And while the tablet is available from Zonar on the aftermarket, the factory-installed integrated version will be exclusive to DTNA, according to the company.
The company said it also plans to eventually offer the tablet and other telematics solutions to fleets with mixed truck brands, though its proprietary Virtual Technician onboard diagnostics would remain exclusive to its Detroit-powered trucks.
