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Of the communications options available to fleets, “the most obvious one out there today is the cell phone, which is really dominating the market,” said Charles Arsenault, founder of Arsenault Associates, Burlington, N.J, provider of Dossier fleet maintenance management software.
Another choice is a cellular modem installed on vehicles. Arsenault has made such an arrangement with Networkcar, an onboard mobile communications provider in San Diego. Networkcar’s system features a GPS device and a cellular modem that are connected to the vehicle’s electronic network, including its electronic control module. The modem transmits vehicle data to Arsenault’s Dossier system automatically.
Arsenault said Dossier also can work with other vendors’ communications systems and with satellite-based systems, but in the latter case, “costs can be prohibitive for the typical pickup-and-delivery operation.”
Depending on whether communications are via cellular or satellite, the volume of data being transmitted and the capabilities of a system, the cost of a mobile communications system can go as high as $6,000 per truck, said Turner of Nicholas & Co., who has researched various systems.
“Before making a major capital investment in an onboard system, I would recommend listing the information or other functions that are important to your specific application and then focus on the hardware and software packages that are most compatible with your needs,” he said.
To limit costs, avoid paying to transmit greater volumes of data than will actually be sent and consider whether real time, i.e., instantaneous, transmission is really necessary, Turner said.
A well-chosen system can yield a rapid return on investment, he said. It has enabled his company to accurately inform customers when to expect a delivery.
Engine idling once averaged 40% of the time engines were turned on but has dropped to 3%, he said. “Speeding events” numbered about 16,000 per month but now have fallen to fewer than 200 per month.
Costs Are Dropping
Overall, use of cellular networks for mobile communications is likely to grow among light- and medium-duty fleets, because the costs of both hardware and software are decreasing, said vendors, vehicle manufacturers and fleet operators. The lower cost is particularly true for basic vehicle tracking systems that also might have reporting functions such as odometer readings and some diagnostic codes.
“The hardware cost is coming down like a rock,” Arsenault said. The cost of vehicle-tracking hardware in the early 1990s was “around $2,500,” Arsenault said. “Today, we’re looking at onboard hardware averaging about $500.”
Similarly, transmission charges or “air time,” typically in the form of a monthly fee, have fallen, he said. “Back in those days, the airtime was running $50, $60, $100 per unit per month,” he said. “Today, we’re looking at $30 for unlimited use, plus myriad services on top of that, such as compiled data, driver log on/log off, engine start/stop and so on.”
Delaware, which has implemented Networkcar’s system in a portion of the state’s fleet, invested $425 per vehicle for the hardware, plus $24.95 per vehicle per month for monitoring, said Terry Barton Jr., a fleet administrator.
GPS Systems, Barrington, Ill., offers GPS hardware (the software is free) for $300 per vehicle. The tracking and communication fee is $16 per vehicle per month, said Malcolm Rosenfeld, vice president. Users of the system include the city of Los Angeles and the Philadelphia water department, he said.
Stephen Bennett, a freelance writer based in Connecticut, has extensive experience writing about technology issues.
| Aftermarket Systems Common in Commercial Trucks
Wireless communications systems are typically added to vehicles after purchase.
An exception is General Motors Corp.’s cellular-based OnStar system. It is standard in models such as the Sierra, Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe and Yukon, as marketed to consumers, but a commercial offering to fleets remains in development, said Dan Tigges, full-size truck product manager for fleet and commercial operations.
OnStar can provide monthly vehicle performance data, audio turn-by-turn directions and Global Positioning System-based vehicle tracking, Tigges said.
GM also plans to introduce Bluetooth, a short-range radio platform that will tie into the cellular capability on 2009 GM trucks, Tigges said.
“Cell phones will be able to work through the vehicle so drivers can use their phone and listen to it over the vehicle’s sound system” and keep their hands on the steering wheel, he said.
Other manufacturers, including Dodge and Nissan North America, said they do not offer a communications system with their trucks.
However, new Isuzu trucks have wiring harnesses and dashboard space allotted for GPS and mapping screens, said Todd Bloom, vice president of marketing for Isuzu Commercial Truck of America.
Also, Toyota Motor Sales USA is studying mobile communications technology but does not offer a system, said Ming-Jou Chen, a Toyota representative.
Ford Motor Co. this summer plans to launch what it calls the next generation of navigation on 2009 F-150 pickups, said Mark Schirmer, communications manager. Meanwhile, the automaker has added Ford SYNC, a voice-activated communications and entertainment system for mobile phones and digital music players, to some vehicles.
“While we have SYNC on 12 products already and will have it on most every vehicle by the end of [2008], we don’t have specific plans for our commercial vehicles (E- and F-series medium- and heavy-duty) yet. Our real focus is consumer products,” Schirmer said.
“SYNC does not have a navigation element. . . . [It] is mainly for Bluetooth-enabled phones and media players (like iPods),” he said. — Stephen Bennett |
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