Grote, Stoneridge Showcase Smart Trailer Tech
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NEW ORLEANS — Component and technology supplier Grote Industries showcased its connected trailer system with an added rearview camera during ride-along demonstrations at the 2024 Technology & Maintenance Council Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition.
Grote’s 4SEE smart trailer system connects hardware and software in the cab and on the trailer to give drivers access to more trailer data. At TMC, the system was updated to include a wired rearview camera through a partnership with technology supplier Stoneridge.
“The whole idea of having a connected trailer is to be able to provide data to the driver, live in the cab,” Mario Gafencu, product design and evaluation specialist at Stoneridge, said during the demonstration. “All the telematics on the market usually provides data to the back office, but nothing provides data — as far as the health status of the trailer — inside to the driver. That’s what we’ve been able to achieve with this technology.”
Gafencu discussed the smart trailer system’s features and capabilities while driving the demonstration truck in rainy conditions in downtown New Orleans.
Stoneridge's Mario Gafencu by Connor D. Wolf/Transport Topics
The added rearview camera joins an existing suite of integrated cameras and sensors, including the Stoneridge MirrorEye camera monitor system, which acts as digital side mirrors.
“It’s a lot more than just being able to provide a camera view inside the cab,” Gafencu said. “There’s a lot of other data that can be transferred and that can be provided to the driver.”
For example, a driver hauling a refrigerated trailer could use the in-cab display to check the current temperature in different zones of the trailer that have different temperature settings, he said.
The demonstration truck was outfitted with a digital display along the dashboard showing a diagram of the trailer to provide real-time updates on various components, including rear braking lights, sensors and the health of the wheels and axle. It also could switch to the rear camera view. This was complemented by three additional displays for both side view cameras and the rear camera.
Grote's 4SEE digital dashboard provides data to the driver. (Connor D. Wolf/Transport Topics)
Gafencu said many customers have been asking for a rearview trailer camera that is wired instead of using Bluetooth or another type of wireless system. The goal, he said, is to provide flexibility and a universal connection so the system is helping fleets instead of interfering with the normal operation of their vehicles.
“The customer can customize it and they can set it up according to their operation,” Gafencu said. “If somebody wants to have radar, they can get the radar. If somebody wants the camera view, they can get the camera view.”
A close-up of the Stoneridge camera affixed to the back of a trailer. (Connor D. Wolf/Transport Topics)
The 4SEE smart trailer system has been undergoing real-world trial runs with select fleet customers with plans to incorporate their feedback in future updates. The system is nearing the end of the proof-of-concept phase and is currently on track to enter full production in the fourth quarter.
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