Volvo Trucks, Telogis to Offer Fleet Services With Factory-Installed Telematics Systems

This story appears in the July 21 print edition of Transport Topics.

Volvo Trucks and Telogis said they have teamed to offer integrated fleet-management services that use factory-installed telematics hardware.

Through this collaboration, Volvo customers can purchase Telogis applications such as driver performance monitoring, electronic logging of hours of service and truck-specific navigation without additional expenses for new hardware and installation.

Instead, those services will make use of the existing hardware used by Volvo’s remote diagnostics platform, which provides proactive fault-code alerts and repair planning assistance and comes standard on all new trucks equipped with Volvo engines.

The new fleet-management offering represents an alternative to the aftermarket approach to in-cab technology that’s common today.

“Leveraging the connectivity of our vehicles to facilitate fleet-management services represents a breakthrough for fleet managers, who are no longer captive to hardware,” said Göran Nyberg, president of Volvo Trucks’ North American sales and marketing. “As part of our long-term strategic focus, we’ll look toward further integration of our vehicles and best-in-class fleet-management solutions.”

The new offering “makes it fast and easy for Volvo Trucks customers to adopt technology and do it in such a way that makes it very streamlined,” Kevin Moore, vice president of global OEM automotive sales at Telogis, said in a July 15 webinar detailing the new offering.

He said the Telogis services will be available on a subscription basis, and customers can finance it with the purchase of their truck.

Through the partnership with Aliso Viejo, California-based Telogis, Volvo can offer electronic hours-of-service logs, commercial navigation, driver vehicle-inspection reporting, fuel-tax reporting and real-time alerts, said Conal Deedy, director of connected vehicle service for Volvo Trucks, based in Greensboro, North Carolina.

“These are new services that Volvo has not been able to offer customers directly from the factory, but now through this partnership, we are,” he said.

Fleet-management services have become critical as truck operators strive to improve efficiency and ensure regulatory compliance, Deedy said.

“Trucks run on fuel, but trucking companies run on data,” he said.

At launch, the Telogis services will use mobile devices as the driver-facing display. Deedy said Volvo customers will use an Android or Apple device of their choice and download a free app to access the services.

Erin Cave, vice president of product management at Telogis, said information about speeding and engine idle, for example, makes it very easy for managers to improve driver behavior.

“You can take these metrics and teach on them,” she said. “If you have a driver who is idling too much, you can sit down with them and make it a teachable moment.”

Volvo Trucks and Telogis said the new fleet-management services are available for order on new vehicles and come in three packages: one for telematics and driver behavior monitoring, another focused on compliance and navigation and a third, bundled option of both sets. Volvo declined to quote specific pricing.

Beginning in September, the integrated services also will be available on the more than 60,000 current Volvo trucks equipped with the company’s connected vehicle platform.

The new offering is the product of a memorandum of agreement between the companies first announced in March 2013. At the same time, Volvo also announced a separate agreement with PeopleNet, which is part of Trimble Navigation Ltd.

Last week, PeopleNet said it continues to pursue a long-term partnership to provide fleet-management services to Volvo customers.

“By combining PeopleNet’s fleet-management capabilities with Volvo’s deep understanding of vehicle systems, we expect to unlock substantial value for our mutual fleet customers by reducing vehicle downtime and improving operational efficiencies,” Dan Jester, senior director of business development, said in a statement to Transport Topics. “Our mutual customers are very clear about what they want and expect from us, and we are working on plans to deliver.”

In last week’s webcast, Deedy said Volvo’s remote diagnostics connection could enable additional technology partnerships moving forward.

“With this connectivity we have to our vehicles, we now have the possibility to connect with other companies in the future to deliver value-added services to our customers based around the data coming off of our trucks,” he said.

Telogis, meanwhile, also is integrating its technology with other original equipment manufacturers.

In June, the technology supplier announced a telematics partnership with medium-duty truck maker Hino Trucks. Telogis also has an existing OEM integration with Ford Motor Co. and is partnering with General Motors to integrate its services with GM’s built-in OnStar technology.