The logistics industries are incredibly competitive no matter where you are in the world. People want things delivered, and they want them NOW. Having your 16-wheeler unexpectedly breaking down carrying a massive and urgent shipment in the middle of the highway on its way to Durban when you're based in Pretoria is a very expensive situation.
Not only will this cost you in time and money, but it severely damages your business' reputation.
This is where Cartrack comes in. Our cloud-based advanced telematics system taps directly into your fleet’s On-Board Diagnostics (OBD-II) and the Controller Area Network (CAN bus). Ensuring that fleet managers are never left to guess what’s happening under the hood of each and every vehicle in your fleet.
There are three main ways operators are able to access a vehicle's diagnostics. These are handheld & bluetooth scanners, built-in OEM telematics, and advanced integrated aftermarket telematics devices.
Let’s take a look at each of these.
These are physical plug-in OBD-II scanners or bluetooth dongles that connect to a smartphone to provide you with diagnostic readings. These, however, require you to physically be in the car, plug it in and read the code. So technically it’s not remote and would work best for a petrolhead or travelling mechanic who wants to get vehicle diagnostics.
Built-in OEM telematics are installed by the manufacturer during the assembly of the vehicle. This built-in telematics does work well; however, it can be a schlep for fleets. If you have a mixed fleet with different brands—as most fleets are—then as the fleet manager you're going to have to log into multiple different manufacturer platforms constantly to get each vehicle's diagnostics.
So this might work for you if you have a very small fleet and all your vehicles are the same brand, but if you grow your fleet, this will definitely become a challenge.
An advanced integrated aftermarket telematics device, like the one you can get from Cartrack, can be installed across your entire fleet. It doesn’t matter if your fleet has normal trucks, cars, motorbikes or electric vehicles; our telematics device will work on all of them.
And the best part? You can access all the data for all of your vehicles on one single platform. It will pair engine diagnostics with driver behaviour monitoring, GPS tracking, and automated maintenance scheduling.
So if you’re looking for the best remote vehicle diagnostics, it's clear that getting an advanced integrated aftermarket telematics device, aka the one from Cartrack, is the best option for fleets.
Let’s take a look at how remote diagnostics works.
A diagnostic system works through a continuous feedback loop. It operates by collecting the vehicle's operational data and then evaluates it through the expected baselines, detecting any anomalies. It’ll then log any faults and will communicate actionable error codes. The vehicle will then flash the error on the dashboard.
However, you’ll need more detailed insights into exactly what is wrong when the check engine light comes on. This is where CAN Bus and OBD-II comes in. When a mechanic connects to the OBD-II system, they’ll be able to see exactly what the fault is. If you have a telematics device that’s connected to the vehicle’s CAN Bus, you’ll immediately be alerted to what should be checked before it actually breaks down your car.
Every modern vehicle is built with a CAN Bus system. This is the communication network that enables a vehicle’s electronic control units (ECU) to speak to each other without the need for a centralised host computer. The engine, transmission, brakes, electronics and gearbox each share their individual data on the CAN Bus.
When an advanced external telematics software (like one from Cartrack) is used in conjunction with a vehicle’s CAN bus, it can pull the following data:
The On-Board Diagnostics (OBD-II) is a system that monitors a vehicle’s computer system. Traditionally when a mechanic or vehicle owner wants to pull up the vehicle's diagnostics, they’ll physically have to plug their diagnostics reader into the vehicle's OBD port to get the vehicle's health data.
However, for a logistics manager that has 75 vehicles scattered across the country, requesting them to return to your workshop to read data from the OBD port is just impractical. According to Xin Huang, the COO of FAW Trucks Southern Africa, “Today’s transport operators are under more pressure than ever to maximise every kilometre and every operating hour." And this is where remote diagnostics comes in.
Cartrack's advanced telematics device will be permanently connected to every vehicle in your fleet’s diagnostic ecosystem. It will immediately and automatically provide you with real-time vehicle health diagnostic reports.
Imagine not having to worry about an unexpected breakdown or knowing that your fleet's lifespan has drastically increased? These are just some of the benefits fleet managers and owners can experience from having proper remote vehicle diagnostics for their fleet.
As a fleet manager or owner, you should know:
Without advanced telematics you're managing your fleet blind. And that’s a sure way to run your fleet into the ground.
Let’s explore all the major benefits of having remote vehicle diagnostics.
When the vehicles in your fleet are constantly in the workshop because of unexpected breakdowns, it affects the profits, reliability, time, and productivity of your business. When you run a fleet, it’s up to you to know exactly what’s going on with your fleet at all times.
Having remote diagnostics from FMS, you’ll automatically be alerted to how each vehicle is performing, and you’ll immediately know when a vehicle needs tending to. This way you’re never in the dark and can completely avoid having unexpected breakdowns in your fleet.
When you’re only repairing vehicles once something breaks, your fleet is spending unnecessary money. An advanced telematics device that provides you with accurate remote diagnostics will allow you to save on costly repairs.
Predictive maintenance will send you automated alerts to vehicle faults, from the brakes to the fluids in your vehicles; you’ll immediately know if something is starting to look faulty. This information allows you to have it looked at before it causes the entire vehicle to break and become unusable.
This means instead of spending a couple of hundred on replacing a small part or topping up a fluid, you’ll be spending hundreds of thousands on repairs and replacements.
Fleet vehicles are expensive. And because they’re used so extensively, their lifespan is already shortened compared to a small vehicle that travels short distances. Replacing and repairing these vehicles is also incredibly expensive.
With remote vehicle diagnostics you're able to spot a vehicle fault way before it can cause your entire vehicle to completely break down, your engine to seize or a major accident to happen. By having predictive maintenance, you’ll keep your vehicle in the best condition, prolonging its lifespan.
By having remote diagnostics, you’ll ensure that all your vehicles are in tip-top shape. This ultimately improves driver safety. By keeping your cars well-maintained and knowing what condition they're in at all times, you’ll ensure that your drivers are safe on the road.
Real-time fault code alerts will immediately be sent through to fleet managers, who can tell drivers what they need to do next to avoid damaging the vehicle further and keep them safe on the road.
There are so many industries that will benefit from having remote vehicle diagnostics. Many fleets carry sensitive cargo, travel in remote areas, or work in harsh environments where wear and tear is accelerated. Let’s take a more detailed look at the industries that definitely need remote vehicle diagnostics.
Long-haul logistics fleets travel extensively, sometimes even across borders. For a fleet manager that has huge trucks hundreds of kilometres away from their main workshops, it’s incredibly important to ensure that every vehicle on the road is in perfect working condition.
Just think about it: You have a truck break down in a remote area in the Northern Cape, and your main workshop is based in Gauteng. This will not only cost your business a huge amount in towing fees, but it’ll cost you in time wasted and can damage your reputation with your customers you’re delivering to.
Mining, construction and other industries that make use of heavy machinery work in extremely harsh conditions. This can cause extreme wear and tear on the vehicles and the heavy machinery on these sites.
Remote vehicle diagnostics will be able to accurately track engine hours and hydraulic pressure anomalies as well as extreme engine load levels. This data will allow fleet managers to schedule servicing exactly when it’s needed and not just pick a set date on the calendar every month.
Public and private ambulance services, fire departments and armed response security teams need to make sure their vehicles are always running in the best condition. They can’t afford to have their vehicles break down while on the job.
For these industries, it’s a life-or-death situation, which is why unexpected vehicle breakdowns are unacceptable. What makes the vehicles in these industries prone to wear and tear is that they’re driven extremely aggressively in high-stress conditions. Aggressive braking, rapid acceleration and high RPMs drastically affect the lifespan of these vehicles.
This is why having accurate remote vehicle diagnostics is a must for emergency services and first responders. Knowing exactly what condition a vehicle is in before a shift starts is vital. Fleet managers can ensure that vehicles are getting the maintenance they require exactly when they need it, and no vehicle is on the road that isn’t in perfect shape.
Industries that transport temperature-sensitive goods like fresh produce, pharmaceuticals, flowers or dairy goods need to ensure that when their vehicles are on the road, they aren’t going to break down or have an engine fault.
The reefers stay cool thanks to power from the engine. An engine breakdown means the refrigerator system is down and the goods are now at risk. This is especially stressful if your truck is stuck hundreds of kilometres away from your warehouse.
Remote vehicle diagnostics is vital to the success of cold chain & FMCG delivery because a single engine failure can result in the loss of hundreds and thousands of rand.
Taxis, buses, corporate shuttles, school transport and other forms of public & private transport need to always ensure that their vehicles are in perfect working condition. An unexpected breakdown can affect your business's profitability and reputation.
However, something like a steering wheel malfunction or brake failure can result in a fatal accident and end up with severe legal consequences. Ensuring that your transport fleet is compliant and safe is of utmost importance.
Last-mile delivery industries have huge fleets of trucks, vans, bakkies, light commercial vehicles and motorbikes. These vehicles work in busy areas with a lot of traffic and constant stop-and-go driving. This unfortunately places a lot of strain on the engine, the transmission, the brakes and the cooling systems.
Manual maintenance checks and random scheduled services for large fleets are ineffective. With remote vehicle diagnostics, you’ll know exactly what’s wrong with a vehicle and exactly when it needs to go in for a service or a repair.
Cartrack has a comprehensive fleet management software that can provide you with complete operational intelligence. Our remote vehicle optimisation connects directly to your vehicle’s CANBus network, allowing fleet managers to get all the data they need on every vehicle all from one platform.
With Cartrack, you’ll receive fast, real-time data on every vehicle in your fleet. You’ll also receive predictive maintenance alerts so you can ensure that your whole fleet is proactive rather than reactive. Being reactive wastes time and money. Proactively monitoring vehicle health improves your fleet’s lifespan, prevents unexpected downtime, and keeps your drivers safe on the road.
And we’re not just providing details into mechanical faults. Our telematics system will give you insights into:
With all of this information, you're able to ensure that your fleet is operating flawlessly.
If you're looking for the best remote vehicle diagnostics that will keep your operations running smoothly, then give us a call today!
Discover the best options for remote vehicle diagnostics, from OBD-II scanners to advanced telematics, and how Cartrack keeps your fleet running smoothly.
