I’d argue that the concept isn’t new and in fact has been a standard part of the industry for more than 20 years, but over the last few months, I’ve been hearing a lot about the “connected truck” as the next big technology to hit the commercial vehicle market. I guess whether you see it as new or old news depends on your definition, or maybe expectations.
It was more than 20 years ago when the first long-haul trucks began carrying two-way data communications devices that offered coverage everywhere they might travel, first via satellites and then over the rapidly expanding cellular networks. Yes, it was limited to small messages, at least at first. But as wireless digital data networks began to reshape our world, truck fleets of all types found new ways to exploit remote connectivity with their mobile assets and drivers.
These days, though, the term connected truck has taken on a broader meaning with far broader implications for fleets and their efficiency. When Freightliner, Navistar, Volvo and others tout their new-generation trucks as “connected,” they are announcing a shift into the Internet of Things, or IoT. And it’s the same in Europe where at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show this year, every truck maker and major component supplier highlighted IoT capabilities.
While the acronym IoT is new, the concept isn’t. To my probably oversimplified understanding, it refers to machines and systems that communicate with other machines and systems in real time using Internet standards. In trucking, the earliest example I can think of would be out-of-route notifications that were fairly standard features in even the earliest telematics systems with GPS.
Today, the most useful IoT feature is remote diagnostics, but even if half of what I’m hearing about connected trucks comes to pass, that’s just the beginning of a radical technological transformation of both trucks and truck fleets. The next step is using that huge volume of vehicle and driver data to drive both OEM engineering development and fleet operations. Platooning and semi-autonomous trucks will absolutely require always-on connectivity.
And how about intelligent vehicle systems that are constantly monitored and fine-tuned to deliver absolute efficiency at any given moment? That might be intelligent aftertreatment that takes into account real air quality conditions and ambient temperatures, or intelligent range management that finally makes electric-powered commercial vehicles viable.
But the real transformation of trucking will come from the ability of IoT to closely integrate all those mobile assets with enterprise logistics. Trucks will be at the center of the action, becoming the key actor in an overhaul of logistics efficiency. The implications are enormous—lower production and distribution costs, faster reaction times, even a complete rethinking of how goods are created and services delivered.
Carrying that line of reasoning further, it means fewer trucks on the road doing the same amount of work, which brings congestion relief and reduced pressure on infrastructure, not to mention a positive impact on carbon emissions and highway safety.
Whether you see it as the latest new technology or old news, it’s easy to understand the current enthusiasm. As one OEM head predicts, all trucks will be connected within the next decade, so expect to hear a lot more about the connected truck next year and into the foreseeable future.
Like all transformational technologies, this one won’t be without its downsides and serious new problems. For one, both personal and organizational privacy concerns are going to raise serious questions once all that data starts flowing, as will data security. But that’s a subject for a whole other discussion. Right now, let’s just enjoy thinking about all the new opportunities posed by the connected truck.
