Eaton unveils onboard fleet management system

A new suite of fleet management applications was introduced at the annual American Trucking Assns. conference by the newly formed Vehicle Solutions Business Unit (VSBU) of Eaton Corp. and its partner, telematics provider @Road.

Fleet Resource Manager combines @Road's onboard hardware and web-based network with Eaton's knowledge of vehicle diagnostics and advanced safety technology to provide real-time tracking, performance monitoring, management reporting and real-time diagnostics, according to Roderick Jones, VSBU manager.

Initially, Fleet Resource Manager will be available in four “packages.” A driver performance package centers around real-time and summary reports on a range of activities, including vehicle speed, idling, hard braking applications and fuel consumption. A driver safety package adds information gathered by Eaton's VORAD collision warning system, allowing fleets to identify unsafe driving practices that might require retraining.

Two “Fleet Health” packages draw on vehicle data provided by the various data busses found on light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks to provide both real-time and historical diagnostic and operational information.

All four packages include @Road onboard computers that can be configured to communicate over a wide variety of high-speed cellular or satellite data networks. Data is stored on @Road's secure network were it can be accessed with a just an internet connection and web browser. Fleet Resource Manager also has tools for back office integration with existing fleet systems.

The subscription-based packages are currently available for aftermarket installation, and additional packages for vocational applications such as construction and refuse are scheduled for release later next year, according to Jones.
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