C.R. England announced that it has renewed its telematics services with Detroit Connect. According to the company, more than 2,700 C.R. England trucks will use Detroit Virtual Technician onboard diagnostic system.“C.R. England has made the decision to extend our Virtual Technician subscriptions for the entire length of time our Daimler-built units are in our fleet,” said Douglas Kading, vice president of maintenance. “As our equipment reached the two-year free subscription mark with Virtual Technician, we were entering a period in the life cycle with significant cost increases in the after-treatment and exhaust systems. By getting the Virtual Technician notifications on these older units, we were able to avoid unexpected breakdowns, which improved our customer service and reduced our maintenance costs.”Available for Freightliner and Western Star truck models spec’d with Detroit engines, Virtual Technician provides a technical snapshot of the vehicle’s performance before, during and after an engine or aftertreatment system fault. Virtual Technician then provides an immediate preliminary diagnosis and categorization of the fault event. If the event is classified as severe, the Detroit Customer Support Center provides expert analysis and recommendations, as well as directions to nearby service locations with available parts, helping drivers and fleet managers make important service decisions with real-time information. “Companies like C.R. England require a sophisticated solution that will help them make informed business decisions at potentially critical moments,” said Matt Pfaffenbach, director, telematics for Daimler Trucks North America. “We’re pleased that after careful evaluation of different options, and with the support of its dealer, Warner Truck Centers, C.R. England will continue working with Detroit Connect as its telematics partner.” “The improved equipment availability increases our revenue potential,” Kading added. “This combined with the reduced maintenance cost made our return on investment analysis favorable enough to extend our Virtual Technician subscriptions.”
