Great Dane’s FleetPulse platform, billed as the first OEM-developed smart trailer system, will now come as a standard feature on new Great Dane trailers with an integrated CAN harness.
The move reflects Great Dane’s forward-looking commitment to connectivity, ensuring all equipment built today is prepared to meet the market’s future demands, the manufacturer emphasized.
The FleetPulse offering includes GPS location, mileage data, geofences, automated yard checks, tethered status, heading, speed, as well as proprietary trailer specifications and parts information. The standard package also includes built-in CAN harnessing, so that smart sensors can be added in the aftermarket and when new technology is introduced.
Trailer buyers will also have the ability to upgrade to the full FleetPulsePRO option, which provides access to a full suite of smart sensors available today, taking a fleet to the “leading edge” of smart trailer technology, Great Dane added. These include the ability to monitor and decipher ABS fault code alerts, tire inflation systems, door open status, light out detection, mileage from tire rotations, cargo status, rear axle weight, and more.
“At Great Dane, we continue to build on our legacy of innovation by keeping an eye on the future,” Dean Engelage, president of Great Dane, said. “By making our FleetPulse telematics solution a standard feature, Great Dane remains future-focused on trailer connectivity. We are laying the foundation for fleets to have greater flexibility in terms of accessing smart sensors years down the road.”
With FleetPulse, fleets benefit from real-time trailer-level data that puts more predictability into maintenance schedules, with real-time alerts from trailer health sensors creating greater productivity and more ROI for every asset, according to Great Dane.
“We are proud to offer telematics as standard and to provide insights for our customers, elevating the way they do business to ultimately deliver more uptime,” said Chris Hammond, EVP of sales for Great Dane.
As telematics continues to play an increasing role in the transportation industry, fleets today are searching for a solution that is simple, reliable, and doesn’t require multiple data subscriptions. Great Dane’s newest telematics offering is meant to move the industry forward by providing hard-wired connectivity with a localized CAN network on all new Great Dane trailers.
“One of the major hurdles to a connected vehicle future is that long trailer life can hinder the speed of innovation,” Mike Molitor, executive director of business development for Great Dane, said. “By equipping each Great Dane trailer with a FleetPulse device and CAN harnessing, we believe fleets are better positioned to take advantage of future technologies.”
This announcement comes as industry-leading suppliers, including Hendrickson, TSE Brakes, and many others are developing compelling sensors that will become commercially available over the coming years, Great Dane added.
“By equipping Great Dane trailers with a CAN network, fleets can cost-effectively take advantage of these technologies, while laying the groundwork for communication on the edge between the truck and trailer,” Molitor said. “We remain committed to providing premium trailers that benefit our customers as the industry transitions towards a connected, autonomous, and zero-emission future.”
