With no end in sight to the supply chain issues kicked off by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more critical than ever for fleets to not only maintain but also increase uptime on each truck in their inventory.
To do that, more and more fleets are integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) products into their systems to predict maintenance failures far enough in advance to keep their trucks from landing in the shop for an extended period.
But using AI in predictive maintenance isn’t just a matter of increasing uptime and saving money on repairs. Sandeep Kar, chief strategy officer at Noregon Systems, said it’s also about competitive edge, and if fleets fail to join this technological revolution early, the accuracy and benefits will not be as profound.
“We all know downtime is the biggest enemy of fleet managers. Anything that can help reduce downtime is a value-added solution,” Kar said. “Reducing downtime not only helps freight managers save money by avoiding costly (repairs) but also make money because this feature can now be used to differentiate your business value proposition versus the competitor. You can say, ‘by harnessing the power of ML and AI and predictive maintenance, etc., our trucks offer (more) uptime.’ If you're a shipper, you want to engage the truck fleet that guarantees on-time delivery so you can offer that to your customers.”
Most fleets use an interval-based approach to maintenance based on time or mileage, leaving them vulnerable to malfunctions and reactive repairs. Willie Reeves, director of maintenance at PacLease, said AI and ML allows service managers to be proactive instead of reactive.
“Predictive maintenance gives location service managers the proactive approach … to be able to get the trucks diagnosed and in and out of the shop a lot faster than our non-predictive maintenance approach,” Reeves said. “It maximizes uptime. For example oftentimes a check engine light can come on for the coolant being low or high when a driver is going up or down a hill. With our onboard systems, a repair location can gain a better view of the issue In situations like that instead of slowing the driver up and preventing them from continuing their routes.”
Telematics technology company Fleet Complete and predictive analytics platform Pitstop recently completed an advanced AI-powered platform for predictive maintenance of engines, brakes and tires geared toward commercial fleet operations that is expected to increase vehicle uptime by up to 25% and save up to $2,000 per vehicle per year by preventing costly repairs, reducing downtime, increasing safety and maximizing vehicle lifetimes.
