Notifications to customers, via email, may include keep driving, no action required; keep driving and have the fault addressed during the next service interval; head to a dealer for service; or pull over to prevent damage.
The future in mobile truck diagnostics is here today in the form of Kenworth TruckTech+ for Kenworth Class 8 customers.
“Kenworth TruckTech+ is now operational in more than 10,000 new Kenworth Class 8 trucks equipped with PACCAR MX-13 engines, and those trucks have logged nearly 170 million miles since the system entered production last summer,” said Jason Skoog, Kenworth's assistant general manager of sales and marketing.
“The growth isn't stopping there. We've expanded our Kenworth TruckTech+ offering this year by making it standard on new Class 8 Kenworth trucks with the PACCAR MX-11 engine now in production.”
A complimentary 2-year subscription to TruckTech+ is available, as long as the truck is under the 2-year standard warranty. The subscription also is complimentary for customers purchasing extended engine warranties through Kenworth. After the warranty period, Kenworth's remote diagnostics tool can be maintained by subscription.
“Kenworth's TruckTech+ is a breakthrough in how fleets monitor the health of their Kenworths on the road,” said Skoog. “Since Kenworth TruckTech+ describes the issue, based on fault codes, it's a game changer when it comes to keeping trucks on the road. Minor issues can be addressed on the road or back at the home terminal, while larger issues can be diagnosed and fixed at the nearest Kenworth dealership.”
“It gives us real-time information and that's vital to keep our refrigerated fleet running,” said Wade Day, president and owner of Hoosier Air Transport, which operates 32 Kenworth T680s.
“I feel remote diagnostics is one of the biggest advancements that we've seen in truck technology in many years. It's as if we were driving blind before, but now we have visibility. TruckTech+ is key for us in knowing exactly what's happening with our trucks — whether we need immediate service, or if we can continue on and handle the issue at a later time. Before, if the fault light came on, our driver would call dispatch and we'd have to spend time figuring out what was happening. With TruckTech+ we know and can make immediate decisions.”
According to Skoog, notifications to customers, via email, may include keep driving, no action required; keep driving and have the fault addressed during the next service interval; head to a dealer for service; or pull over to prevent damage.
“If the customer needs to take the truck in for service, the system maps out the locations of the three closest repair facilities,” said Skoog. “In addition, the data is sent to a secure web portal where the fleet manager can review the truck's location, status, identified issue and recommended solution.”
According to Mike McDonald, director of fleet maintenance of Don Hummer Trucking, remote diagnostics and TruckTech+ represents a big advancement in keeping trucks rolling. Don Hummer Trucking is a truckload carrier with 215 company trucks and 85 independent contractors. It recently put 75 Kenworth T680s with the PACCAR MX-13 engine into service.
“With hours of service rules, it's important we understand what a dash light means,” McDonald said. “TruckTech+ tells us in simple-to-understand messaging the severity of the issue so we can take their remaining hours into consideration and decide how far we can let the driver continue and schedule service when it makes the most sense. Having this is a huge asset to our fleet.”
For more information, visit www.kenworth.com.
This story also appears on Truck and Trailer Guide.
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