Imagine if your trailer could tell you when a light goes out or send you a notification if a wheel end temperature reaches a critical point. Thanks to advancements in telematics technology, you won’t have to imagine for much longer.
Great Dane has developed a new “smart trailer” concept, called FleetPulse, that will keep drivers and fleet managers informed of critical trailer information. It is the first trailer OEM to offer a trailer telematics solution. FleetPulse provides a unique pre-trip inspection application that has the ability to detect lights that are out, check the status of the ABS and tire inflation systems, monitor weight, detect open doors and even monitor the wheel hub temperature. And that’s just the beginning.
Sensors installed throughout the trailer collect data in real time and send it to the onboard computer.
This information can also be accessed by a driver through a smartphone app as well as sent to the fleet’s office using a cellular network, in the same way that a smartphone sends and receives data.
FleetPulse can be programmed to reflect any fleet’s specific preventative trailer maintenance data points. The system will send a preventative maintenance alert to the fleet based on the specified time or mileage.
While the system will be available on new Great Dane trailers later this year, it will also be possible to retrofit it onto other trailers. Other features will be built into the platform in the future, including integration into an existing telematics solution and the ability to send real-time alerts wirelessly to both an in-cab display for drivers and a dashboard for fleet managers.
