Fleet Data is Like a Hunting Dog

The trucking industry is no stranger to change, but the rate of technological change today is unprecedented. Automated vehicles and platooning, after-treatment systems, telematics, increasing vehicle complexity . . . all among a growing list of items that today’s fleet executives must wrestle with.

Don’t get me wrong. Reliable data is extremely valuable in today’s ultra-complex trucking industry. The American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council has been a pioneer in encouraging management’s utilization of data in fleet operations through the development of the Vehicle Maintenance Reporting Standards (VMRS) going as far back as 1969.

But the difference today from earlier years is that the industry’s doctors of iron took what I believe was a more holistic approach to solving fleet programs through both tactile and statistical means . . . as opposed to relying almost exclusively on data.

When properly utilized, VMRS can help fleets account for their total maintenance expenses. From there, you just need to select a common denominator for measuring your operation. At the highest level, costs are measured by general ledger accounting, established by how finance wants to code expenses for payment.

Old School vs. New School

At TMC’s 2018 annual meeting, I moderated a technical session featuring a panel of “old school” and “new school” fleet executives. Some takeaways from the session:

Traditional doctors of iron cannot rely solely on experience and intuition to manage today’s fleets. The complex nature of equipment demands a greater level of management supported by the vehicle data itself and the support systems that collect the data.