Telematics

Question 1

4.1.1 What are vehicle fleet telematics? (p.118)

Answer 1

• Combination of computer, IT infrastructure, wireless technology, and Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) to provide vehicle tracking and location.
• There is an option to connect to the vehicle engine bus or Engine Control Module (ECM).
• There are options for sensor inputs such as Power Take Off (PTO) and integration with peripherals such as Garmin navigation device, display terminals, cell phones, tablets, etc.

Question 2

4.2 Technology solution components / In-vehicle device or vehicle centric hardware:

Answer 2

• Consists of wireless hardware with antenna
• Note that for vehicle telematics, the hardware is usually dedicated and installed within the vehicle. Connection to the ECM is optional
• Includes the GPS receiver
• Instead of a dedicated telematics device, it might be a laptop with wireless connectivity
• Instead of a dedicated telematics device, it might be a smartphoneequipped with GPS

Question 3

4.2 Technology solution components / GPS * Global Positioning Satelites

Answer 3

• Provides latitude, longitude, time stamp and direction of travel for vehicle location information
• The GPS data service is free-of-charge and the satellite coverage is relatively ubiquitous over land and sea
• GPS receiver cost is included in the hardware price

Question 4

4.2 Technology solution components / Wireless network

Answer 4

• Wireless network for data transmission is often the carrier wireless data network
• However, it can also be a Wi-Fi hotspot or the satellite communications network in remote area

Question 5

4.2 Technology solution components / Server and database IT infrastructure

Answer 5

• Server and database IT infrastructure for data processing geocoding to convert latitude and longitude into a street address, presentation layer for
  reports, vehicle tracking on a map and so on.
• IT infrastructure may reside in the customer’s environment or may be served out as Software- as-a-Service (SaaS) by the telematics supplier

Question 6

4.2 Technology solution components / Customer’s environment

Answer 6

• Customer’s environment in which the telematics applications can be accessed via a computer by authorized users / Reports / May be integrated systems

Question 7

4.2.1 Give some examples of in vehicle telematics devices. (p.118-119)

Answer 7

• Includes the GPS receiver
• Instead of a dedicated telematics device, it might be a laptop with wireless connectivity
• Instead of a dedicated telematics device, it might be a smartphoneequipped with GPS

Question 8

4.2.2 What types of information can be provided through GPS? (p.119)

Answer 8

Provides latitude, longitude, time stamp and direction of travel for vehicle location information

Question 9

4.3.1 What does the accuracy of the GPS location calculated depend on? (p.120)

Answer 9

The accuracy of the position calculated depends on the number of satellites in view and the dispersion of their angles relative to the receiver
- Signals from several widely spread satellites provides a more accurate estimate of geographic position

Question 10

4.3.2 What is the minimum number of satellites needed to determine the location of a receiver? (p.120)

Answer 10

• A minimum of four satellites must be visible to the receiver to determine its geographic position

Question 11

4.3.3 What is a differential correction system? (p.120)

Answer 11

• If greater accuracy is necessary, a system called differential correction can be used.
  
  • Requires a second receiver tuned to the signal of a stationary base station on the ground even if relayed by communications satellite
  • A correction factor to the known, surveyed point can be computed to improve the GPS location determined by using the satellites
  • The use of a base station signal eliminates the inaccuracies introduced by the various layers of the atmosphere (e.g., ionosphere and troposphere), signal noise, clock drift, and other sources that affect the satellite signals

Question 12

4.4 Use cases and benefits

Answer 12

• There are numerous uses and benefits of telematics and customers have unique requirements which lead to multiple variations in the implementation

Question 13

4.4.1 What are the three categories of telematics uses that are typical in a fleet environment?(p.122-123)

Answer 13

1. Vehicle Fleet Management
2. Driver Safety
3. Location Based Dispatching

Question 14

4.4.2 How might the use of telematics benefit the capturing for Vehicle Fleet Management (p.122)

Answer 14

Automatic Odometer input
Idling Reduction
Fuel Reduction
Vehice Utilization
Data Trouble Codes
Theft Recovery

Question 15

4.4.2 How might the use of telematics benefit the capturing for Driver Safety (p.122)

Answer 15

Driving Habits
Visual / Audio indicator to provide feedback to Driver
Compline w/ ligislated requirements
Info for coaching
Location known in case of Accident

Question 16

4.4.2 How might the use of telematics benefit the capturing for Location Based Dispatching (p.122)

Answer 16

Vehicle Location integrated with dispatching system
Algorithm includes skillis & location to dispatch technician
Useful Dynamic Dispatching
Useful for Emergencies

Question 17

4.4.3 What are the benefits of using telematics over paper based pre trip inspection forms? (p.123)

Answer 17

Integrate with Smartphone contaiiing special forms and signature capure / Forms can be printed / Exceptions flagged

Question 18

4.4.4 What are the advantages to using telematics in order to help dispatch fleet drivers? (p.123)

Answer 18

Integrates GPS location with field work force Management / Dispatchers can “area search” / Redection in distance / better productivity

Question 19

4.5.1 What are some challenges that should be considered at the beginning of the procurement process?(p.123-124)

Answer 19

• There are many telematics vendors in U.S.A., Canada and Europe. Several of theseare small/mid-sized companies and held privately.
• They often partner with niche system integrators and with wireless carriers
• The off-the-shelf hardware is application agnostic which means that the hardware can be made to work with any telematics software application.

Question 20

4.5.2 What is a feasibility study and why is it done? (p.124)

Answer 20

• The feasibility study is done to assess benefits versus cost or the Return on Investment (ROI) of:
• Telematics organizational readiness
• The requirements for success including HR considerations, labor union alignment, business process changes
• Implementation timeline and resource

Question 21

4.5.3 Why is an executive champion needed during the procurement process? (p.124)

Answer 21

• An executive champion is needed for overcoming organizational challenges / change management leadership / for the budget allocation.

Question 22

4.5.4 What should be some of the evaluation criteria for RFP responses? (p.124)

Answer 22

Price / functionality to meet business requirements, and existing customer base with similar requirements as yours.
- Examine the vendor’s financial stability, roadmap for evolving the solution, software and hardware development process, partnership mindset and so on.

Question 23

4.5.5 List the five steps in the procurement process. (p.124)

Answer 23

1. Feasibility Study
2. Executive & Stakeholder Review
3. Executive Champion & Budget
4. RFP
   5.Evaluation: RFP,(response / demo / interview)

Question 24

4.6 Challenges

Answer 24

Since the telematics solution is still evolving and it requires the convergence of several technologies, there are challenges and hurdles to be aware of and to
overcome if the organization wishes to reap the benefits enabled by telematics

Question 25

4.6.1 How might you be able to win support from stakeholders? (p.125)

Answer 25

- Define the Use Cases and clearly document Business requirements - Run Technology "pilot" to obtain metrics - Set achievable goas and quantify benefits - Geter accurate cost through RFP

Question 26

4.6.2 How might you be able to solve the concerns of employees? (p.125)

Answer 26

- Proactive dialogue - Privacy Concerns: create clear communication about data - Reassurance about use of data for coaching

Question 27

4.6.3 What are some approaches to help manage possible business and operational changes? (p.125)

Answer 27

- Early engagement of impacted groups - Change management including training - Process mapping of future mode ensuring resources are assigned and trained

Question 28

4.6.4 List some approaches that might help with telematics implementation. (p.125-126)

Answer 28

- Plan for installation during evenings and weekends with vehicvles not in service / no pause in productivity - Ensuring SLA is precise and addresses warranty on installation / response time / cost for field visit, etc. - Plan the time for data validation prior to launch

Question 29

4.7.1 What is a track and trace application? (p.127)

Answer 29

- The core functionality of a track and trace application is the display of real time vehicle location on an electronic map

Question 30

4.7.2 What are the core functionalities of a track and trace system? (p.127)

Answer 30

1. Vehicle location 2. Vehicle speed and Direction 3. Ability to run a history " snail trail" 4. Identify general vehicle activity from ignition on/off cycles - Idle time - stop locaitons - run time - stop times, etc

Question 31

4.7.3 Why might you want drivers to have to sign in to use a vehicle and what telematics solutions are available to do this? (p127)

Answer 31

There are technology options such as RFID technology (key fobs or cards) which allow the driver to sign into the vehicle using a RFID reader - The RFID reader is connected to the telematics device, thereby adding the driver identification to the telematics data - There are also smartphone applications which allow the driver to input his/her identification and in turn the smartphone is connected to the telematics device using Bluetooth wireless technology.

Question 32

4.7.4 What is Geofencing and what is its purpose? (p.127)

Answer 32

- Geofence is simply a defined area on the map with a given location defined by the geo coordinates - The purpose of Geofencing is that when a vehicle either enters or exits a geofence, this information can be captured and related to an event that has relevance to your organization

Question 33

4.7.5 List examples of Geofencing events. (p.128)

Answer 33

• Tracking when vehicles are leaving and returning from your main yard. • Receiving real time alerts if someone leaves a defined service area such as leaving a county or city area. • Tracking arrival/departure times at a common area such as a landfill site, fueling station or gravel yard.

Question 34

4.7.6 What types of vehicle diagnostic data can be accessed through the use of telematics? (p.128-129)

Answer 34

• Odometer • Engine hours • Malfunction Indicator Lights (MILs) • Diagnostic Trouble Codes • Fuel Levels • VIN • Battery voltage • Min Battery voltage reported today • Battery Charging voltage • Oil Pressure • Min Oil pressure reported today • Engine Oil Level • RPM (engine revolutions per minute as a measure of how fast the motor is turning the crank shaft) • Max RPM • PTO Engaged Time • PTO Detect Type • Idle Time / Stop Idle Time • Red Lamp Status • Amber Lamp Status • Protect Lamp Status

Question 35

4.7.7 What key areas can telematics help to monitor driver behavior in? (p.129-130)

Answer 35

• Vehicle Idling monitoring: reduction of fuel usage / engine idling is harder on the engine than an hour of driving time > higher maintenance cost. • Idle Time Monitoring: telematics allows for monitoring when drivers are physically idle and potentially not doing their job. • Speed Monitoring: As a high priority safety issue, the ability to monitor speed is one of the key features of telematics. • Harsh Braking / Harsh Acceleration / Harsh Swerving: Some telematics solutions have incorporated a G-force sensor/accelerometer that captures

Question 36

4.7.8 How can telematics help facilitate vehicle inspections? (p.130)

Answer 36

- Pre-trip and post-trip inspections of vehicles can be facilitated by telematics - This allows a driver to key in their inspection findings, and to have major and minor defect information captured immediately with a real time notification to maintenance staff.

Question 37

4.8 Integrate telematics data

Answer 37

- The telematics data is useful in managing fleet operations in various ways. It is often interfaced to the FIMS.

Question 38

4.8.1 What benefits can access to location data bring to your fleet? (p.131)

Answer 38

• Optimizing utilization of your fleet: • Improved customer service: telematics allows for dispatching the closest vehiclee • Driver management: • Incident management: The ability to review the where and how the vehicle was being driven is of great benefit to validating or disputing incident claims

Question 39

4.8.2 What are the benefits of using telematics to monitor meter readings? (p.131-132)

Answer 39

- The ability to automatically gather meter readings, particularly odometer & engine hour readings allows you to manage the preventive maintenance (PM) schedules using actual data in real time from the fleet - In fact, some telematics solutions provide the PM forecasting and scheduling application or the meter readings from telematics are imported to the FIMS for the FIMS to create the PM forecast and schedule. - Eliminate need for manual collection of readings from your fleet which are time consuming & error prone. - Eliminate costs from either over maintaining or under maintaining vehicles based solely on calendar scheduling.

Question 40

4.8.3 What benefits can come from capturing various vehicle parameters such as RPM and fuel levels? (p.132)

Answer 40

• Monitoring RPMs allows you to focus driver training on operators that are adding to unnecessary engine wear and tear with excessive RPMs. Managing RPMs during PTO engagement ensures that vehicles are being operated within the appropriate parameters. • Monitoring fuel levels & associated fuel consumption allows for identifying vehicles that are operating out of normal fuel consumption ranges. This allows you to identify additional maintenance that may be required on a vehicle and also helps prioritize which vehicles you would dispose of first.

Question 41

4.8.4 How will the capture of DTC help facilitate fleet operations? (p.132)

Answer 41

The capture of diagnostic data from the ECM, also known as the DTC (Diagnostic Trouble Codes) or MIL (Malfunction Indicator Lamps) will facilitate fleet operations by: • Provision of real time alerts to the mechanics based on presence of DTC, ensures that vehicle issues can be addressed and prioritized as they happen. • Elimination of “driving with the engine light on” by not relying on drivers to report check engine or other indicators. • In the more sophisticated integrated systems, a vehicle service order can be created automatically based on the DTC/MIL coming from a vehicle without requiring intervention from driver or shop personnel

Question 42

4.9.1 What are premarket telematics solutions? (p.132)

Answer 42

- Some vehicle OEM’s install telematics solutions at the factory while the vehicle is built - These solutions are called pre-market as compared to the after-market solutions

Question 43

4.9.2 What is OnStar and what services does it offer users? (p.133)

Answer 43

OnStar Corporation is a subsidiary of General Motors that provides subscription-based communications, in-vehicle security, hands free calling, turn-by-turn navigation, and remote diagnostics systems throughout the United States, Canada and China - Allows users to contact OnStar call centers for emergency services, vehicle diagnostics and directions - Automatic Collision Notification is detected by airbag deployment or other sensors and automatically sends information about the vehicle’s condition and GPS location to OnStar call centers to assist emergency response efforts

Question 44

4.9.3 What is Ford SYNC and what services does it offer its users? (p.133)

Answer 44

- The Ford SYNC system allows the driver to talk, navigate and listen to music while keeping his/her hands on the steering wheel and eyes on the road - NOT for Fleet Management

Question 45

4.10.1 What is a passive vehicle location device? (p.133)

Answer 45

- A passive device will record and store data but this data will stay on the device until retrieved

Question 46

4.10.2 What is the main benefit of a passive system? (p.133)

Answer 46

- The main benefit of the passive system is that it eliminates the cost of having a monthly data plan with the wireless carrier.

Question 47

4.10.3 What is the disadvantage of passive devices? (p.134)

Answer 47

- The information is always after the fact

Question 48

4.10.4 What is an active vehicle location device? (p.134)

Answer 48

- An active device is more typical and the data is sent automatically in real time or at programmed intervals. - These intervals are programmable and the customer specifies the interval to the supplier so that the required interval is set in the device before it is shipped - Data transmission can also be triggered by a significant direction change which generates a much cleaner and easier to read “bread crumb”

Question 49

4.10.5 What is a compact telematics device and what are the advantages of it? (p.134-135)

Answer 49

Several manufacturers now offer compact hardware that can be installed by plugging a single, small unit into the second- generation, on-board diagnostics port (OBDII) standard equipment from all manufacturers selling vehicles in North America and Europe

Question 50

4.10.6 What is the disadvantage of a compact telematics device? (p.135)

Answer 50

The disadvantage is that they are also easily tampered with by the operator.

Question 51

4.10.7 What is a “Black Box” event data recorder (EDR)? (p.135-136)

Answer 51

- The “Black Box” is the slang term for the event data recorder (EDR) present on most light-duty vehicles. - It generally includes throttle and brake-pedal position, steering angle, yaw rate (the vehicle’s rotational velocity), speed, and impact-sensor data. - EDR data has been used for several years as court evidence

Question 52

4.10.8 What are battery powered only telematics devices? (p.136-137)

Answer 52

- For non-powered assets or “yellow iron”, the battery only powered GPS units are excellent for the “ping a day” requirements - These are fully self-contained, weatherproofed units that can be easily mounted on your vehicle or asset - manufacturers identifying battery life from 3 – 7 years depending on the product

Question 53

4.10.9 What challenges are presented if using consumer devices as a telematics solution? (p.137)

Answer 53

• Unless all your employees are mandated to use the same device, there would be many different makes and models that may be difficult for the telematics application software vendor to support. • The changes in consumer grade devices is constant and on-going support/ maintenance might be challenging as with the next operating system (OS) upgrade, the data format may change. • These devices also have off switches and GPS can be easily disabled. • They are not connected to the vehicle so the ability to capture ECM data is not possible. • No sensor inputs (e.g. PTO) is possible since the device is not vehicle-centric.