Internal Affairs

Big fleets and small fleets pretty much incur all the same kinds
of operating expenses. It’s how those expenses are managed that’s the difference between the two. You might think that a big fleet with an IT department and a bank of network servers and costly software is going to know more about its operating costs than the little guy trucking up and down the road, but that’s not necessarily the case. The engine control module (ECM) provides all the data any truck operator will ever need. It’s simply a matter of going after it and learning to use it.

“ECM reports let you see averages over a certain period, including total distance and time, maximum speed, average speed, total time at a particular speed, and idle time and fuel consumed at idle,” says Steve Rutherford, the truck engine manager in Canada for Caterpillar. “Those numbers will amaze you.”

Just as astounding, extracting that information is easy, and best of all, the software to help you organize and analyze that data is so simple to use that the learning curves are practically flat.

If there is a complication, it’s in knowing where to start. With the ability to track and modify hundreds of operating parameters, you can feel overwhelmed by the volume of data under the hood. But once you start to dig, you’ll find that virtually everyone in your operation can make use of what you mine. The folks in the shop can analyze fault code reports or review operating records to determine service intervals. Your safety department can keep an eye on driving habits, as illustrated by vehicle speed history, total service brake applications, and even the number of sudden decelerations, suggesting panic stops (does your driver have a tailgating habit?).

And as a manager of trucks, you can take more control over the way those assets are used, setting parameters such as maximum vehicle speed, acceptable idle time, and the like, while using the data to create reward programs for drivers who operate by the rules.

All of this information is stored in the little black box–or red, green, blue, or yellow, as the case may be–strapped to the side of the engine.

Harvesting the data requires a link between the ECM and your computer, but in many cases that computer can be as simple, portable, and cheap as a handheld running the Palm operating system. Take Caterpillar’s Pocket Technician for the Palm OS. Cat sells two versions–one for single-truck owner-operators, another for managers juggling a fleet. The “driver” version lets you monitor fuel-mileage over a single trip or the life of the engine; view key operating info (temperature, pressure, etc.) and fault codes (with suggested actions); and gives you read-and-change capability on limited engine parameters. The “fleet” version adds more robust management software plus read-and-change capability on all engine parameters. Both packages come with a plug-in adapter and a cable to connect your handheld with the truck. Cooler still, the software works with competing engines.

Detroit Diesel and Mack both offer an infrared data transfer package so you can tap into the ECM with a wireless connection. The range of Mack’s InfoMax Wireless system is 1,000 feet when you have direct line-of-sight. You can tailor the uploading frequency to whatever makes sense–once a day, every two days, once a week, or whenever the truck passes a reader in your yard. If a vehicle leaves the wireless range before an upload is complete, the system can simply catch it the next time around.

While the connecting hardware between the ECM and a computer is generally common, each engine maker has its own proprietary software for managing the data you pull out of the engine. These programs are not always compatible, but you can export the ECM data into common spreadsheet or database software in order to make brand-to-brand comparisons.

“Once you’re in there, the ECM and its user-programmable settings allow you to take greater control over the use of the truck, minimizing the driver’s influence over costly decisions like road speed, idle time, etc.,” says Detroit Diesel Canada’s Lyle Adams. “And there are many different ways of doing it, like simply limiting road speed, providing flexible operating parameters, or establishing driver reward programs to encourage fuel economy.”

Sometimes the driver’s reward is more power on the road.

Detroit’s PasSmart option, for example, gives drivers a limited window of opportunity to increase road speed in order to pass another vehicle–perhaps a 10-kilometre-an-hour boost for a two- or three-minute interval. The limits are up to you.

Load Based Speed Control from Cummins (reviewed in “Everyone’s A Pro,” January/February 2003) has sliding engine speed limiters based on the power demand in a given gear. You can preset these parameters to “influence” a driver’s selection of gear change points.

There are other ways, too, of encouraging drivers to behave one way or another through rewards and limitations. None of this programming requires a trip to the dealer. Some software, like Cummins’ PowerSpec, lets you set standard operating parameters for each truck, store them on a diskette, and then download them to each truck as required. It’s a time-saving feature that improves commonality across the fleet.

So what’s the use of all this management capability? According to Volvo Trucks Canada’s Don Coldwell, manager of product reliability, “If you can track it, you can control it.” And that’s what this is really all about. Volvo’s new Trip Manager software, for example, can break down all the data, truck by truck, and manage it in several different formats: trip reports, “totals” reports, trend reports, and even service reports. Say you want a snapshot over a particular time period, like winter fuel use, or of specific drivers or routes. It’s there.

You may not be able to ride along with each driver, but the ECM is a darned good proxy. Even if you try only the most basic functions, you can see at a glance where the money goes. It might even save your bacon after an accident. A sudden deceleration can prompt the computer to record all operating parameters for a predetermined interval before and after an impact or hard-braking incident.

Until recently, access to this kind of information was limited to big fleets with expensive data readers and heavy-duty number-crunching computers. But with today’s more portable handhelds and the right software, smaller fleets and owner-operators can begin to examine their on-road performance with a proverbial magnifying glass and actually do something positive about it.For comparative purposes, ECM data can show you which of your drivers aren’t performing as well as others. Drilling deeper into the data will tell you why. The two big fuel-economy killers–idle time and excessive speed–are easy enough to detect, even without an ECM report. But an ECM calibrated to reveal hard-braking incidents might prompt you to speak to that driver about following too closely. Also, the ECM can total the fuel burned at idle for a more dramatic illustration of the waste and expense of idling–on average, about one U.S. gallon an hour at 1,000 rpm, or fast idle; 0.6 U.S. gallons an hour at 650 rpm, or slow idle.
There are dozens of useful bits of information you can harvest from these ECM reports so you can take appropriate action with your drivers, either through reward programs or discipline. A typical trip report might look this one, generated after one of my recent runs:

Company: HighwaySTAR Trucking
130 Belfield Road
Etobicoke, ON M9W 1G1 Date: April 4, 2003

Distance: 8,771 (miles) Total fuel: 1,130 gals Idle fuel use: 5.00 gals
Time: 172.18 hours Overall fuel econ: 7.76 mpg Idle time: 5:00 hours
Avg. total speed: 50.91 mph Driving fuel econ: 7.80 mpg % Idle time: 3.40%
Avg. road speed: 52.70 mph Max. engine speed: 2252 rpm
Max. vehicle speed: 86.50 mph Driving time: 166.26 hours Engine load factor: 31.25%