NAVISTAR Inc addressed advancements in technology that help maximize vehicle uptime while offering customers more options and control during the 2014 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky. Technologies such as OnCommand Connection, Diamond Logic and fully automatic and automated manual transmissions (AMTs) make vehicles more fuel efficient, safer, capable and more productive.
“We are thinking harder about the role of new technologies to help customers every day while delivering industry-leading vehicle uptime,” said Bill Kozek, president of North America Truck and Parts for Navistar. “We want to provide more value by offering diagnostics, multiplexing and service tools that are unmatched in the industry.”
The OnCommand Connection remote diagnostics system is designed to increase vehicle uptime and provide increased fleet management efficiency for North American truck customers by supporting quicker repairs and controlling maintenance and repair costs. The company is also testing a mobile OnCommand Connection website and app to make diagnostics and service tools accessible to fleet managers anywhere and anytime. OnCommand Connection currently supports more than 30,000 vehicles and offers fleet managers access to real-time fault codes, vehicle locations, nearby dealer locations and fault code actions plans within an online portal.
“We believe we are scratching the surface of the capabilities we offer the industry with OnCommand Connection,” Kozek said. “By integrating support services into OnCommand Connection that achieve more efficient repairs and maintenance, better lifecycle value and overall lower total cost of ownership, we provide our customers with increased visibility and control over their businesses.”
Navistar also has been a pioneer in custom programmable chassis electronics and multiplexing since 2001. The company has continued to closely partner with end users and body builders to further increase productivity. Diamond Logic helps vocational customers work smarter, faster, and safer, while preventing operators from inadvertently damaging valuable equipment.
“Our Diamond Logic operating system is best known for its ability to provide control and communication between work trucks and body equipment,” Kozek said. “Diamond Logic addresses convenience and safety on behalf of our customers while automatic and automated manual transmissions work to reduce the variance between expert drivers and first-timers.”
By electronically monitoring vehicle speed, grade, weight, and more to select the best gear for the engine, Navistar’s portfolio of automatic and automated manual transmissions improve efficiency and extend the life of the driveline. Navistar currently offers the Cummins Eaton Smart Advantage 10-speed automated manual transmission, the Eaton UltraShift Plus LSE 16-speed direct drive automated mechanical transmission on the ProStar and the Allison TC10, a 10-speed fully automatic transmission, on the ProStar and TranStar models.
“Ultimately, we want our customers to have choices and also experience the highest level of uptime in the industry,” Kozek added. “The future is about converting unplanned downtime into scheduled maintenance and getting trucks back on the road where they are earning revenue.” ♦
