Phillips Connect introduces TechAssist

Phillips Connect recently introduced TechAssist, and Apple iOS and Android app designed to streamline installations for trailer manufacturers and fleet installers, and improve trailer maintenance.

TechAssist supports “OEM-level” quality control and helps ensure installations keep pace with the speed of builds, the company reported. By confirming every sensor, gateway and system is online and reporting correctly before a trailer leaves the plant, OEMs can confidently deliver a fully functional, ready-to-integrate asset to their customers. For OEMs and installers, TechAssist unlocks fast installations with one click, and the ability to run every job through a guided workflow, ensuring every smart trailer is set up, tested, and ready to hit the road.

TechAssist also gives maintenance technicians an instant, clear picture of a trailer’s health before it leaves the yard. Fleet mechanics can use TechAssist to instantly spot issues related to a trailer’s tires, brakes, lights and more, saving time and money and maximizing efficiency and uptime.

By pairing directly with the trailer’s Phillips Connect smart sensors, the app highlights any issues and guides the technician through quick repairs.

“Commercial Class 8 [semi-]trailers operate in one of the harshest environments you can imagine,” Todd Thibault, Phillips Connect senior director of field services, said in a news release. “Road debris, corrosion and collisions happen frequently, making trailer tech health and diagnostics an essential part of any fleet maintenance program. TechAssist lets even a brand-new technician get a trailer back to 100% quickly without having to call tech support.

“That’s protecting and getting a return on investment in one simple-to-use app.”

TechAssist also provides technicians with instant scalability, Phillips Connect said. Historically, only highly trained field engineers could troubleshoot and maintain connected smart trailer systems. TechAssist provides step-by-step workflows that empower any technician, whether in-house or third-party, to install, verify, and service smart trailer technology with the same results as a seasoned expert. This shortens the training curve from months to minutes, allowing fleets to scale smart trailer deployments without bottlenecks.

“Decades of partnerships with the world’s largest fleets and trailer OEMs have given us a deep understanding of how our customers work, what they expect, and where their pain points are,” said Todd Hodges, Phillips Connect director of product management. “TechAssist is a direct result of that knowledge. It’s not just a tool—it’s part of how we help customers get the most from their trailer investments from Day 1.”

TechAssist works seamlessly with the Connect1 platform, offering secure, offline-capable smart trailer diagnostics, sensor pairing, and installation confirmation for the back office and in the palm of a technician’s hand.

Key features of TechAssist include:

• Bluetooth-enabled discovery of nearby assets to eliminate manual searching
• Real-time diagnostics for gateway health and sensor status
• Camera-based sensor pairing (barcode scanning), replacing manual data entry
• Offline access to sensor data and history in no-connectivity environments
• Single Sign-On (SSO) security for enterprise-wide access
• Guided troubleshooting workflows, with step-by-step support and warnings
• Support for new sensor types, including automatic tire inflation system (ATIS) regulator and air tank sensors
• Enhanced visibility into ABS system status, including both ABS and programmable logic controller (PLC) reader connections