Navistar develops, improves technologies to improve uptime

Updated Jul 28, 2014

Technologies aimed at maximizing vehicle uptime while offering customers more options and control were the topics discussed by Navistar Inc. leaders Thursday during the company’s annual press event at the Mid-America Trucking Show.

The offerings – OnCommand Connection, Diamond Logic and fully automatic and automated manual transmissions – are designed to 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,” says Bill Kozek, president of North America Truck and Parts for Navistar. “The future is about converting unplanned downtime into scheduled maintenance and getting trucks back on the road where they are earning revenue.”

By supporting quicker repairs and controlling maintenance and repair costs, the OnCommand Connection remote diagnostics system is designed to increase vehicle uptime along with increased fleet management efficiency for North American truck customers.

The system is the first single remote diagnostics portal to use an open architecture system with fleets’ existing telematics providers, according to Navistar. The company is using OnCommand Connection with Omnitracs, PeopleNet, Teletrac, Vnomics, GEOTAB, XRS Corporation, CyntrX and Pedigree Technologies, which currently provide telematics solutions to a majority of International truck fleet customers.

A dashboard of capabilities for customers includes the ability to view action steps as well as the location of vehicles requiring attention on a map in proximity to service locations. Navistar also has the ability to monitor all vehicle makes at varying levels of detail to support fleets with a blend of makes and models.

The company is also testing a mobile website and app to make diagnostics and service tools accessible to fleet managers anywhere and anytime.

The 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.

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“We are just scratching the surface of the capabilities of this system,” Kozek says.

Navistar has also 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 says.

Similarly, 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 improves efficiency and extends 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 the TranStar.

“Automatic and automated manual transmissions work to reduce the variance between expert drivers and first-timers,” says Kozek.

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