With its connectivity solutions, Knorr-Bremse is helping to make fleet management and maintenance planning more efficient and supporting drivers in their everyday work.
As Dr. Peter Laier, member of the Executive Board of Knorr-Bremse AG and responsible for the Commercial Vehicle Systems division explained: “In the future, the individual truck will increasingly become part of comprehensive logistics networks. Connectivity at multiple levels helps generate a marked improvement in the efficiency of each individual vehicle.”
Bernd Spies is chairman of the Management Board of Knorr-Bremse Commercial Vehicle Systems: “With ProFleet Connect, for example, we are offering smart services which enable optimized performance of transportation tasks and, based on the collected data, deliver added value for fleet operators and drivers alike.” “All of the solutions on show can be retro- fitted, irrespective of the brand of vehicle, and provide a very practical means of standardization for mixed fleets in particular,” he adds.
Knorr-Bremse’s modular and cross-brand telematics systems contribute to optimum fleet organization, greater active safety, effective driver coaching and more efficient maintenance, leading to lower costs for fleet operators and boosting competitiveness. These systems can be adapted to meet customer requirements and are designed for both tractor and trailer units.
Among the highlights at this year’s IAA Commercial Vehicles show will be the modular Knorr- Bremse TruckServices ProFleet Connect telematics system, the iTAP trailer remote control system, and the SafetyDirect system which can record and evaluate safety incidents while the vehicle is on the road. Visitors to the Knorr-Bremse booth can test these systems for themselves in a variety of application scenarios.
ProFleet Connect: the modular telematics system
Knorr-Bremse TruckServices ProFleet Connect is a cross-brand telematics solution that can be utilized in both truck and trailer units. Its modular design, with a basic package and up to six add-on packages, means that operators can tailor the system to their specific needs and expand it as required.
The services delivered by the system extend from automated status reports on vehicle capacity utilization, route data, driving and rest periods, real-time delivery tracking and documentation, all the way to vehicle condition monitoring, not least for refrigerated vehicles. The main benefits for the operator are optimized coordination of vehicles and capacity, reduced administrative cost and effort, as well as driver-specific coaching for safe and more efficient driving.
Intelligent Trailer Access Point (iTAP): remote control for the trailer
iTAP offers a whole series of control functions via an app on a mobile device, including raising/lowering the lift axle, raising/lowering the air suspension, and providing a view of the load and to the rear of the vehicle via video camera. It can also provide status reports on the weight of the trailer and the pressure and temperature of each individual tire. One new addition is a package of functions for moving floor trailers. This comprises control of the moving floor and door locks, the hydraulic roof and the work-area lighting.
Customers can now also program simple remote-control functions into the iTAP system, for example to control the movable front wall in a moving floor trailer or the roof on tipper trailers. For the driver, app-based control and monitoring functions are not only more convenient but safer as well. To control the vehicle during unloading, for example, there is no need to enter the potential danger zone. All functions are displayed in animated form at the Knorr-Bremse booth and can be tested via an app.
SafetyDirect: incident-based driver training and documentation
The SafetyDirect system from Bendix, Knorr-Bremse’s North American subsidiary, is focused on driver coaching and incident documentation. From high-speed cornering to collision warnings this tool analyzes safety-critical parameters and presents its findings in the form of clearly designed charts. Fleet managers can evaluate these findings on their servers even before the truck returns to base. The camera that forms part of the system also records severe incidents on video. This provides valuable support for the driver and fleet manager when analyzing such occurrences.
Knorr-Bremse: Shaping tomorrow’s transportation. Together.
Along with traffic safety, the megatrends that will shape the mobility sector in the next few years will be connectivity, emissions reduction, electric mobility and automated driving. Against this backdrop, Knorr-Bremse will be the systems partner for its customers going forward and will be driving forward developments in all four core areas in close collaboration with its customers. Knorr-Bremse will be presenting its portfolio of products and services at the commercial vehicle industry’s key trade fairs in 2018 – IAA and Automechanika. Activities and innovations on show will include pioneering traffic safety technologies and automated transportation solutions for highway and city applications, set out under the motto Shaping tomorrow’s transportation.
