iTECH: The Prognosis for Remote Diagnostics

Short of strapping a mechanic into a truck’s cab, you cannot replicate the service technician’s diagnostic abilities on the road. That's the lesson many truck fleets are accepting despite the promise of remote diagnostics to communicate real-time mechanical problems from operating vehicles.

"Remote diagnostics is the application of real-time wireless communication systems to diagnose and resolve vehicle service problems from any location," said Wayne Wissinger, manager of product strategy for electronics at Mack Trucks. "The technology provides real-time electronic fault information."

However, Wissinger and others in trucking agree that remote diagnostics has a long way to go before becoming truly effective for fleets. One problem is how diagnostic snapshot information is communicated and translated. The technology basically takes a diagnostic freeze frame and sends it back by wireless methods at predetermined intervals to the truck company’s main computer for analysis.

For the full story, see the December Issue of iTECH, which appeared as a supplement in the Dec. 2 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.