A growing number of motor carriers are taking advantage of remote diagnostics to streamline vehicle maintenance and reduce downtime, but fleets must know how to filter through the data to use this information effectively.

Remote diagnostics services, which are available through all major truck manufacturers and various component and technology suppliers, enable fleet managers to monitor engine fault codes and maintenance issues while the truck is on the road.

Ralph Gallagher, an automotive engineer and manager at UPS Inc., credited the technology with reducing his company’s vehicle failure rate from one per 400 days of service to one per 1,000 days. The data has helped the automotive management team prioritize maintenance activities and flag problems for immediate repairs. The detailed failure feedback has enabled build-specification improvements for components such as turbochargers, coolant tanks and radiator pressure caps.
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