MENU
SEARCHFontaine's SmartConnect is a smart information system that will provide data and feedback fleets need to make better fifth wheel operating and maintenance decisions.
The TMC display showed some of the information provided by Fontain's SmartConnect fifth wheel system.
Photo: Deborah Lockridge
With all the talk about smart trailers today, there’s a vital connection between tractor and trailer that hasn’t been part of the conversation: the fifth wheel. Fontaine Fifth Wheel is changing that with its SmartConnect fifth wheel.
Fontaine SmartConnect is a smart information system that will provide data and feedback fleets need to make better fifth wheel operating and maintenance decisions.
The company previewed the concept at last year’s Technology & Maintenance Council annual meeting and it was again on display at the 2023 TMC expo. According to its website, SmartConnect will launch in the third quarter of the year.
The TMC display showed some of the information provided by the system, including vehicle ID, fifth wheel model, total cumulative hours the fifth wheel has been in use, number of couples, last couple event, fifth-wheel lock position, and fifth-wheel alerts such as “check adjustment” and “check for rebuild condition.”
Fontaine’s R&D and Engineering teams have been collecting and analyzing raw data from field test units running in several fleets across the county, in order to develop algorithms for predictive maintenance. The intent is to help customers make better decisions regarding fifth wheel maintenance to maximize uptime and reduce the possibility of roadside events.
Fontaine’s R&D and Engineering teams have been collecting and analyzing raw data from field test units running in several fleets across the county, in order to develop algorithms for predictive maintenance.
Photo: Deborah Lockridge
The initial launch of SmartConnect will:
Luminate a light on the driver’s side of the fifth wheel to indicate the lock status
Inform the driver of the fifth wheel’s current lock status in cab
Record a running log of coupling events
Collect and feedback data relevant for predictive maintenance
Future versions will build on the current system with software upgrades to add functions such as:
Grease detection between the top plate and trailer plate surfaces
Add-on sensors for kingpin monitoring and trailer positioning
Autonomous truck operation system support.
The heart of the system is the SmartConnect control module. It will connect to existing tractor electronics via hard wire (i.e. power and ground) as well as the telematics system via CAN connection.
SmartConnect will be available for both first-fit production orders and as an aftermarket retrofit solution.
FTR says net trailer orders are flat month over month at 24,206 units, with 2026 orders still trailing last year.
Read More →
Detroit's DD13, DD15, and DD16 engines get a pre-SCR boost, 3% fuel-efficiency gains, and familiar service intervals as Daimler prepares for trucking's next emissions era.
Read More →
Production begins less than a year after Volvo unveiled its new regional-haul VNR.
Read More →
Aurora announced it has validated a 1,000-mile driverless lane beyond Hours of Service limits and plans to have more than 200 self-driving trucks on the road by the end of the year.
Read More →
Mercedes‑Benz Trucks Classic is opening the anniversary year “130 Years Trucks” at Retro Classics Stuttgart from February 19 to 22, 2026. Check out these photos.
Read More →
New hardware-and-software solution from Phillips Connect confirms tractor-trailer connections automatically, eliminating manual driver input and improving compliance, dispatch accuracy, security, and billing.
Read More →
A new, hands-free, self-locking fifth-wheel attachment helps facilities reposition trailers without tractors or chains.
Read More →
A new, multi-year renewal deal will keep Mack in place as Nascar’s official hauler.
Read More →
The Environmental Protection Agency is asking diesel engine makers to provide information about diesel exhaust fluid system failures as it considers changes to emissions regulations.
Read More →
The companies also said they plan to coordinate deployment planning across priority freight corridors and define routes and operational design domains for U.S. commercial service while laying the groundwork for expansion into key European markets.
Read More →
