Volvo Trucks North America has unveiled enhancements to its Blue Service Contract, the OEM has reported.

Blue Service Contract is a dealer-managed preventive maintenance solution designed to maximize fleet uptime and efficiency. 

Now, powered by proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) models, the adaptive maintenance system adjusts service intervals dynamically based on factors such as fuel consumption, idle time, and oil samples.

The announcement was made at the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) 2024 Management Conference & Exhibition in Nashville, Tennessee.

A Data-Driven Approach to Maintenance

Volvo said this data-driven approach replaces traditional static intervals with customized and optimized schedules, ensuring the right maintenance at the right time.

By consolidating services into fewer planned stops, the system maximizes uptime for customers and keeps trucks on the road longer. 

Volvo calls the new approach “highly adaptive,” and said that with Blue Service Contract, customers benefit with service schedule optimization, bundling services into one stop, leading to reduced operating costs.

Conversely, if a truck has seen unusually demanding conditions for a prolonged period of time, the adaptive maintenance AI model will recommend service sooner, reducing the likelihood of unplanned downtime. 

In both scenarios, uptime is improved, resulting in better economic outcomes for customers. 

Proactive Maintenance Scheduling

Volvo dealers proactively schedule service visits using connectivity within the Blue Service Contract, allowing customers to focus on business growth while knowing maintenance is being managed efficiently to keep trucks in peak operating condition. 

These new features are enabled by Volvo Trucks’ integrated connectivity solutions, which monitor the entire truck that is connected to the 24/7 Volvo Trucks Uptime Center. 

This allows fleet managers and their dealers to monitor and manage trucks in near real-time. 

The Blue Service Contract leverages this connectivity and ensures that the service bay, technician, and all necessary Volvo genuine parts are on-hand when the truck arrives at the dealership, expediting service and returning the truck to the road quickly. This service is available throughout Volvo Trucks’ expansive dealer network, regardless of where the truck was purchased.

“There have been substantial improvements in service intervals in our products over the years. We find that many fleets are over-maintaining their trucks, which can be costly. Applying AI to optimize maintenance intervals based on truck specs, operating conditions and actual use ensures our customers can maximize the uptime of their Volvo trucks,” said Magnus Gustafson, vice president connected services, Volvo Trucks North America. “The Blue Service Contract leverages the integrated connectivity of our trucks and incorporates our uptime services to provide customers with a simplified and more effective maintenance solution. This connectivity is a defining feature of Volvo trucks, including on the all-new VNL, the most connected truck ever built.”

New Service Options

In addition to adaptive maintenance, the Blue Service Contract now offers increased flexibility, allowing customers to choose specific services covered under their contract. 

New contract service options include fuel filters, valve adjustments, pickup and delivery, truck washes, DOT inspections, additional chassis lubes, and other add-on services, providing a white glove experience for drivers and fleets. These services can be customized for individual trucks, enabling operators to create a tailored fleet management strategy that makes their job simpler and hassle-free. 

The Blue Service Contract can be paid via ACH, FleetPreferred or as part of truck financing through Volvo Financial Services in fixed monthly payments with no interest expense. 

The Blue Service Contract is available on all Volvo trucks that are 2023 model year and newer. During launch activities for the all-new Volvo VNL, customers reported a day of downtime represented a revenue loss of between $800 and $5,000 underscoring the importance of optimized maintenance.

Growing Dealer Participation

Volvo Trucks said it continues to onboard dealer locations with training and sales support, to ensure they can offer the Blue Service Contract and bring all these benefits to customers.

These include dealer management groups such as:

• Bruckner’s Truck & Equipment (13 locations)

• Vanguard Truck Centers (10 locations)

• Nextran Truck Centers (8 locations)

• Bergey’s Truck Center (6 locations)

• Nacarato Truck Centers (6 locations)

• McMahon Truck Centers (3 locations)

• Tri-State Truck Center (3 locations)

• Northwest Equipment Sales and others.