ORLANDO -- Navistar demonstrated its new OnCommand Connection remote diagnostics system at the American Trucking Associations Management Conference and Exhibition. Navistar says it's the first single remote diagnostics portal to use an open architecture system with fleets’ existing telematics providers. Designed to increase vehicle uptime by supporting quicker repairs and controlling maintenance and repair costs, OnCommand Connection is currently operating with test fleets and will be available in mid-January.

By partnering with our customers’ existing telematics providers, we can pull diagnostics related data to create easy to understand vehicle health reports,” said Nadine Haupt, director of powertrain product marketing. “The visibility into the operational health of the vehicle empowers customers to understand the severity of vehicle issues and determine the appropriate actions - ultimately leading to increased uptime.”

Through the OnCommand Connection proprietary portal, customers can more efficiently manage their fleets through an integrated vehicle service monitoring system that connects fleets, dealers, Navistar’s Technical Service and OnCommand Repair Advocate.

A dashboard of capabilities for customers includes the ability to view action steps as well as the location of vehicles requiring attention on a map in proximity to service locations.

There are lots of features to customize the view, Haupt explained. For instance, filtering options include fault severity, the ability to flag when a truck needs to come in for routine maintenance, and the ability to look at date ranges or one specific VIN.

A behicle health report shows make, model, engine, mileage, etc. and where that data came from, telematics or the dealer. You can see the last time the truck was in for service, and fault code information. Exact GPS location and weather conditions at the time of the fault could help in understanding why the fault was thrown in the first place.

Navistar also has the ability to monitor all vehicle makes at varying levels of detail to support fleets with a blend of makes and models.

Navistar is currently testing OnCommand Connection with Omnitracs, PeopleNet, Teletrac, Vnomics, Geotab,  XRS, CyntrX and Pedigree Technologies. OnCommand Connection directly interfaces with Navistar’s Repair Advocate and Dealer Directory tools and the company anticipates it will be able to support a majority of the industry’s customer base, including all-makes, by adapting this open architecture approach. The company will announce pricing in conjunction with the launch in January.

Photo: Nadine Haupt, director of powertrain product marketing, explains one of the many features of OnCommand Connection -- the ability to view satellite photos of a truck's location. (photo by Evan Lockridge)