Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) announced Tuesday a partnership with Platform Science that will enable the purchase and installation of third-party telematics solutions and connectivity services without the need of aftermarket hardware.
Daimler Truck AG has also made an investment in Platform Science, a developer of on-vehicle mobile applications for advanced fleet management software solutions.
DTNA President and CEO Roger Nielsen said the partnership will help customers avoid pre-installation delays while improving “the fleet manager and driver experience once their assets are on the road, and help keep them moving forward as they keep the world moving.”
Built-in telematics hardware from DTNA will be available from the factory with Platform Science software. Drivers will need to bring an authorized mobile device and log into the vehicles’ DTNA onboard telematics system.
Sanjiv Khurana, DTNA’s general manager of digital vehicle solutions, said by leveraging Platform Science’s transportation-specific Mobile Device Management, customers will be able to choose the solutions that fit their mixed fleet needs and integrate those solutions into their trucks.
“Platform Science’s edge computing IoT platform for transportation solves for enterprise and large fleet compliance, productivity and safety needs,” he said.
This partnership will initially provide fleet management solutions including electronic logging system, workflow, driver inspection, navigation options, and additional fleet-specific apps, offering customers choice and control of all of their on-vehicle mobile technologies. Platform Science Founder & CEO Jack Kennedy said the service ultimately aims to deliver apps from a wide range of software providers, all available on a single telematics-enabled platform.
“Additionally, the investment by Daimler Truck AG in our Series B funding round is a great indication of our common belief that we have reached an inflection point for transportation technology; the in-cab experience will now have the opportunity to keep pace with the ‘in-pocket’ experience that smartphones have taught us to expect,” he said.
DTNA vehicles installed with Platform Science will begin rolling out in enterprise fleets in 2021.
