Mack and Volvo Trucks on Wednesday announced the expansion of each of their Over The Air (OTA) software and vehicle parameter capabilities for trucks equipped with 2017 GHG Mack and Volvo engines and factory-installed connectivity hardware.
As part of the enhancement, parameter kits were expanded to include fuel performance – now offering three options: performance, balanced and economy. The system enables customers to set the parameter for the desired outcome with a single selection. The expanded parameter kits are covered under the two-year initial offer of two parameter changes per year.
David Pardue, Mack’s vice president of connected vehicles and uptime services, says customers who have used Mack’s OTA have noticed an improvement to their uptime because they can have software updates performed in a driver’s downtime.
“Updates are performed during a driver’s lunch break or when the truck is back at a depot, providing significant benefits as opposed to taking far more time for a planned stop at a service center or taking a computer out to the truck,” adds Volvo Trucks North America Product Marketing Manager Ashraf Makki.
Parameter updates take less than 10 minutes and Makki says remote programming typically takes less than 20 minutes anywhere in the U.S. and Canada where a cellular connection is available.
Mack and Volvo also say they each have simplified registration with a new online portal resulting in a quicker, streamlining the process for eligible customers to sign up for the service.
