360-degree visibility for long vehicles, a new fleet maintenance and dispatch integration and more

00:00 This week’s CCJ Tech Shorts highlights a new chipset that will enable visibility for long vehicles, a TMS and fleet maintenance management integration and more.

00:23 A new chipset will soon hit the market that will provide visibility for truck drivers at greater distances. Long vehicles have long suffered from a lack of visibility because of the complex technical challenge of long-distance connectivity in a rough Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) environment.

Valens Semiconductor has unveiled the VA700R Series, which offers industry leading bandwidth and link distance for long vehicle sensor connectivity. Enabling 4Gbps (gigabits per second) at distances of up to 130 feet, while supplying power and bi-directional control over the cable, the VA700R supplies truck drivers with reliable connection for low-latency cameras to provide 360-degree views around their trucks.

The VA700R Series offers an unprecedented combination of bandwidth and link distances for applications such as surround view and rear-view visibility for medium and long vehicles. It will support high resolutions and is also bit-accurate, making it applicable for ADAS applications.

The chipset will be available for trucking operations around the world.

01:29 Transportation management system provider BeyondTrucks and fleet maintenance management software provider Fleetio have partnered to give mutual customers better real-time decision-making power.

Combining Fleetio’s software for managing fleet asset maintenance with the BeyondTrucks TMS allows fleets to streamline their maintenance process and dispatch availability data to determine if an asset is in or out of service.

Fleet managers who use both Fleetio and BeyondTrucks can now have their dispatchers verify equipment availability and compatibility based on load or customer requirements, incorporate preventative maintenance schedules into the load planning process and customize driver workflows based on equipment requirements.

BeyondTrucks chief revenue officer (Matt D’Souza) said, “With real-time Fleetio data at their fingertips, fleet managers have unprecedented opportunities to improve the cost efficiency of their fleets. Knowing when a vehicle is due for scheduled maintenance or has been grounded for repair is invaluable in the dispatching process. Integrating the two without the need to switch between platforms will greatly improve the operational efficiency.”

02:38 Ford Pro, the commercial division within Ford Motor Company, and telematics provider Lytx have unveiled new software and technology features to give fleet managers more insight into and control over how their commercial vehicles are operated to manage fleet risk.

Ford Pro now offers video telematics by integrating Lytx dashcam with its intelligence platform to help monitor driver behavior and reinforce compliant driving practices. The new solution uses a windshield-mounted, cloud-connected dashcam with two lenses to capture road-facing and in-cab footage. It delivers insights based on the customer’s Ford Pro Telematics subscription level and business needs. That data is stored within the Ford Pro Intelligence platform for 30 days, where customers can retrieve and view it within that time frame. The driver-facing lens captures behavior such as smoking, drinking or cell phone usage to observe and potentially help correct and minimize distracted driving. Events like speeding, airbag deployment or failure to wear a seatbelt will trigger the system to begin recording. The driver can also manually begin a recording when needed. The dashcam’s outward-facing lens records footage that can potentially provide important evidence in the case of an on-the-job incident. It can also capture context related to vehicle alerts or driving events, such as harsh braking to help avoid a road hazard. This footage can be used to coach drivers on compliant driving habits and potentially strengthen cases against insurance claims.

04:07 Registry Monitoring Insurance Services or RMIS, a subsidiary of Loadboard and freight management company Truckstop, has introduced new and enhanced security measures that brokers can utilize to keep bad actors out of their networks. RMIS offers compliance monitoring for transportation, property management, and more.

New security measures include identity verification and enhanced multi-factor authentication that will allow brokers to continue to onboard carriers with speed and confidence.

Identity verification aims to help confirm the identity of carriers onboarding with brokers via RMIS. This involves comparing the individual's government-issued ID with a real-time photograph. Carriers will only be required to undergo this process annually or when their government-issued ID expires.

Enhanced multi-factor authentication aims to detect potentially compromised credentials and provide smooth access across both the Truckstop and RMIS platforms by requiring users to present two or more distinct authentication factors to confirm their identity before gaining access.