OREANDA-NEWS.   Trucks on North-American highways will feature Telekom technology on-board in future. With the support of Deutsche Telekom, automotive supplier Continental will provide its new truck fleet management system on a cloud-based telematic platform. "RoadLog OnLine" has now been on the market in the United States, Canada and Mexico for a few weeks. Fleet operators and haulage firms can use this to track their trucks on line and better coordinate their assignments. The digital tachograph records working and rest periods.
"Telekom is an ideal for partner for us in conquering the market for mobile online services in the U.S. The company is one of the global pioneers in cloud solutions," explains Dr. Michael Ruf, Continental's Head of Commercial Vehicles & Aftermarket.

"More intelligence on the road"
"Telematic solutions such as these show the rapid convergence of IT, telecommunications and the automotive industry. We are proud to have developed a product for more intelligence on the road together with Continental. Online fleet management has been one of the core competencies of our logistics segment for several years and we are very happy to be able to demonstrate this in the American market too," says Horst Leonberger, Head of the Connected Car business unit at Deutsche Telekom.

The contract with Continental is another key component in the group business area's growth in the attractive international automotive market, following the conclusion of a partnership with Daimler for global online services last year.

Haulers and drivers benefit
"RoadLog OnLine" is an extension of the offline tachograph Continental already uses in North America. Their new system connects trucks with T-Systems' Business2Car platform via mobile communication. An online user portal allows haulers and fleet operators to view their data at any time, letting them plan more efficient vehicle routes, optimize fuel consumption, and give customers more accurate forecasts of delivery times.

The online system also benefits drivers: the system informs them when it's time for a break, while working and rest periods are recorded automatically. In addition, the system transmits various types of data relating to the vehicle for evaluation. For example, "RoadLog OnLine" alerts drivers in advance of the best time for a service, if parts such as brakes need to be replaced. The telematic system can be installed in any truck.