Field Service IT News – March 25, 2014

By Amy Taylor, contributing writer

Mobile communication and telematics can help lessen the impact of the problem of breaking down far away from home. Also in the news this week, are the benefits of data analytics for business intelligence, and a merger to create one of the largest truck dealerships in the U.S.

Remote Repairs Still Adjusting To New Technology In The Field

Remote repairs for trucks that break down far away from home was a prominent theme at the Technology and Maintenance Council’s spring meeting said Commercial Carrier Journal. Technological advances both in mobile communication and telematics systems in vehicles will reduce the impact of the problem. The market is responding to the demand for additional vehicle support for remote heavy-duty trucks with high stakes for fleets, OEMs, and service providers.

Best Organizations Recognize Need For Strategic Planning With Data Support

Mobile Commerce Press reports that data is the key to the continual examination of field service organizations looking for new ways to manage their mobile operations more efficiently. Data transforms the way work is planned, allocated, managed, and evaluated and produces results that enhance productivity, lower operating costs, and improve customer service. The underlying requirement in this data-driven culture is to maintain data-capturing technologies like GPS, telematics, fleet management, and workforce management.

Truck-Dealership Firm To Operate 19 Facilities Following Merger

CSM Companies and French Ellison Truck Center announced that they will merge on March 31, establishing one of the largest commercial truck dealership groups in the U.S. said Fleet Owner. The merged truck dealership will operate a total of 19 facilities.

Field Service IT Talking Points

Automotive Fleet put together 10 Ways to Communicate the Value of Fleet Management, to help fleet managers be understood.

Fleet Owner said executives of two fleets that have implemented electronic logging devices are finding this to greatly benefit their operation as “Fleets relay positive results of deploying electronic logs.”

Fleet Owner reports prices continue to rise for used medium- and heavy-duty trucks, ultimately painting a positive picture of the resale market in the first quarter and beyond. All five U.S. regions saw price increases for used trucks with the Southwest hitting a 13 percent hike on the private market.

For more news and insights, visit BSMinfo’s Field Service Tech Center.