The VDO Link concept is a solution that allows tachograph data such as fleet driving times and rest periods to be retrieved and processed in real-time from a distance – without permanently installed telematics modules in the vehicle.
VDO Link sends the collected vehicle and driver data in real-time to Continental’s Secure Cloud Backend using a secure mobile connection after installation and successful registration on the VDO fleet website. The installation provides an advantage for fleets by removing the need for a workshop visit. Fleet managers will be able to utilise Continental's compliance services with this real-time connection to the cloud, giving them an overview of the fleet's status and the current location of individual vehicles. In the future, the mandatory download of the tachograph’s mass memory every 90 days will also work remotely via VDO Link.
IAA Transportation will take place in the city of Hanover from 20-25 September.
In a separate move, Continental has launched an artificial intelligence-based solution to help fleet managers counteract trips undertaken with only a partial load by calculating available cargo space.
The product calculates available cargo space in trucks, semitrailers and trailers while also providing fleet managers via smartphone with precise digital information on how much cargo can still be loaded. Dispatch tasks can be optimised when used together with the relevant weight data from the smart tachograph or from the fleet management system interface – for example by offering the free cargo space on digital freight exchanges. This, in turn, will help increase the number of trips with full capacity utilisation.
The driver can use the solution by taking a photo of the cargo area in the truck, trailer and semitrailer with a standard smartphone after securing the load. The photo is then uploaded to the Continetal Cloud where the AI algorithm calculates the available cargo space. The driver can also use their smartphone to edit or add more information before uploading it to the Secure Cloud, where the data can then be forwarded to the dispatch software. This process allows the fleet manager to coordinate additional loads using the data on the available loading weight, which is obtained from the intelligent tachograph via the VDO Link or via telematics software from the FMS interface.
Elsewhere in the business, Continental and Siemens Mobility are developing a pantograph solution for dynamic charging that takes power from overhead lines to charge the battery of electric trucks while in motion.
Alex Rupprecht, who is responsible for the development of the pantograph at Continental, says: “This could be an optimal solution for the future, especially for heavy-duty traffic – it avoids long waiting times at charging stations and the battery can be made much smaller.”