Omnitracs Partners with Peloton Technology on Driver-Assistive Truck Platooning
Omnitracs, a global pioneer of fleet management solutions to transportation and logistics companies, has announced that it has partnered with Peloton Technology, a developer of connected and automated vehicle systems for U.S. and global freight carriers.
Omnitracs and Peloton will collaborate to bring Peloton’s industry-leading truck platooning technology to Omnitracs customers. The partners will also develop joint solutions that combine each company’s safety, efficiency and fleet management capabilities.
Peloton will begin filling pre-orders of its flagship platooning product for Class 8 trucks in 2017. The technology synchronizes braking and acceleration between pairs of trucks through the integration of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications with state-of-the-art, radar-based collision avoidance systems, enabling the trucks to travel safely at aerodynamic following distances. The Peloton system generates 4.5 percent fuel savings for the lead truck and 10 percent for the follow truck in a two-truck platoon, according to independent testing by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency.
For the driver of the follow truck, the Peloton system works similarly to adaptive cruise control with the added safety feature of V2V communications to enable automated braking within 0.1 second of braking by the lead truck. The driver of each truck controls steering while the platooning system coordinates speed and distance between the trucks– meeting the definition of SAE Level 1 automated driving.
Platoons are managed continuously by a cloud-based Network Operations Center that connects to trucks through cellular and Wi-Fi communications. Cloud-based supervision limits operation of platoons to specified roads in safe driving conditions.
“Peloton has developed technology that is on the cutting edge of advanced driver assistance systems and the automated vehicle movement,” said John Graham, CEO of Omnitracs. “Its emphasis on spatial awareness is a crucial and foundational component of improving truck safety and fuel efficiency.”
For Omnitracs, the partnership with Peloton is in keeping with the company’s history of innovation and leadership within the transportation industry. Omnitracs offers fleet customers the most comprehensive suite of end-to-end transportation technology solutions available for improving fleet-wide fuel economy, safety and compliance.
Peloton will help to roll out practical, cost-saving automated vehicle technology featuring leading-edge cybersecurity to Omnitracs customers, beginning with two-truck platooning. Omnitracs has a large customer base in the long-haul trucking segment which stands to benefit significantly from platooning.
“We are excited to be part of the first partnership of a commercial platooning system supplier with a leading fleet management provider,” said Joshua Switkes, founder and CEO of Peloton Technology. “We will offer expanded opportunities for platooning across the broad customer base that Omnitracs has attracted by focusing on cost advantages for fleets.”
A key operational benefit of the partnership for fleet customers will be optimized matching opportunities for inter-fleet platooning, leveraging Omnitracs’ routing and dynamic dispatch applications to provide navigation assistance and clear savings calculations for scheduled and ad-hoc platoons of trucks from different fleets.
“This partnership will offer benefits to fleets of all sizes,” said Butch Winters, Peloton’s VP of products, sales and business development. “In addition to helping fleets find more opportunities for platooning, we’re working with Omnitracs on new product features to enhance safety and efficiency for fleets and drivers.”
Co-developed solutions from the partnership may include integrated cloud-based fleet management services and hardware.
About Omnitracs
Omnitracs, LLC is the global pioneer of fleet management, routing, and predictive analytics solutions for private and for-hire fleets. Omnitracs’ nearly 1,000 employees deliver software-as-a-service-based solutions to help more than 50,000 private and for-hire fleet customers manage nearly 1,500,000 mobile assets in more than 70 countries. The company pioneered the use of commercial vehicle telematics over 25 years ago and serves today as a powerhouse of innovative, intuitive technologies. Omnitracs transforms the transportation industry through technology and insight, featuring best-in-class solutions for compliance, safety and security, productivity, telematics and tracking, transportation management (TMS), planning and delivery, data and analytics, and professional services.
About Peloton Technology
Peloton is a connected and automated vehicle technology company dedicated to improving the safety and efficiency of U.S. and global freight transportation. Peloton partners with customers to deliver innovative tools that save fuel, avoid crashes, and improve operational insight through connectivity, automation and advanced data analytics. Peloton’s flagship driver-assistive platooning system links the active safety systems of pairs of trucks, and connects them to a cloud-based Network Operations Center that dynamically limits platooning to appropriate roads and conditions. Peloton solutions also improve the safety of individual trucks and provide safety and efficiency insights to fleets and drivers. Based in Silicon Valley, Peloton is supported by investors including Volvo Group, DENSO International America, UPS, Nokia Growth Partners, Intel Capital, Magna, Lockheed Martin, Castrol InnoVentures, Lytx, Sand Hill Angels, Birchmere Ventures and Band of Angels. More at: www.peloton-tech.com.
Category: Featured
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