Platform Primacy

Since 2003, MTData has catered to a wide variety of transport tracking and compliance needs for many customers in the industry — developing a product range that has only grown in the intervening years.

Starting with a basic GPS tracking device, the company expanded to offer CANBus engine interfaces, G-Force Sensors and other products.

In the following years, MTData developed further technology designed to tackle fatigue and speed management among drivers and implemented this telematics equipment for much of Australia’s taxi services.

This momentum was continued with the development of personnel tracking device units for police forces, security, and precision farming companies.

Launched last year, the 7000AI is the latest of MTData’s technology and has the potential to transform the industry with its all-in-one design, uniting GPS telematics and compliance, Digital Video Recording from up to eight cameras, and high-quality fatigue and distraction detection, with further capability to be developed over time.

According to MTData Chief Operating Officer, Ben Ditfort, while these technologies all individually exist, the 7000AI’s unification of them is unprecedented in the market.

“There’s technology like this on the market right now, from other vendors,” he says. “What we’ve done is bring them all into a single platform for customers to use and log into. Before, they would have had to buy a telematics system from us, and then additional technology from other places. Now, we’ve created a single service which simplifies the process for the customer.”

Fully developed in-house, the 7000AI’s technological capabilities provide streamlined communication between fleet managers and truck drivers while drivers are on the road.

In addition to being able to access relevant diagnostics on each transport vehicle, managers are able to communicate critical information to the telematics system for drivers through the driver facing application which is presented to them on a screen installed into each truck cab.

The system’s text-to-speech feature reads out this information to drivers to prevent them from taking their eyes off the road.

“Our in-cab driver app is an all-around safety, compliance and driver utilisation platform which controls messaging to drivers when they need some feedback, comments or any correction,” Ben says.

“We want drivers to use this technology with ease. What they don’t want is to be jumping in and out of multiple apps while they’re trying to do their job. We’ve provided a tool for work instructions and feedback and insight into driver behaviour all on the one app to make those conversations logistically easier for everyone.”

Where the 7000AI really impresses is safety. MTData’s new system is equipped with safety measures specifically designed to reduce the risk of driver fatigue – also known as driver drowsiness – and distractions during long transport journeys in hazardous conditions.

Cameras in the truck cab which are linked to the 7000AI, monitor drivers and detect eye movements and posture changes indicative of either fatigue or distraction.

This will prompt the text-to-speech feature to inform the driver. A device in the driver’s seat will also begin to vibrate, either waking them up or refocusing their attention. According to Ben, it is key for this technology to notice this behaviour in a pre-emptive manner.

“Our technology tries to pick up a driver’s normal conditions while driving in order to then pick up behaviour which is different from that as a safety risk,” he says.

“Maybe a driver’s eyes are slightly closing, and our technology will pick up on that before their eyes close fully to prevent any accidents. We want to detect these behaviours before they fully occur and alert the driver through various mechanisms, so that they can pull over and get the rest they may need.”

As far as distractions go, Ben notes mobile phone use is prevalent on the roads.

“The consequences of a crash are much more severe with a truck than with a car, so that is something our system is definitely looking to minimise,” he says.

These mechanisms featured in the 7000AI’s system will improve safety and efficiency within truck fleets by directly communicating reports of driver drowsiness or driver distraction to fleet managers and operators.

This real-time reporting enables fleet managers to have more direct conversations with drivers about their performance and provides managers a unique opportunity to alter transport routes and driver teams in a way that strengthens the fleet’s overall performance.

While the 7000AI’s all-in-one value proposition consolidates various data tracking for fleet managers and truck drivers, the telematics market is experiencing increased competition in the form of trucking manufacturers developing their own data-tracking tools.

In the wake of this crowding, Ben is confident in MTData’s ability to continue innovating.

“Some of the OEMs provide their own platforms, but not one of those providers has a fleet made up of one type of vehicle,” he says.

“Most companies run fleets made of multiple truck brands, so they cannot run platforms across those different vehicles. It’s up to telematics providers, like MTData, to connect many vehicle types and ensure we can alert fleets of safety concerns.”

MTData’s 7000AI system has combined existing telematics and safety technologies to provide an all-encompassing platform of pertinent fleet information for fleet managers and drivers alike.

Armed with reports on driver drowsiness, driver distraction, truck diagnostics and an open line of communication, the planning and performance of truck fleets has been made much more intuitive.