Earthwave Technologies has featured a pair of fleet maintenance tools in its FleetWatcher portfolio during World of Concrete 2022: Construction Management Solution (CMS) and Escalating Idle Alert. These features aid in improving efficiency through data collection and analysis.

Construction Management Solution

FleetWatcher's popular Construction Management Solution (CMS) collects data from all construction equipment assets, regardless of class or manufacturer, and presents the maintenance due report with color coded entries providing "at a glance" status. Built specifically for the heavy equipment industry, this unique telematics platform shows equipment that is within 36 hours of its required maintenance in yellow, and any equipment at or past its maintenance due date in red. This allows fleet maintenance managers to better schedule in-shop personnel and service trucks in the field. Unlike OEM telematics which require separate logins for each brand, and present information differently, FleetWatcher works across all fleet equipment with a single login and presents the data in an easily understood format which can be shared with all applicable personnel via cell phone, tablet, or computer. FleetWatcher CMS is ideal for heavy construction contractors of all types and sizes.

The FleetWatcher Construction Management Solution (CMS) collects data from all equipment assets regardless of class or manufacturer, and presents the maintenance due report with color-coded entries for "at glance" status. 

• Shows equipment within 36 hours of required maintenance in yellow and any at or past due date in red
• Works across entire fleet with a single login and data can be shared via cell phone, tablet or computer
• Escalating Idle Alert proactively informs managers when equipment has been idling for too long
• Suitable for heavy construction contractors of all types and sizes 
• Collects specific and customized data delivered through a Daily Snapshot in the specific format users select
• Reports available online or in MS Excel format with over 20 reports and hundreds of filtering options available 
• Also tracks multiple data points including cycle times, productivity and downtimes, equipment utilization and under utilization, project status, budgets, shop costs, rental expenses, trends and behaviors and more 
• Integrates with all major management programs including accounting, estimating, invoicing and more
  

When Robert Turner, fleet operations manager at RIPA & Associates, started using a telematics system in 2012, Caterpillar told him their tracks would last 4,000 hours. Apparently, that was total machine hours, running and idle—because the system quickly revealed that the average track was lasting 2,300 to 2,800 hours of run time.

Although some of that differential can be attributed to the sandier, abrasive soil in Florida, the biggest reason was their elimination of idle time. The stark difference showed Turner the need to plan as a fleet department to keep the tracks running, so that idle time wouldn’t eat away the service life.

A breadcrumb trail shows Turner detailed location information for all machines in the field. Each time the unit updates (variable from 1- to 5-minute intervals), the packet shows the location of the machine and the reason for the packet (engine on, engine running, engine off, etc.). A GeoZone is provided to automatically track the machine’s activity within that GeoZone as well as when it arrives and leaves the GeoZone.

Now, Turner can plan out where machines go, what sites will need them next, and which machines can be leased out to keep their tracks moving and maximize their lifespan. The first year they used this telematics system, Turner estimates the company saved $1.3 million in preventative maintenance, resale value and fuel usage. Decreasing idle time for RIPA’s loaders alone saved them an estimated $400,000 for the year. The company achieved a radical reduction of idle time and a significant increase in overall productivity.

The RIPA team has become proficient in knowing how much gear is needed based on the size of the project, the distance and the type of project. Turner can now see what’s sitting on a jobsite that he knows should be moving and call up the foreman to see what’s going on. Turner put that savings into expanding the fleet, from 150 to over 1,000 transponder-enabled units in the field.

With so much equipment in the field working on projects across the region, Turner needs to be sure that he is giving accurate information to foremen and other contractors. His telematics system matches the machine number to information about that machine, keeping everything accurate and communicating that information to necessary parties.

Operators in the field can track equipment via mobile app, and Turner keeps an eye on things from his office. Checking in on equipment is simple, and Turner can rest easy knowing accurate information is accessible across all of the company’s jobsites. With easy-to-read, accessible information available at the touch of a screen, Turner can tell where every piece of RIPA equipment is in the field, what it’s doing and when it next needs maintenance. Rather than tracking that himself—a menial and laborious task that is prone to error—telematics tracks it all for him, allowing him to do the more advanced job of sending equipment where it’s needed next, and lining up contracts for the next project down the line. That allows Turner to manage his fleet more efficiently, preventing idle time, thwarting thieves and saving costly mistakes.

If you are interested is gaining visibility over your fleet and increasing productivity, schedule a demo with us today!

With expensive equipment in the field, it doesn’t always make sense to bring it back to the shop every night. Sometimes, Robert Turner, fleet operations manager at RIPA & Associates, has to lock up gear and equipment on-site. Previously, he would lock what he could in a warehouse or shed, then move a bulldozer or heavy equipment in front of the door. The procedure didn’t always deter thieves from walking or driving off with expensive gear.

Now, Turner stores his equipment inside a secure Conex container, along with a police siren, strobe light and the telematic system transponders, all connected to solar power. If the door opens, the siren and strobe go off and the system sends emails to Turner and his staff, immediately alerting them to what is happening and on which jobsite.

Turner recalls receiving an alert at 1 a.m. A dozer was starting up at a jobsite. Then, a door to a Conex container was opening. Turner quickly realized this was not a maintenance team that forgot to notify him they were there, but a theft in progress. He immediately notified the local police, who responded in time to foil the robbery attempt. When Turner arrived on the scene, roughly $200,000 worth of electronics and equipment were staged for pickup by the would-be thieves. The jobsite was secured and no property was lost.

Since the addition of the extra security from the telematics system to the Conex containers, Turner has only lost a few, smaller items due to theft. “Thieves might still grab something within arm’s reach and run away, knowing their presence has been given away, but the item is usually small and way less expensive than other equipment,” Turner said.

As a fleet management device, the telematics system manages the equipment so Turner doesn’t have to. A “Maintenance Due” report shows the number of run-time hours before maintenance is due for all equipment. Areas shaded in red indicate that service is past due, while areas shaded in yellow indicate that equipment is within 36 hours of its next preventive maintenance. Services can be tracked by hours and/or miles. Maintenance hours are tracked directly on the program, attaching data to specific pieces of equipment, which allows Turner to efficiently time maintenance, rather than wait for something to break down.

Barrett Paving is an established paving contractor that specializes in roadway repairs, asphalt paving, and excavating and grading. As a company that has been in the industry for over 150 years, Barrett understands the importance of coming up with new solutions to evolve with the times. After beginning its partnership with FleetWatcher a few years ago, Barrett Paving has made big strides in its paving operations. One feature that has been the most useful for the team is the VST (virtual shift ticketing) feature. VSTs are designed to help project managers know when drivers are on the clock, what kind of loads they are hauling, and how many tons per truck there are. The team at Barrett spoke about their experience with VST’s during one of our previous webinars in December.

If I were to implement a telematics system, what would I be measuring? How would it give me the visibility and results that I desire? 

A revolutionary new materials delivery solution developed by Earthwave Technologies for the asphalt paving industry has garnered the attention of Department of Transportation officials for its potential to replace paper tickets with accurate and verifiable electronic tickets that provide the proper documentation for deliveries to highway and road-building projects.

Utah’s Department of Transportation is hosting a workshop on e-construction on March 1-2 in Salt Lake City to cover the latest progress reports from leading states. A presentation by Greg Mulder, Director of Iowa DOT Office of Construction and Materials, will highlight Iowa’s use of e-tickets and e-document submittal using Fleetwatcher’s Materials Delivery Solution in 2015.

Initially developed for paving contractors to help reduce trucking costs and optimize cycle times, the solution was embraced by Mulder and his team as viable technology to replace paper tickets following a successful 90-day ‘proof of concept’ of the system with a local contractor in Ames IA. The solution and process worked very well for tracking and verifying the product life cycle from the certified plant to installation.



Comparing FleetWatcher to OEM Telematics Systems

Many construction companies are using the GPS systems that were installed on the equipment by the Original Equipment Manufacturer's (OEM's). While those systems can produce some useful data, our customers have found that there are reasons why fleet owners benefit from a third-party system such as Fleetwatcher. 

Komatsu America recently did an article with Earthwave Technologies customer, Rich Fuist of RIPA Associates. Rich talks about some of the benefits they have seen with the use of Fleetwatcher. Here is an excerpt from the article: