DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 25, 2024 – Ford Pro, the commercial division within Ford Motor Company, is unveiling new features for fleet management. These solutions include a new generation of telematics devices that enable remote management of a variety of vehicle systems. These systems include fuel management, maintenance management, and driver management.
The suite also includes a new mobile app that allows fleet managers to access a range of data and analytics on a single screen, providing a centralized management platform for a variety of vehicle management tasks. Fleet managers can use these new solutions to enhance productivity, cut costs, and boost safety on the roads.
New and Improved Solutions in one Integrated Platform
Ford Pro’s commercial solutions pull connected vehicle data and integrate it seamlessly into the Ford Pro Intelligence platform. This provides fleet managers with a new level of insight about and control over vehicles on the road. Additionally, it offers information about when upfitted equipment is in use.
“Fleet managers have more to deal with than ever. They are tasked with managing fleets, maximizing uptime, and minimizing the risks of accidents to drivers, vehicles, and their business,” said Dave Prusinski, general manager of Ford Pro Integrated Services. “Ford Pro Intelligence, now with video telematics, gives fleet managers more visibility and control over what’s happening inside the cabin and on the road. It’s like having a coach in the passenger seat.”
Ford Pro Telematics with Dashcam: Ford Pro now offers video telematics fully integrated into the Ford Pro Intelligence platform. The new solution uses a windshield-mounted, cloud-connected dashcam from Lytx®, a leading provider of dashcams, with two lenses to capture road-facing and in-cab footage. It delivers insights based on the customer’s Ford Pro Telematics subscription level and business needs. The Ford Pro Intelligence platform stores that data for 30 days, and customers can retrieve and view it at any moment within that time frame.
The dashcam’s outward-facing lens records footage that can potentially provide important evidence in the case of an on-the-job incident. It can also capture context related to vehicle alerts or driving events, such as harsh braking to help avoid a road hazard. This footage can be used to coach drivers on compliant driving habits. It also has the potential to strengthen cases against insurance claims. This is a compelling prospect, especially with auto insurance premiums up 17% in the first half of 2023.
The driver-facing lens captures behavior such as smoking, drinking, or cell phone usage. It is used to observe and potentially help correct and minimize distracted driving. Events like speeding, airbag deployment4 or failure to wear a seatbelt4 will trigger the system to begin recording. The driver can also manually begin a recording when needed.
“We’re thrilled to participate in Ford Pro’s next generation of cloud-connected fleet technologies,” said Adam McCarty, Senior Vice President at Lytx. “Both Ford Pro and Lytx are united in our commitment to help customers optimize their fleet investments. We also aim to encourage better driving and protect against loss. Through continued innovation on our Lytx Vision Platform, we look forward to providing the Ford Pro team with groundbreaking tools. These tools will help fleets drive operational excellence.”
Upfit Integration System (UIS): Revealed in 2022 in Europe and in 2023 in the U.S., the available Ford Pro UIS makes upfitting commercial vehicles easy. It achieves this by eliminating the need for aftermarket modules, hard switches, and secondary control panels.
Coming soon to the Ford Pro UIS is standard Vehicle Motion Inhibit Control. The new feature will enable upfitters to create logic. This logic aims to prevent the vehicle from being shifted into gear while powered upfit equipment is deployed (e.g., cranes and lifts). The Sub Compartment Lock, a new feature, allows drivers to lock and unlock compartments containing secured equipment or cargo using a touchscreen button on the SYNC® screen, door code, or key fob. This gives drivers the ability to lock and unlock rear compartments without the use of physical keys.
Fleet Start Inhibit: This feature uses embedded vehicle technology and the Ford Pro Telematics dashboard to let fleet managers remotely disable the start on their vehicles. Managers can create recurring and one-time schedules. They can also send inhibit and de-inhibit commands remotely to secure fleet vehicles from unauthorized use.
The available Vehicle Security app found in the Ford Pro Fleet Marketplace allows fleet managers to trigger a vehicle alarm remotely. It also enables them to create security alerts. Alerts may trigger when a vehicle starts away from its last location. Additionally, the system may also generate alerts when someone opens a door during specific time windows.
The Importance of Modem Activation
Embedded modems have been standard on Ford commercial vehicles since 2020. The modem embedded in Ford vehicles or Plug-in Devices (PID) powers this connected vehicle technology on 2015 or older Ford models or non-Ford vehicles. Activating these modems is essential to accessing these telematics features and realizing their benefits.
After one customer, a landscaping business in California, had an upfitted vehicle full of specialized tools stolen, the Ford Pro team remotely activated the vehicle’s telematics. This allowed them to quickly locate the vehicle and equipment, preventing the potential loss of $200,000 in vehicle and equipment. It also helped in minimizing business disruption for the landscaping company.
“Ford Pro Telematics really saved the day for our commercial customer,” said Dwight Delgado, Ford Pro Intelligence sales manager. “They decided to connect their entire fleet of vehicles to Ford Pro Telematics, impressing the customer.”
Ford Pro delivers an always-on, connected customer experience through a comprehensive suite of solutions. These solutions include vehicles, charging, software, financing, and service for all commercial and government customers. Ford is the leading global commercial vehicle brand and America’s best-selling line of commercial vehicles for 38 consecutive years. Moreover, it features BUILT FORD TOUGH® commercial trucks and vans integrated with Ford Pro software and services. To learn more about the expanded suite of solutions from Ford Pro, including Telematics with Dashcam visit FordPro.com.
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