Lytx® Inc., a provider of video telematics solutions, has announced an OEM integration collaboration with Daimler Truck North America using Lytx’s video telematics system and all-new camera solution integrated into select Freightliner and Western Star models. The company also revealed an all-new parked vehicle trigger that helps fleets avoid potentially risky parking on the side of a highway or on/off ramp, filling a much-needed void in the marketplace and addressing a rising concern for drivers and fleet managers.
Integration with Daimler Truck North America
Lytx also announced at this year’s ATA a collaboration with Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) to launch a new vehicle telematics gateway and camera solution that can be ordered directly from the factory on select Freightliner and Western Star models. The solution will leverage Lytx’s state-of-the-art and highly configurable Lytx DriveCam® components, which will be integrated in the vehicle during the production of those models. Customers can begin placing orders later this fall, with the first Lytx-equipped trucks to be built in early 2023 for the Freightliner Cascadia and Western Star X-Series line of 47X, 49X, and 57X models.
This unique OEM solution is powered by the Lytx Vision Platform, which provides OEM partners and clients with the ability to leverage our expertise in video, big data, and artificial intelligence to build custom solutions.
“Combining our business strategy of offering customer-first solutions with the configuration options within the Lytx Vision Platform, we are grateful for the opportunity to work with the team at Daimler Truck North America to deliver our customizable safety solutions in an innovative new way,” said Brandon Nixon, Chairman and CEO of Lytx. “This integration partnership highlights our passion for leveraging our technology and expertise to provide companies with custom solutions to fit their needs.”
Parked Feature
One of the lesser-known safety hazards that commercial drivers face is the challenge of locating a safe place to pull their rigs over. Drivers are often forced to park on the shoulders of interstates/highways or on/off ramps if no other options appear available. This type of risky parking can increase the chances of devastating collisions, serious injuries, and financial liability risk for companies. The safety issue has received increased attention recently due to an announcement by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg that over $37 million in federal funding has been awarded to expand safe truck parking in Florida and Tennessee.
To help mitigate this rising risk, in the coming weeks, Lytx will provide an all-new feature for fleet managers looking to increase their vehicle parking visibility, as well as improve their operational efficiency and driver safety. The feature, called Parked-Highway/Ramp, triggers when the Lytx DriveCam event recorder identifies a stopped vehicle (for 10 minutes or more) and assesses if it is located on the shoulder of an interstate or highway or on an off/on ramp where other vehicles may be passing by. When a Parked-Highway/Ramp event occurs, the fleet manager is notified so that they can quickly intervene by sending nearby safe parking locations via GPS directly to their driver.
Development of the Parked feature was initiated through a close collaboration with customers within Lytx Lab, an idea incubator and a way for Lytx engineers and safety experts to work directly with customers to address market needs.
“The primary mission of Lytx Lab is to work closely with our clients during the research and development process in order to get a better understanding of what the market needs, enabling us to accelerate innovation and quickly deliver new tools powered by the Lytx Vision Platform that companies can use to improve their safety programs and operations,” said Rajesh Rudraradhya, Lytx’s Chief Technology Officer. “With the incredibly insightful feedback we received from customers using the feature in its early stages, we were better able to iterate and refine the final version of Parked-Highway/Ramp, the first official experiment to originate from Lytx Lab and be publicly released.”
