TECHNOLOGY IN TRANSITION:
BPW’S CUTTING-EDGE TELEMATICS SOLUTIONS FOR ENHANCED FLEET MANAGEMENT
In today’s constantly evolving transportation industry, fleet managers and operators are faced with increasing demands for vehicle compliance, efficiency, and safety while reducing costs. Europe’s leading telematics provider, idem Telematics, a subsidiary of the BPW Group, offers cutting-edge solutions and services that give businesses an effective and innovative approach to streamlining their operations and staying ahead of the competition.
BPW’s idem telematics solutions provide commercial vehicle operators access to the latest advancements in the transport sector, enabling them to keep up with the ever-changing industry. These solutions are set to revolutionise fleet management, making the process simpler and more cost-effective than ever before.
The Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA) recently released an updated and improved version of their ‘Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness,’ which outlines the recommended standards and procedures for maintaining commercial vehicles in a safe and roadworthy condition. Notably, Section 5.3 highlights the critical importance of brake performance assessments during safety inspections. According to the DVSA, a high percentage of MOT braking defects are only found during a brake performance test, and therefore, every safety inspection must assess the braking performance of the vehicle or trailer.
To address this issue, the DVSA advises using an Electronic Brake Performance Monitoring System (EBPMS) to monitor in- service braking performance and provide a braking performance report for safety inspections. This approach helps to ensure that commercial vehicles are safe for use on the road, reducing the risk of accidents and improving road safety.
ELECTRONIC BRAKE PERFORMANCE MONITORING (EBPM): The BPW idem EBPM system was first developed by BPW engineers in the UK in partnership with the BPW Mechatronics Department in Germany and the award-winning telematics company, idem. EBPM is a system that monitors the performance of trailer combination braking and provides a facility to acquire the data in the form of reports. This innovative technology continuously monitors the air brakes by using data from the Electronic Braking System (EBS) and the idem telematics system, sending real-time data to the control unit, which can be accessed by the fleet manager via a smartphone app or telematics portal.
Only braking events that meet certain criteria and are deemed suitable for analysis are used to report on performance. With regular monitoring and analysis of trailer brakes, EBPM helps ensure that the brakes are working optimally, reducing the risk of accidents and improving overall safety. The BPW idem system complies with the DVSA industry standard and guide for EBPM.
EBPM provides valuable insights into the braking performance of the trailers, highlighting how the braking system is performing against demand. The longer the system is used, the more accurate the data becomes. This enables fleet managers to make informed decisions, improve operations, schedule proactive maintenance, and prevent costly downtime.
Data reports can be generated for the fleet manager at various intervals to satisfy either statutory requirements or those demanded by the business for planning services. This is achieved by analysing real-time data to identify issues with the braking systems in a more timely manner than before. The accuracy of the data increases with time as the system is utilised and more data is accumulated; reports can provide data on a daily, weekly, monthly, or annual basis. However, a minimal sample of 100 qualified braking events is required for an Asset Report to provide an overall pass or fail.
COMPLIANCE AND CONVENIENCE: Traditionally, trailer brakes are tested annually at MOT on a roller brake tester; this provides a performance figure for the trailer in a static condition. In recent times, there has been a move towards testing trailer brakes four times a year, one of which must be carried out at MOT time. Continuous monitoring of trailer brakes is an alternative. By sharing the data from EBPM, compliance with the DVSA Earned Recognition Scheme is demonstrated, which reduces the frequency of the brake roller tests to once a year.
The DVSA’s Earned Recognition Scheme allows vehicle operators to demonstrate their compliance, which helps them focus on their work to increase efficiency. Proactive scheduling for repairs and maintenance is also made possible by automated EBS error alerts. This is a very cost-effective and accurate method for monitoring braking performance.
MANDATORY LADEN BRAKE TESTING: It is crucial to understand that the results of an unladen brake roller test for a trailer cannot be compared directly to the results for braking efficiency given by EBPM. As of January 1, 2023, the DVSA stated that goods vehicles and trailers must be fully laden unless exempt (tri-axle semi-trailers can still be presented for the test unladen as wheel locks are taken into account). This is because the retardation figures from an unladen test are normally a result of the wheels locking and therefore do not provide reliable performance data, whereas, under varying loading conditions at highway speeds, the performance may differ. Trailers loaded to at least 65% of the maximum bogie load will yield more accurate results during a roller brake test.
ENHANCED FLEET MANAGEMENT: Through continuous monitoring, operators can identify potential braking issues well before regular maintenance checks, preventing these issues from escalating and causing prolonged downtime. This allows fleet managers to make more informed decisions regarding their trailers, leading to increased efficiency, improved safety, and reduced operating costs.
With the BPW idem EBPM system, fleet managers can easily monitor, record, and analyse data to identify areas for improvement and optimise their fleet’s performance. This makes fleet management more seamless than ever before and enables businesses to achieve their operational goals more effectively.
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26 April 2023
For further press information, contact Rebecca Wesley, Emma Makings-Hone or
Sandie Slavin at BPW Limited:
Telephone: 0116 281 6100 | Email: [email protected] |
[email protected] | [email protected]