Predictive Maintenance Services in the North American Medium-to-Heavy-Duty Vehicle Market, 2020

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In the North American medium-to-heavy-duty vehicle market, predictive maintenance (PdM) solution providers primarily rely on condition monitoring tools, such as telematics devices, and data generated from sensors to anticipate maintenance time frames and enhance asset performance and safety. Telematics service providers (TSPs) and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have total control of vehicle-generated data, which means PdM solution providers will have to seek partnerships and open access to data streaming if they are to offer improved solutions.

The cost of installing software that works on TSPs’ hardware averages $10 to $25 per truck. In contrast, PdM providers’ software solutions that work only on their proprietary hardware have a higher cost of installation because the price of the device is included. Use of proprietary hardware could restrict some fleet operators’ flexibility in adopting new solutions if they already have telematics devices installed.

Some PdM providers are moving toward artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to differentiate their offerings from competitors who rely mainly on historical data to generate maintenance predictions. Providers using AI deliver precise information on expected component failure. AI techniques not only predict failure but also provide advanced diagnostics and recommend maintenance scheduling.

The PdM services for medium-to-heavy-duty vehicle market is in a nascent stage. As such, it is crucial for PdM solution providers to educate fleet operators about the benefits of these solutions to ensure their wide market acceptance as trust in data, warranty issues, and hesitation to make PdM investments for vehicles under warranty are barriers to new business. Operators of large fleets composed of vehicles under manufacturer warranty may be reluctant to adopt PdM solutions because parts under warranty cannot be replaced prematurely based on their expected failure.

The Radar™ reveals the market positioning of companies using their Growth and Innovation scores as highlighted in the Radar™ methodology. The document presents competitive profiles on each of the companies based on their strengths, opportunities, and market positioning. We discuss strategic market imperatives and the competitive environment that vendors operate in as well as make recommendations for each provider to consider to spur growth.

Analysis provided in this study is critical not only for solution providers but also for channel partners, such as telematics service providers, to understand the opportunities that align with their overall business strategy.