Detroit Virtual Technician receives 2014 Connected World Conference award for problem-solving technology

Feb. 18, 2014

Company acknowledges value for recognition of technology advancements outside of the heavy duty trucking industry

The Detroit Virtual Technician received the Silver Award in Remote Diagnostics at the 2014 Connected World Conference Awards in Chicago.

Detroit Diesel Corporation (Detroit) announced that Detroit Virtual Technician received the Silver Award in Remote Diagnostics at the 2014 Connected World Conference Awards in Chicago. This award recognizes products that have successfully leveraged M2M technology and connected devices to solve critical issues, with quantifiable results.

"We value these (awards), because they're recognition outside of our industry on some of the innovations we're bringing to market, " said Mark Lampert, Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing, Daimler Trucks North America, the parent company of Detroit Diesel Corporation.

Developed in collaboration with Zonar, Virtual Technician features propriety technology that reduces downtime and decreases maintenance costs by providing a real-time, technical snapshot of the engine’s status as soon as fault codes are triggered. The Detroit Customer Service Support Center then determines the exact issue and severity of the problem, recommends service, and alerts the nearest equipped repair facility in advance of the customer’s arrival.

Installed in more than 70,000 Freightliner trucks equipped with Detroit engines, this sophisticated system helps drivers and fleet managers make informed decisions on repairs, ultimately decreasing downtime.

“Virtual Technician is an innovative product that has demonstrated its positive impact on performance and efficiency,” said Brad Williamson, manager, engine and component marketing for Daimler Trucks North America. “We are proud that it has been recognized by the Connected World Conference, and are even more pleased that our technology contributes to our customers’ uptime.”

Virtual Technician is part of the Detroit Connect suite of integrated telematics solutions, which includes Visibility fleet software and the new On-Board Tablet. Together, these products provide the critical link between vehicles, drivers and fleet managers.

Of the new technologies Daimler continually works on, Lampert said, "We see these as differentiators in the next frontier of opportunity for us at Detroit Diesel, to expand our brand as far as looking beyond the hardware of the truck, to how to improve efficiency in the customer's operation and how they can be successful."

This is the second award the company has received for Virtual Technician. Detroit Diesel received the Edison Award in the Applied Technologies/Smart Systems category for the onboard diagnostic system last year.

This recognition is a testament, Lampert believes, to the achievements in expanding technology not just for the heavy duty trucking industry, but the ever-evolving technology industry as a whole.

For more information, go to www.DemandDetroit.com/connect.

About the Author

Erica Schueller | Editorial Director | Commercial Vehicle Group

Erica Schueller is the Editorial Director of the Endeavor Commercial Vehicle Group. The commercial vehicle group includes the following brands: American Trucker, Bulk Transporter, Fleet Maintenance, FleetOwner, Refrigerated Transporter, and Trailer/Body Builders brands.

An award-winning journalist, Schueller has reported and written about the vehicle maintenance and repair industry her entire career. She has received accolades for her reporting and editing in the commercial and automotive vehicle fields by the Truck Writers of North America (TWNA), the International Automotive Media Competition (IAMC), the Folio: Eddie & Ozzie Awards and the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) Azbee Awards.

Schueller has received recognition among her publishing industry peers as a recipient of the 2014 Folio Top Women in Media Rising Stars award, acknowledging her accomplishments of digital content management and assistance with improving the print and digital products in the Vehicle Repair Group. She was also named one Women in Trucking’s 2018 Top Women in Transportation to Watch.

She is an active member of a number of industry groups, including the American Trucking Associations' (ATA) Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC), the Auto Care Association's Young Auto Care Networking Group, GenNext, and Women in Trucking.

In December 2018, Schueller graduated at the top of her class from the Waukesha County Technical College's 10-week professional truck driving program, earning her Class A commercial driver's license (CDL).

She has worked in the vehicle repair and maintenance industry since 2008.