Ford expands Crew Chief telematics to improve safety, efficiency and vehicle longevity

Leftlane reported on Ford’s Crew Chief telematics system as it was one of the automaker’s key features when introducing the new 2011 Super Duty, but now Ford has an update to add even more functionality to the fleet-minded system.

Not to be confused with the Ford Work Solutions or Tool Link technologies also introduced with the Super Duty and aimed at business applications, Crew Chief is a telematics system intended for tracking fleets in a business environment. Ford has now released changes and new data that shows the benefits of Crew Chief in regards to key areas such as improved safety, improved fuel efficiency and less wear and tear on several aspects of the vehicle.

Ford explains that Crew Chief operates by accessing data straight from the engine’s computer and then wirelessly transmitting that data back to a fleet manager. The fleet manager is then able to access and evaluate the data through an intuitive web-based interface. Data collection covers several areas including alerts and reports for safety belt status, oil life remaining, water-in-diesel, tire pressure and air bag status.

Fleet managers can also easily track the exact location and speed of each vehicle real-time.

As for new changes, Ford has announced the selection of Telogis as its partner to develop the next-generation of Crew Chief, as well as new functions such as Oil Life Minder – a special function that does in-depth analysis of vehicle use to give a more accurate and custom calculated estimation of oil life, rather than simply relying on miles travels or hours operated.

Ford has also been able to track thousands of hours of vehicle use, establishing a proprietary database that vehicles can now access via cellular connection in order to find optimal routes that improve fuel economy by 10 to 20 percent, as well as finding safer routes. The end result is a potentially sizable savings to business owners through reduced fuel costs, as well as reduced losses from accidents.

Ford says that an average automobile accident costs an employer $16,500 – not including injury. Add injury into the mix and the cost skyrockets to $74,000. With Crew Chief, there are several safety alerts for things such as seat belts, speeding and aggressive driving – all of which help to lower the risk of an accident or a more severe injury.

Crew Chief is currently available on F-150, Super Duty, E-Series and Transit Connect, with testing taking place on the Escape and Fusion models as well. Ford says Crew Chief can be added to vehicles after the point of sale, including non-Ford vehicles.

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