AUSTIN, Texas—Fontaine Fifth Wheel unveiled its new SmartConnect fifth wheel at American Trucking Associations' Management Conference & Exhibition here this week, promoting it as “a fifth wheel with a brain.”
“Basically, we’re taking the guesswork out of fifth wheel maintenance and automating it,” Shane Wolfe, director of engineering, explained to FleetOwner in the company’s booth.
Similar to other fifth wheels, the SmartConnect system includes an indicator light that notifies the driver of the fifth wheel’s locking status. But what sets SmartConnect apart are its predictive maintenance capabilities, Wolfe explained: Not only do sensors monitor the fifth wheel lock position, the system also collects and processes data related to hardware components’ positioning, wear, and need for adjustment.
“It can accurately anticipate maintenance needs before problems surface,” Wolfe said.
LED flash codes then provide drivers with advance notice that fifth wheel service is required at the next maintenance interval. Hardwired connections not only simplify the installation of an optional in-cab indicator light but also provide fleets the flexibility to expand SmartConnect functionality as more features become available. Currently under development are kingpin and top plate sensors to collect vibration data, again the automate and anticipate maintenance, Wolfe noted.
