Right to repair: Steps fleets can take to ensure data access

CLEVELAND—The operational advantages of data integration and AI-driven analysis were recurring themes here at this year’s NAFA Institute & Expo. But there’s a catch: Whose data is whose?

Again and again in various presentations, fleets were advised to think of their vehicles as data platforms, or “rolling computers,” explained Michael Parr, senior adviser at HillStaffer and NAFA government affairs representative.

“OEMs are looking somewhat enviously at the hotel and airline industries and all the different ways they found to monetize their offerings—to charge you for things that had not had been charged for previously,” Parr said, using baggage fees as an example. “So the OEMs are looking for ways to monetize things that have not been monetized—and data is a pretty easy one.”

The trend has already played out in the ag sector, with John Deere locking down service on its tractors. But the farmers aren’t accustomed to working that way, and the seeds were planted for right-to-repair legislation. Similar issues have impacted electronics products as well.

And so it’s past time for fleets to step up as well.

“This has been a very high priority for the last several years, and we have been moving forward [with] some legislation that would essentially codify in law that the data is ours,” Parr continued. “We generate it with power vehicles, whether owned or leased. It's ours. We could choose to share with the OEMs and others, but they don't get to charge for it.”

[Ed. note: We provide an in-depth look at the REPAIR Act HERE.]

Action plan

To join the Right to Repair movement within the fleet industry, NAFA advised that companies can take several strategic actions centered on advocacy, legislation, and industry collaboration:

• Support legislative efforts: Companies can align with efforts to pass this legislation. This involves supporting bills that ensure data access is not restricted or monetized by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
• Engage through NAFA: Since the movement in the fleet sector is being heavily championed by industry associations, companies can join NAFA. Parr is actively working on Capitol Hill to move forward legislation that protects owners' rights to their vehicle data.
• Advocate with elected officials: Companies can help educate elected officials on the importance of data sovereignty. The goal is to make officials recognize that requiring a company to pay an OEM just to diagnose why a dashboard light is on is an inefficient and problematic business model.
• Push back against OEM monetization: The industry is encouraged to collectively push back against OEMs that attempt to monetize data or charge subscription fees for built-in hardware features, such as seat heaters. This collective pressure helps ensure that data remains accessible for efficient and safe fleet operations.
• Learn from other sectors:  Companies can look to the successful right-to-repair frameworks to understand how to protect their own interests.