German automotive major Daimler Trucks has picked up share in US logistics, telematics and connectivity solutions firm Zonar Systems for designing fully-connected vehicles and providing value-adding data for truck drivers and operators.
The minority stake has been acquired by the company through Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) which has Freightliner, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses under its product lineup.
The synergy between DTNA and Zonar is expected to translate into achieving an optimal transport logistics via intelligent connectivity, with the latter stated to be functioning in an independent manner.
Daimler Trucks North America president Martin Daum who will be inducted in the supervisory board of the company said: "In future, we will advance the products of DTNA and Zonar jointly. Our immediate focus is on the customer benefit and on further improving economic efficiency and safety - to the benefit of all road users."
The partnership between the duo dates back to last five years, initiated with launch of the 'Virtual Technician' remote diagnostics system and carried forward with the development of 'Detroit Connect' solution.
The 'Virtual Technician' under 'Detroit Connect' is capable of transferring a snapshot of the engine's status to Detroit Customer Service Center in the event of a warning light triggering an initiative that collates the data, gauges the issue and sends an email with inputs or advices.
This, the company claims, had led to reduction in repair costs by 20% and an increase in vehicle-operating time by 6%.
Daimler member of the board of management Wolfgang Bernhard said: "Telematics and connectivity are revolutionizing commercial vehicle operation with enormous opportunities for OEMs - especially for us as the leader of this business. That is exactly why we made connectivity a dedicated part of our strategy.
"We consistently implement this strategy - and today we have reached an important milestone. Our investment in Zonar will help us to put connected services on the road with even greater speed and variety. We are partnering with a pioneer in this field.''
