Volvo Trucks AI-powered maintenance solution hits the road

Volvo Trucks North America has unveiled significant enhancements to its Blue Service Contract, a dealer-managed preventive maintenance solution designed to maximize fleet uptime and efficiency, according to a company press release.

“There have been substantial improvements in service intervals in our products over the years,” said Magnus Gustafson, vice president connected services, Volvo Trucks North America. “We find that many fleets are over-maintaining their trucks, which can be costly. Applying AI to optimize maintenance intervals based on truck specs, operating conditions and actual use ensures our customers can maximize the uptime of their Volvo trucks. The Blue Service Contract leverages the integrated connectivity of our trucks and incorporates our uptime services to provide customers with a simplified and more effective maintenance solution. This connectivity is a defining feature of Volvo trucks, including on the all-new VNL, the most connected truck ever built.”

Powered by proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) models, the adaptive maintenance system adjusts service intervals dynamically based on factors such as fuel consumption, idle time and oil samples, the release noted. This data-driven approach replaces traditional static intervals with customized and optimized schedules, ensuring the right maintenance at the right time. By consolidating services into fewer planned stops, the system maximizes uptime for customers and keeps trucks on the road longer. The announcement was made at the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) 2024 Management Conference & Exhibition in Nashville, Tennessee.

“With the highly adaptive Blue Service Contract, customers benefit with service schedule optimization, bundling services into one stop, leading to reduced operating costs,” the company said. “Conversely, if a truck has seen unusually demanding conditions for a prolonged period of time, the adaptive maintenance AI model will recommend service sooner, reducing the likelihood of unplanned downtime. In both scenarios, uptime is improved, resulting in better economic outcomes for customers. Dealers proactively schedule service visits using connectivity within the Blue Service Contract, allowing customers to focus on business growth while knowing maintenance is being managed efficiently to keep trucks in peak operating condition.”

The new features are enabled by Volvo Trucks’ integrated connectivity solutions, which monitor the entire truck that is connected to the 24/7 Volvo Trucks Uptime Center, according to the release. This allows fleet managers and their dealers to monitor and manage trucks in near real-time. The Blue Service Contract leverages this connectivity and ensures that the service bay, technician, and all necessary Volvo genuine parts are on-hand when the truck arrives at the dealership, expediting service and returning the truck to the road quickly. The service is available throughout Volvo Trucks’ expansive dealer network, regardless of where the truck was purchased.

“In addition to adaptive maintenance, the Blue Service Contract now offers increased flexibility, allowing customers to choose specific services covered under their contract,” the company said. “New contract service options include fuel filters, valve adjustments, pickup and delivery, truck washes, DOT inspections, additional chassis lubes, and other add-on services, providing a white glove experience for drivers and fleets. These services can be customized for individual trucks, enabling operators to create a tailored fleet management strategy that makes their job simpler and hassle-free.”

According to the release, the Blue Service Contract can be paid via ACH, FleetPreferred or as part of truck financing through Volvo Financial Services in fixed monthly payments with no interest expense. The Blue Service Contract is available on all Volvo trucks that are 2023 model year and newer. During launch activities for the all-new Volvo VNL, customers reported a day of downtime represented a revenue loss of between $800 and $5,000 underscoring the importance of optimized maintenance.

Volvo Trucks continues to onboard dealer locations with training and sales support, to ensure they can offer the Blue Service Contract and bring all these benefits to customers. Dealer management groups such as Bruckner’s Truck & Equipment (13 locations), Vanguard Truck Centers (10 locations), Nextran Truck Centers (8 locations), Bergey’s Truck Center (6 locations), Nacarato Truck Centers (6 locations), McMahon Truck Centers (3 locations), Tri-State Truck Center (3 locations), Northwest Equipment Sales and others, are among the growing list of certified Blue Service Contract dealers.

Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.

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