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NEWS
VW rolls out RIO
Cloud-based 'operating system' to boost efficiency throughout road transport and logistics, says VolkswagenVolkswagen Truck & Bus says we're on the cusp of a new era of efficiency in the transport and logistics sphere, thanks to its new cloud-based 'operating system', RIO.
The RIO system has just been unveiled at this year's IAA commercial vehicles expo in Hannover, Germany, and it will be available on trucks in Europe from 2017.
The RIO system effectively blends telematics with input from all players in the supply chain, from trucks and their drivers through to shippers, dispatchers, carriers and end customers.
Best of all, Volkswagen says this cloud-based system will be able to accept new functions and software into the future – it will be updated around 40 times per year – while it can be used with any brand of truck and not just those owned by VW (namely MAN, Scania, and Volkswagen Commercial).
The RIO system takes different sources of data and then analyses it, combining the information from prime movers, trailers, bodies, drivers and orders with information about weather, traffic and navigation to deliver what VW terms as "concrete recommendations for action in real time".
RIO has been designed to serve as a common platform that can be used regardless of vehicle brand or telematics system, while VW says it can be retrofitted with ease. The global giant says it's also as relevant for small to medium-sized fleets as it is large fleets.
The CEO of Volkswagen Truck & Bus, Andreas Renschler, said the system has the potential to revolutionise road freight.
"Rio will fundamentally change the world of transportation as we know it," he said.
"For the first time, our unified platform enables the registration, management, and integrated use of all data and information available in the transportation system. That is beneficial for our customers because it makes their business more profitable. And it is good for the environment, because we will see fewer empty trucks on the road."
In a thinly veiled shot at trucking rival behemoth, Daimler – which dubbed its autonomous Actros test bed the 'Future Truck 2025' – Mr Renschler said RIO's impact would be felt in the very near future.
"RIO will already be available in a few months," he said.
"The future of transportation does not begin in 2025, but right here and now."
RIO is based upon an MAN initiative and, according to MAN CEO, Joachim Drees, will succeed because of its flexibility and universal appeal.
"What we can see emerging here is a platform where each user will benefit individually from its added value – regardless of how the fleet looks, which vehicle with which body is carrying the sales order, and which logistics software is used," he said.
"Logistics 4.0 can only succeed if artificial barriers and data islands are overcome. That is why we are making every effort to support the development of RIO."
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Written byTrucksales Staff
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