The End of the Breakdown: How a Predictive Trailer Maintenance Platform Is Changing Fleet Operations

For fleet managers, the roadside breakdown is more than a disruption. It is a direct and expensive hit to performance. Emergency repairs, missed deliveries, frustrated drivers, and service failures all spill out from that one moment. For years, trailer maintenance relied on clipboards, spreadsheets, and reactive fixes.

That era is ending.

Predictive trailer maintenance is redefining how fleets protect their assets. A centralized platform turns raw data into meaningful foresight and helps teams shift from reacting to problems to preventing them. This is not simply about collecting fault codes. It is about building an operation that plans ahead and stays ahead.

From Reactive Alerts to Proactive Intelligence

Every trailer is giving off signals about its health. Traditional maintenance only hears those signals when the problem is already critical. A predictive trailer maintenance platform listens constantly and identifies early patterns that would be easy to miss.

It continuously monitors the condition of key systems including:

ABS and brake performance Tire pressure and tire health Lighting and electrical Suspension and other critical components

The value lies in analysis. The platform evaluates each alert, recognizes urgency, and surfaces prioritized notifications before minor issues escalate. Instead of waiting for a brake failure on the highway, teams can address it while it is still contained and manageable.

Giving Maintenance Teams the Ability To Act Confidently

A list of codes is only useful if teams know what to do with it. A Predictive Trailer Maintenance Platform translates data into action.

Prioritized Workflows: The dashboard clearly identifies the issues that pose the highest safety or uptime risk. Maintenance teams can move directly to what matters most.

Planned Scheduling: With clear insight into what needs attention, fleets can schedule repairs during yard time instead of paying for emergency service. The result is fewer surprises and more consistent uptime.

Less Administrative Load: When the platform handles data collection and organization, technicians spend less time documenting and more time repairing.

The Impact You Can Measure

Predictability is not an IT upgrade. It is a strategy that improves the economics of fleet operations.

Higher Uptime: Fewer roadside failures keep trailers earning. Longer Asset Life: Preventative care reduces wear and helps equipment last longer. Controlled Costs: Fleets spend less on emergency repairs, towing, and unplanned labor. Improved Safety: Mechanical issues can be resolved before they create hazards for drivers and others on the road.

A Connected Platform That Strengthens the Entire Operation

A Predictive Trailer Maintenance Platform needs a strong foundation to create real impact. A single system that unifies data from every sensor gives fleets the full picture of trailer health.

A platform like Connect1 brings maintenance intelligence together with insights about location, utilization, and security. This creates a connected view of the entire fleet and supports better decisions across every team. Predictive maintenance is no longer isolated. It becomes part of a larger ecosystem that strengthens performance.

The Bottom Line: Predictability Is a Competitive Advantage

Fleet management is moving toward a more connected and intelligent future. Predictive maintenance is becoming a core part of that shift. With a platform built for visibility and action, fleets gain control over their assets instead of reacting to the unexpected.

This is how fleets reduce stress on drivers, improve reliability for customers, and build a more stable and resilient operation. The question is no longer about whether predictive maintenance is worth it. It is about how long a fleet can wait to adopt it.

How are you using data to improve the health and reliability of your fleet?

Phillips Connect Introduces TechAssist to Transform Smart Trailer Technology Installations and Trailer Maintenance

IRVINE, Calif. – Sept. 4, 2025 – When smart trailer sensors, communication hubs and intelligent monitoring systems are installed and communicating from day one, they become active, data-driven partners in transportation and freight logistics. Phillips Connect announces general availability of TechAssist the Apple iOS and Android app designed to streamline installations for trailer manufacturers (OEMs) and fleet installers, and improve trailer maintenance.

TechAssist plays a critical role in OEM-level quality control and ensures installations keep pace with the speed of builds. By confirming that every sensor, gateway and system is online and reporting correctly before a trailer leaves the plant, OEMs can ensure they are delivering a fully functional, ready-to-integrate asset to their fleet customers. For OEMs and fleet installers, TechAssist delivers lightning-fast installations with a single click, and the ability to run every job through a guided workflow, ensuring that every smart trailer is set up, tested and ready to hit the road.

In a fleet-based business where operational damage is common and the environment is unforgiving, TechAssist also gives maintenance technicians an instant, clear picture of a trailer’s health before it leaves the yard. Fleet mechanics use TechAssist to instantly spot issues related to a trailer’s tires, brakes, lights and more, saving time and money and maximizing efficiency and uptime. By pairing directly with the trailer’s Phillips Connect smart sensors, the app highlights any issues and guides the technician through quick repairs.

“Commercial Class 8 trailers operate in one of the harshest environments you can imagine,” said Todd Thibault, Senior Director of Field Services at Phillips Connect. “Road debris, corrosion and collisions happen frequently, making trailer tech health and diagnostics an essential part of any fleet maintenance program. TechAssist lets even a brand-new technician get a trailer back to 100% quickly without having to call tech support. That’s protecting and getting a return on investment in one simple-to-use app.”

For fleet maintenance technicians, TechAssist delivers instant scalability. Historically only highly trained field engineers could troubleshoot and maintain connected smart trailer systems. TechAssist provides step-by-step workflows that empower any technician, whether in-house or third-party, to install, verify and service smart trailer technology with the same quality results as a seasoned expert. This shortens the training curve from months to minutes, allowing fleets to scale smart trailer deployments without bottlenecks.

“Decades of partnerships with the world’s largest fleets and trailer OEMs have given us a deep understanding of how our customers work, what they expect, and where their pain points are,” said Todd Hodges, Director of Product Management at Phillips Connect. “TechAssist is a direct result of that knowledge. It’s not just a tool – it’s part of how we help customers get the most from their trailer investments from day one.”

TechAssist works seamlessly with the Phillips Connect Connect1 platform, offering secure, offline-capable smart trailer diagnostics, sensor pairing, and installation confirmation for the back office and in the palm of a technician’s hand.

Key features of TechAssist include:

  • Bluetooth-enabled discovery of nearby assets to eliminate manual searching
  • Real-time diagnostics for gateway health and sensor status
  • Camera-based sensor pairing (barcode scanning), replacing manual data entry
  • Offline access to sensor data and history in no-connectivity environments
  • Single Sign-On (SSO) security for enterprise-wide access
  • Guided troubleshooting workflows, with step-by-step support and warnings
  • Support for new sensor types, including automatic tire inflation system (ATIS) regulator and air tank sensors
  • Enhanced visibility into ABS system status, including both ABS and programmable logic controller (PLC) reader connections

The app is available now for iOS and Android devices and can be downloaded via the App Store or Google Play. For more information or to request a demo, visit phillips-connect.com.

About Phillips Connect

Phillips Connect smart trailer technologies help the world’s largest fleets improve operations, safety and efficiency. The Phillips Connect platform of software, sensors, cameras and telematics gateway innovations provide fleet managers and operational leads with real-time visibility into their trailers’ location, tire, brakes, cargo and door statuses, and more, saving customers time and money. Phillips Connect maintains top industry certifications including ISO/IATF 16949 and ISO 14001 and more. Headquartered in Irvine, California, Phillips Connect is part of the Phillips family of companies, celebrating nearly a century of delivering innovative, reliable solutions that keep the transportation industry moving.

 

TechAssist: Raising the Bar for Smart Trailer Installations and Maintenance 

For years, trailers have been the overlooked part of the trucking equation. Power units often get the spotlight, but in reality, the trailer is just as critical to freight, safety, and uptime. With smart trailer technology reshaping how fleets operate, trailers are becoming active, data-driven participants in logistics. Ensuring those systems work from day one and continue working in the harshest environments is essential. 

That is why Phillips Connect developed TechAssist, a mobile app built specifically for trailer OEMs and fleet maintenance operations. TechAssist is now available for iOS and Android, giving technicians a powerful tool to verify smart trailer installations and keep assets ready to hit the road. 

Installing smart trailer systems at OEMs and in fleet yards has historically been a pain point. TechAssist guides installers and technicians through every step of the process. Each sensor, gateway, and communication hub is confirmed as online and reporting before a trailer hits the road. 

For OEMs and for fleets this means faster installs and stronger quality control at scale, and that every trailer leaving the lot is fully functional and ready to integrate into operations and to be put to work. 

Smart trailer uptime in the real world 

The reality of trailer operations is unforgiving. Todd Thibault, our Senior Director of Field Services told me, “Commercial Class 8 trailers operate in one of the harshest environments you can imagine. Road debris, corrosion, impacts. Damage can happen minutes after installation. TechAssist lets even a brand-new technician bring that system back to 100 percent quickly without having to call tech support. That is protecting and getting a return on investment in one simple-to-use app.” 

By pairing directly with Phillips Connect sensors, TechAssist gives maintenance techs an instant and clear picture of trailer health. Tires, brakes, lights, ABS, ATIS, air tanks, and more can be quickly diagnosed and repaired, saving time, labor, and downtime. 

Empowering fleets to scale 

Historically, troubleshooting and maintaining connected trailer systems required highly trained field engineers. TechAssist changes that by making advanced diagnostics accessible to every technician, whether in-house or third-party. Guided workflows shorten the training curve from months to minutes, empowering fleets to scale their smart trailer programs without creating bottlenecks. 

Decades of partnerships with the world’s largest fleets and trailer OEMs have given us a deep understanding of how our customers work, what they expect, and where their pain points are. TechAssist is a direct result of that knowledge. It is not just a tool, it is part of how we help customers get the most from their trailer investments. 

Why it matters now 

The freight industry is moving quickly toward greater connectivity, automation, and efficiency. Fleets that treat trailers as active participants in the logistics ecosystem, rather than passive equipment, stand to gain the most. With TechAssist, Phillips Connect is ensuring that transition is seamless, reliable, and scalable. 

TechAssist is available now for iOS and Android. Learn more or request a demo at  phillips-connect.com/solutions/technology-products/techassist

 

Phillips Connect Partners with Velociti for Installation and Post Sales Support

Newport Beach, CA (July 27, 2021) – Phillips Connect is partnering with Velociti for installation and post deployment proactive technology monitoring and repair service support for their trailer telematics solutions.

Once a Phillips Connect customer has chosen the smart trailer solutions right for their operation, a designated Velociti Project Manager will arrange for the installation of the equipment when and where convenient for the customer.  All required components will be staged appropriately ensuring an efficient installation process by Velociti certified technicians.

The Phillips Connect equipment will begin continuously reporting data from all the systems being monitored, instantly identifying and sending alerts via the Phillips Connect dashboard of any problem that requires attention to keep the asset in a safe operating condition and reduce the chances of costly unscheduled downtime.  The new partnership will seamlessly integrate Phillips Connect asset health monitoring with Velociti’s VeloCare.

“Velociti has a long-standing history in supporting transportation technology and we are proud to partner with Phillips Connect who share a commitment to the industry and value forward thinking ideas,” remarked Ryan Powell, Senior Vice President of Velociti. “Our goal is to build mutually beneficial partnerships and deliver the best-in-class customer experience, both of which are achieved with this alliance.”

VeloCare proactively monitors a customized 24/7 system health portal for the Phillips Connect customer and if a problem is detected, immediately notifies a Velociti representative to arrange the required repair either remotely or to dispatch a technician to complete the service at the customers preferred location.

As a Phillips Connect partner, Velociti will manage parts inventory, process RMA’s and provide real-time visibility, and provide trailer maintenance based on real time visibility from Phillips Connect smart sensors.  This arrangement maximizes the ROI a fleet can expect from Phillips Connect health monitoring and frees the customer from having to react to technology failures.

“Phillips Connect has developed the best scalable smart trailer technology available but we realize that just knowing about a problem is only a first step,” commented Jim Epler, executive vice president of Phillips Connect.  “There needs to be a way to resolve the problem quickly and efficiently to maximize the benefits of the technology. Velociti has the experience, the systems and the skills to work that out and get the trailer back on the road in the most cost-effective way. I have been working with Velociti for almost 10 years and they have the best project managers and installation expertise I have ever worked with.   This is a great partnership for Phillips Connect because it offers another significant benefit to our customers.”

 

About Velociti

Velociti, a global provider of enterprise technology solutions for more than 25 years, helps meet complex business needs by optimizing technology investments, lowering costs, and improving employee and customer acceptance. Its innovative design, rapid installation and deployment, and proactive support services for a broad range of transportation and networking technologies are provided by a highly experienced full-time team of engineers, project managers, certified technicians and call center staff. Velociti serves transportation, retail, food service, manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, government, hospitality and outdoor venues, including many Fortune 500 companies. For more information visit http://www.velociti.com or call toll free (855)-233-7210.