When it comes to the safety of fleet vehicles and especially fleet drivers, a fleet owner can never have too many safety measures in place. One company, PRECO Electronics, combines camera technology as well as radar technology to ensure fleet drivers are aware of their surroundings at all times. Nick Yates, PRECO’s OEM Business Development Manager – On-Road, discusses the benefits of PRECO’s system.
MWS: HOW DOES PRECO’S TECHNOLOGY MAKE FLEET DRIVERS AND THEIR SURROUNDINGS SAFER?
YATES: We monitor the area surrounding the vehicle to alert the operator of potential collision risks.
MWS: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ADDING A SAFETY SYSTEM, SUCH AS THE ONE PRECO OFFERS, TO A FLEET OF WORK TRUCKS?
YATES: Adding PRECO PreView® Radar solutions enhances a company’s reputation and reduces the number of incidents, thus reducing costs and maintenance to a fleet, while keeping operator, companies, and the communities they serve safer.
MWS: WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO USE BOTH CAMERAS AND RADARS IN SAFETY SYSTEMS?
YATES: Cameras allow the operator to see what is going on around them but provide no reminder or alert of what is important or whether there are unseen threats. Cameras can easily be ignored, just like a side mirror. By combining PRECO PreView® Radar with camera systems, it provides an active alert to focus the operator’s attention when and where it is most needed.
MWS: ASIDE FROM MONITORING SITUATIONS OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, DOES PRECO OFFER ANY SAFETY SOLUTIONS INSIDE THE CAB?
YATES: Our purpose is to bring awareness of the outside world to the operator inside the cab. For complete ADAS systems, we do integrate into in-cab safety solutions and telematics systems.
MWS: OUR READERS HAVE FLEETS IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES. WHAT INDUSTRIES ARE BEST SUITED FOR PRECO’S SAFETY SYSTEMS?
YATES: PRECO’s Radar solutions are purpose-built from the ground up to address the specific problems and use-cases of heavy-duty on- and off-road applications in over-the-road trucking, refuse, mixer, utilities, last-mile delivery, mining, construction, and material handling. We build our radar sensors to last the life of the truck and to withstand the harshest environments and climates.
MWS: WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON FOR PRECO?
YATES: PRECO Electronics, a Sensata Technologies company, is working on several different projects to expand our radar portfolio to meet the ever-growing needs of our customers. With social pressure and new safety regulations around the world, including the Vision Zero initiatives growing in the United States, PRECO is broadening our solution scope to include not only radar but other advanced technologies in the Heavy-Duty Vehicle industries and for all levels of autonomy.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Nick Yates serves as the OEM Business Development Manager – On-Road for FMCW Radar in North America at PRECO Electronics LLC, a Sensata Technologies company. He is responsible for developing, managing, and growing the integration of the company’s active radar perception systems with PRECO’s OEM, Tier 1, and upfitter customers in the heavy-duty on-road vocational vehicle industry. Reach him at nyates@sensata.com.
