Day-to-day, it’s virtually impossible to have control over everything—but on the jobsite, control is key for safety, efficiency, and overall uptime. This increase in demand for optimized productivity has driven a need for expanded work truck control system capabilities. Not only do these systems need to be intuitive to an operator, they should also be equipped with the proper cab and compartment controls, a wireless remote control, diagnostics, and more.
Thanks to technological advancements and optimized functionalities, operators can have complete control over their cranes and mechanic trucks with the IMT® CMD.CTRL™ system that combines strong, reliable hardware with flexible, intuitive software.
CUSTOMER CENTRIC
“IMT knew it wanted to bring new innovation to our product line and also build a robust and futuristic platform for our control system,” says Tom Wallace, sales manager at IMT. “We used our Voice of the Customer platform to interview our distributors and customers to identify pain points. It came down to needing new and more efficient ways to do their tasks when they’re in the field, and they wanted up-to-date technology.”
Once the IMT team narrowed down the problem they wanted to solve, they began a robust new product development stage gate process. A cross-functional group including sales, production, engineering, marketing, and purchasing came together, and the CMD.CTRL product began to take shape. Engineering worked to fine-tune the design that incorporated features from customer input that would be functional and practical in real-world applications.
From there, the CMD.CTRL system underwent extensive internal and external testing to ensure the technology could stand up to the rugged demands of a typical jobsite before finally moving into field testing.
“We asked our customer to take this product out into the field and really put it through its paces,” Wallace says. “We, again, took their feedback after working with the product and tweaked the final design to ensure it is addressing real customer needs.”
Now that IMT had a tested, customer-approved solution, the CMD.CTRL system hit production and was ready to reach a broader audience.
SAFETY & EFFICIENCY
The IMT team and its customers agree that one of the biggest benefits of the CMD.CTRL system is the focus on safety and efficiency it brings. Now, users are able to run stabilizers from the remote and have a clear view of what’s around them when deploying the stabilizers.
“I don’t think I would be able to do my job effectively without our new CMD.CTRL system,” says Will Hall of Custom Truck One Source. “If I’m lifting something that’s 20 or 30 ft away from the actual truck itself, having that remote is vital to my job. I’m able to watch the load and see what the load is doing. It’s just a great way to work rather than having a spotter.”
With the CMD.CTRL system, users also don’t have to walk back to their truck every time they want to turn something on or turn something off.
“Being able to turn on a compressor or engage a PTO right from the remote is going to prevent our customers from having to climb off whatever piece of equipment they’re on and save them time,” Wallace says.
ENDLESS CUSTOMIZATION
The IMT CMD.CTRL system can be easily adjusted from its default setting making it an ideal component for work trucks, which are designed to take on many different applications.
“Take lighting for example,” Wallace begins. “The IMT service bodies and cranes are used in just so many different applications. Some trucks are left out in the field, some trucks go home every night. Being able to go in and easily program different lighting setups is a great feature to ensure we’re accommodating every environment our customers are in.”
MORE FEATURES & CONTROL
In addition to the safety features and customization options, below are the defining attributes of the CMD.CTRL system that are helping operators be more productive.
Multi-cab Control Switch
The multi-cab control switch gives operators access to three different modes of operation to control floodlights: search, reverse, and work mode. Search mode is used when an operator is pulling up to a jobsite and looking to find the piece of equipment.
CMD.CTRL Master Control Panel
The new CMD.CTRL master control panel is in the right rear crane compartment. Just as you can use the remote control, you can also use all functions of the Dominator mechanic truck’s body within the master control panel. With the new system comes new capabilities. New to this system is the ability to do what’s called crane recovery. In the absence of the remote control, or if the remote becomes damaged and you still need to use or store your crane, you can use crane recovery mode and the directional arrows to control it. In this mode, all flow is reduced by 50%, which allows for smooth movement and safe operation. Another new feature is engaging the PTO and the compressor within the vehicle functions section. In the old system, you were only able to turn your compressor on and off via the remote. Now, it can be activated via both the remote control and the master control panel.
IMT has incorporated engineered redundancies in the system to allow it to function even if a remote is lost or damaged.
“Users can still use key system functions like their compressor if they’ve misplaced their remote,” Wallace says. “Sometimes our customers are out in the field and may be 50 miles out in the middle of nowhere. If something were to happen to the remote, that redundancy allows them to finish that job in the field 50 miles from home, get their crane stored safely, and get back home where they can replace their batteries or repair their remote.”
CMD.CTRL Diagnostics
The upgraded CMD.CTRL unit has a diagnostics section. This gives you the ability to see inputs, outputs, crane fault codes, and more—empowering you to quickly and efficiently diagnose issues to maintain optimal uptime.
Improved Toggle Switch Design
For the remote itself, the IMT team spent a lot of time focusing on making the design more ergonomic. The location of the batteries changed to take weight away from the device. The toggle switches have also been moved closer together to make it easy to use with one hand.
FULL CIRCLE FEEDBACK
The work the IMT team did to incorporate as much customer feedback as possible into the CMD.CTRL product has gone a long way in helping end-users boost productivity and do their jobs better. The results are hard to argue with.
“I would definitely recommend it,” Hall says. “I would say, overall, it’s a smooth and easy unit to use when compared to other brands or manufacturers that I’ve used before this one. I would recommend it 10 out of 10 times.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Find out more about the IMT CMD.CTRL, visit www.imt.com.
