JCB LiveLink Now Offering Increased Functionality for Stage IIIB/Tier 4 Interim Machines

JCB’s LiveLink telematic fleet management system is now standard on all heavyline and mid-range JCB machines, many of which have Stage IIIB/Tier 4 Interim emissions compliant engines. One of the benefits of the electronic controls associated with these highly efficient engines is increased functionality for the LiveLink system, providing fleet managers and machine owners with additional data to help them reduce fuel consumption and operating costs, while improving utilization and machine productivity.

The increased functionality includes:

• Fuel economy monitoring
• Operating mode data
• Planned maintenance and breakdown prevention
• Real-time location reporting
• ECU pairing and PIN control

Increased Fuel Economy

LiveLink provides fleet managers with up to the minute fuel use data, including actual fuel consumption and fuel tank level. The system also provides the customer with operating mode and idle time data, allowing the manager to see how the equipment is being used on site and to show drivers ways in which the equipment could be operated more efficiently.

Excessive idling on site can also point to poor utilization of machinery, perhaps a smaller excavator could be used or the machine could operate with more trucks, allowing managers to change equipment between sites to achieve increased utilization. 

Enhanced Preventative Maintenance

Machine cautions, such as water in the fuel tank, can be sent to both the customer and to a local JCB dealer, where they can be monitored and used to signal the need for maintenance or a change of operation on site. This provides the customer with greater fleet control but also ensures that the dealer delivers a proactive service to the customer, cutting downtime and preventing damage to the machine.

Fleet managers can also work with dealers to plan regular maintenance and servicing at a time to suit their operation, ensuring that all necessary filters and fluids are available and that planned downtime does not adversely impact the work being carried out on site. Customers can access the information concerning their machines at any time through a web portal, where they can organise regular daily or weekly reports that can be integrated into many common fleet management software packages.

Location Tracking And Geofencing

LiveLink’s constantly updated location system can alert the customer to unauthorized movement of the machine, preventing theft and alerting rental companies to continued use of equipment that has been off-hired. Having JCB LiveLink on a machine can also lead to reduced insurance premiums, as the system is integrated with the machine’s immobilizer.

The electronic control unit of the LiveLink system can be paired with the machine’s ECU on JCB’s Loadall telescopic handler range. If the LiveLink system is removed or disabled, prior to an attempted theft of the machine, the ECU will prevent the machine from starting or being used. This system will be expanded to the JS range of excavators and to other product lines over the coming months.

Future Developments

With more than 23,000 machines currently registered and using LiveLink, JCB is constantly extending the functionality of the LiveLink system and will soon be offering remote PIN code services. This will permit fleet managers to remotely set the immobiliser PIN for different operators and levels of access to the machine, further raising security and cutting paperwork associated with machine deliveries. This too will prevent hire customers from continuing to utilise equipment that has been put off hire, as the rental company will be able to change the access PIN code once the machine has been securely parked.

JCB LiveLink provides an essential fleet management tool, putting JCB customers in total control of their fleet. Operating knowledge provides operating power and allows customers to improve fleet utilisation, cut running costs and increase productivity, all without even leaving the office.