Design & Engineering Insights: Southco Believes Equipment Access will Grow in Importance as Automation Progresses

As development of autonomous on- and off-highway equipment continues, so will the need to ensure the security of the equipment.


John Snyder, General Manager, Transportation at Southco Inc., says the long-term potential of autonomous off-highway equipment will continue to increase the importance of ensuring the security of that equipment and the data which drives it. "You can’t have just anyone accessing data that is driving these vehicles. So we are working towards not only securing equipment physically, but also controlling access to that equipment and monitoring it," he says. "The security of equipment on the jobsite may be even more critical."

As such, the company is continually developing new technologies to ensure the security off-highway equipment such as electronic access solutions which eliminate the need for mechanical keys. With these types of solutions, fleets can better monitor who is using the equipment and in some case how it's being used, which can aid with maintenance planning.

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