Skip to main content

Telematics agreement for construction machines

Major progress has been made with regard to construction machine manufacturers agreeing on a standard for telematics communications. This is of key importance to contractors running mixed fleets, as data transfer from equipment will now be much easier. This progress has come with a new construction equipment telematics standard from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP). This has added key features to allow data gathering, and a test da
December 8, 2015 Read time: 3 mins
Major progress has been made with regard to construction machine manufacturers agreeing on a standard for telematics communications. This is of key importance to contractors running mixed fleets, as data transfer from equipment will now be much easier. This progress has come with a new construction equipment telematics standard from the 1100 Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and 6469 Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP). This has added key features to allow data gathering, and a test database and manufacturer verification system will be offered.

The AEM/AEMP standard now enables equipment users to gather more OEM equipment data into their preferred business or fleet management software. This will allows users to analyse information across their fleets, and help save time and money on the job site or within their operations.

The standard is currently going through the approval process with ISO, the International Organisation for Standardisation, to be accepted as a global standard. While original data points have not changed, the ISO review and drafting process for the AEM/AEMP standard has resulted in several key changes, including more frequent data polling, more data flexibility, better security and faster API load time. It also includes more options for customers’ integrators, unit of measurements standardised to metric and more data/customer requests.

In addition, AEM will offer a test database that allows third parties, software developers and major fleet owner developers to verify that their business systems are functioning correctly to pull in their desired information. The test database will help them to create new reporting systems by minimising the need to contact multiple manufacturers directly.

And, AEMP will offer a program for OEMs and other telematics providers to verify that their feeds are functioning correctly, that each value is flowing into the correct data field. The verification program will help end users be assured they will be able to access the data in the new standard format.

The two test programs from AEM and AEMP will be designed to work together, as the two organisations work together to provide systematic checks to allow the industry to smoothly address the next generation of efficiency and coordination through mixed fleet data collection and management.

The AEM/AEMP telematics standard is based on the Draft API (Application Programming Interface) standard developed by the two industry trade groups. It was submitted for acceptance to ISO to provide manufacturers, equipment users, fleet managers and all industry stakeholders with a standard they can use confidently across all market areas globally.

“ISO acceptance also provides a global governance and maintenance process that can refresh the standard as technology changes or end-users request new data,” said Nick Bollweg, engineering manager, WorkSight/ForestSight at Deere and liaison between the ISO working group and AEM/AEMP telematics committee. “This allows the standard to remain responsive to user needs and helps reap maximum efficiencies and productivity from the machines.”

“This ISO standard gives fleet intensive companies confidence the format of the data being gathered from multiple OEMs conforms to an international standard, which in turn eases the implementation process to utilise the telematics data in making better informed business decisions,” stated Tim Truex, CEM, Kokosing Construction Company and AEMP technology committee chairman.

The AEM/AEMP telematics requirements will be part of ISO 15143 (Earthmoving machinery and mobile road construction machinery – Worksite Data Exchange) as a new section – “Part 3: Machine Data.” Future plans include expanding the standard’s coverage beyond earthmoving.

Related Content

  • VDMA says machine sales now exceed previous year
    September 1, 2017
    The market for earthmoving equipment is booming, according to a report by the German construction machine manufacturers association, the VDMA. In the first six months of this year, the turnover of construction equipment manufacturers was around 19% higher than the already high value of the previous year. In addition, there is an increase in orders of over 18%, as construction equipment is ordered all over the world.
  • Charging 'Roundtable' urges standardisation
    July 23, 2025
    A lack of standardisation for charging infrastructure is holding back the push towards the construction machine sector going electric. Now, a recently established “roundtable” of industry experts will investigate how to move forward.
  • New technology solutions
    April 30, 2024
    Construction machinery manufacturers are introducing new systems that can boost machine efficiency and site safety – Mike Woof writes
  • More satellites, more signals
    July 20, 2012
    Greater GPS accuracy suggests closer tolerances for surveying and machine control functions What happens in the future for GPS surveying and machine control could depend on satellite choice and signals. Right now there are around 30 satellites in orbit, largely built by the US, but by 2012 that could rise to 120 as Europe, China, India and Russia fully enter the market. A chequered history has faced the European's Galileo system. At long last, the finance appears to be in place and the European Commission a