What is SCADA?

While maintaining a safe, efficient, and reliable fleet is an absolute imperative, the process can also pose some difficulties. SCADA, or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, systems allow fleet managers oversight of their trucks while simultaneously providing real-time information on individual performance issues across the fleet. 

SCADA collects data that can allow fleet managers to streamline operations while reducing costs related to truck performance and maximizing efficiency at all levels. SCADA operators can use the systems to gather valuable data relating to changes in temperature and power usage and to communicate with trucks across the fleet in order to determine location and status. The power of SCADA systems lies in their continuous data collection, which allows fleet managers up-to-date, accurate, and simultaneous information across time and place. 

History of SCADA Systems

SCADA systems were first developed in the 1960s, although the term itself would not enter into common parlance until the 1970s. The expansion of postwar American industry in the 1950s saw the necessity skyrocket for technology that would allow industrial operators to staff and assess a large array of equipment simultaneously. 

Later that decade, computers became an essential part of industrial operations. However, it would not be until the following years that automated communications transmitting data were used to monitor industrial equipment. This process, known broadly as telemetry, revolutionized the industry and allowed for more expansive and efficient oversight of system operations for factories across a range of industries. SCADA has since become ubiquitous in industrial operations. Today, SCADA systems are based in the Cloud as part of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and can be deployed more efficiently than ever before.

Common Uses of SCADA Today

The broad-ranging capabilities of SCADA systems make them synonymous with efficiency and success across several industries today. 

• Transit authorities in urban centers utilize SCADA systems to track data relating to public transit systems, which is particularly useful in the case of unmanned vehicles, such as trains. SCADA automates traffic signals, controls railroad crossing gates, and can help locate vehicles en route. 
• Facility managers in the HVAC industry can use the technology to track temperature, vibration, and a range of other mutable factors when managing heating and cooling equipment. 
• Factories that make use of robots or any form of automation technology can use the systems to regulate quality control amongst their supply. 
• Oilfield and gas managers may use the technology to track assets spread across a wide geographic range, preventing potentially disastrous leaks or spills. 
• Water companies use SCADA systems to track pumps, water tanks, and other related systems while ensuring contamination is impossible and reducing emissions across the board.

These are only a few examples of SCADA’s influence in the industrial world today and proof that its salience and utility is only likely to grow in the coming years. 

Utility of SCADA for Fleets

A range of vehicular industries utilize SCADA to aid their operations, from transit authorities to rail companies. The technology can also be applicable to streamlining the trucking industry and can act as a valuable tool for fleet managers in maintaining an efficient and effective fleet of trucks. 

As stated above, contemporary SCADA systems are based in the cloud, and, as such, the technology is faster than ever, providing operators real-time insight into truck performance across a fleet that may be spread over a wide area. Aside from assessing functionality across the fleet, SCADA also allows for moment-to-moment communications with trucks and their drivers, invaluable in an industry predicated on efficiency and speed. 

SCADA can also be used to assess traffic patterns and recommend changes in routes to streamline the driving process. In addition, SCADA will reduce costs over time by tracking performance issues and allowing repairs or acquisitions to take place when needed. Even more pressingly, too, the technology will ultimately help to reduce fleet emissions and bring operations securely into the future. For more information on Drivewyze’s goals for reducing emissions, read here.

Want more information about how SCADA systems will help move trucking forward or more questions about the future of the industry in general? Check out these webinars from industry veterans offered by Drivewyze, which cover a range of salient topics for fleet managers, drivers, and anyone interested in learning more about the industry.