11 Trimble Transportation Bridge the Divide Having fleet maintenance systems connected to the financial and accounting systems of an enterprise will streamline payroll, vendor payment and billing cycles for invoices. This bridge will also provide more robust financial reporting capabilities and visibility to equipment lifecycle costs. The connections are made by exporting financial data from fleet maintenance, either on a scheduled basis or by using real-time interfaces. The replacement cycle for trucks at Estes Express Lines is typically 15 years and 1.2 million miles. The company has established rules for this cycle, which vary depending on used truck prices and analysis of lifecycle costs and predicting component failures, Palmer says. A truck that is five years old with one million miles, for example, may need an engine replacement. Analysis may show the particular make and model of truck is worthy of an engine replacement, while other models would be disposed of based on a high probability of having other component failures within the next year, he explains. NFI has its Trimble Fleet Maintenance system integrated with all of the company’s financial systems to have visibility of transactions and to analyze the cost of ownership for all types of assets. “We are constantly looking at cost per mile and the cost of ownership,” says Bliem. The purpose is to find the ideal replacement cycle for assets. “We are comparing truck manufacturers and looking at where they cross that line where maintenance is exceeding the value of the asset,” he explains. Bridge 6: Financial Ties The ultimate prize is having all financial information available in a single source for analysis to optimize buying and selling decisions.