SMART CAN DATA READING WITH WIALON & TELTONIKA

Using vehicle CAN data for fleet management is nothing new in the telematics industry. From monitoring personal vehicles to managing heavy equipment, the ability to read parameters such as fuel level, engine hours, RPM, and engine load - without installing additional sensors - helps various businesses reduce costs and extend the service life of their fleets. However, despite industry awareness about technology, not all service providers actively use CAN data reading. Some consider it too complex to implement, while others do not see a clear way to monetise CAN parameters.

To address these challenges, experts from Teltonika and Wialon hosted a joint webinar for business partners from the Caucasus and Central Asia. During the session, they dispelled the myth that CAN data reading is overly complex, shared successful implementation stories, and discussed what businesses actually expect from telematics providers. The webinar was conducted in Russian.

KEY USE CASES

CAN data reading provides access to a wide range of vehicle parameters, helping businesses address various operational challenges. However, there are several key use cases that will be relevant to most vehicle fleets:  

Fuel management

Fuel consumption is one of the most significant – and often least controlled – fleet expenses, account for 25% to 30% of total operating costs. How fuel is consumed is a direct indicator of overall fleet efficiency.

Monitoring fuel levels by itself helps reduce the risk of theft. When drivers know that fleet managers can see sudden fuel level drops in real time and identify who was behind the wheel, the incentive to siphon fuel during a trip significantly drops. 

Reading fuel levels via the CAN bus eliminates the need for additional sensors, reducing both hardware and installation costs.  It also removes the need for individual calibration required by traditional fuel level sensors. On average, the time required to install a fuel level sensor and drill in the fuel tank can reach up to 4 hours, which significantly increases labour costs, especially for large fleets. 

Fleet maintenance

Timely fleet maintenance and downtime prevention are top priorities for any fleet operator. High engine loads, extreme temperatures, and long trips with heavy cargo negatively impact the service life of a vehicle. Reading diagnostics trouble codes (or DTCs) and scheduling maintenance based on operating hours help reduce repair costs and avoid unplanned downtime. 

“Without CAN monitoring, vehicle issues remain invisible until it is too late,” explains Valery Semenov, Teltonika IoT engineer. “A lack of vehicle performance monitoring directly affects business profitability, increases the workload on staff, and can put relationships with key customers at risk.” 

Driver performance monitoring

Driver behaviour is a key factor affecting road safety, fuel consumption, and vehicle service life. Most telematics devices can detect eco-driving events using accelerometer data. CAN monitoring enhances information on speeding and harsh braking by providing additional context, such as whether the driver was using cruise control or how much pressure was applied to the pedals. It also helps identify excessive idling by monitoring engine performance, making it easier to detect unnecessary fuel consumption.

Combining CAN and eco driving data helps to create a comprehensive picture of the driver behaviour, helping fleet managers identify risky driving habits and find opportunities to improve driving performance.

CAN data reading allows to improve business efficiency systemically, as different vehicle parameters are interconnected and influence one another. For example, improving driving behaviour reduces both fuel consumption and vehicle wear. In turn, timely maintenance and downtime prevention help lower both spare parts costs and fuel consumption.

One of the key advantages of a CAN data reading solution is the fact that multiple parameters can be read using a single device. For instance, the Teltonika FMC150 and its version in IP-67 rated casing, FMC250, are CAN trackers that provide access to a wide range of CAN data without requiring additional hardware.

WIALON – A PLATFORM FOR EFFICIENT DECISION-MAKING

Installing a CAN data reading device is only the first step. During the webinar, Timur Shcherbakov, Technical growth manager at Wialon, demonstrated how the telematics platform helps fleet managers make sense of CAN data and use it to support day-to-day decision-making.

Wialon processes a wide range of CAN parameters from Teltonika devices, including fuel level, seat belt status, accelerator pedal pressure, and engine fault codes. These parameters can be displayed in the monitoring tab, incorporated into reports, or used to trigger notifications. During the webinar, Timur demonstrated a sample report showing trips, engine hours, refuelling and draining events, fuel level trends, engine RPM, and diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). These insights can be used for fleet management and driver performance evaluation. Wialon allows solution providers to fully customise monitoring and reporting to meet the specific needs of each customer’s fleet. 

“Wialon has a large number of partners who use CAN data rather than fuel level sensors to monitor fuel consumption,” explains Timur. “The reason is simple: fleet owners do not want to drill the fuel tanks or perform any other installation that compromises wiring integrity in new vehicles.” With Teltonika’s ECAN02, contactless CAN data reading makes this possible.   

To learn more about fleet digitalisation with Wialon, read the related article. 

MORE VALUE– HIGHER MARGIN

Webinar participants also discussed the commercial aspects of CAN monitoring.  GPS tracking is a mature market, and most fleet owners are already familiar with real-time vehicle tracking. While this means telematics providers no longer need to explain the basic benefits of GPS tracking, it also creates a new challenge: how can they stand out from the competition and retain customers?

When companies offer only basic tracking, they often end up competing on price alone. The cheaper the solution, the greater the chance of winning the project. Over time, however, this devaluates telematics in the eyes of the end user and a decreases margins for the service provider. 

Konstantin Azarnikov, senior business development manager at Teltonika, believes this approach is becoming outdated: “Many integrators lose clients not because of a cheaper competitor device, but because they stopped developing the solution they provide. Today’s competition is no longer about comparing GPS trackers - it is about richness of data, and a value  service provider creates for a client’s business.” 

Implementing CAN monitoring enables service providers to offer existing customers more data to support informed decision-making. There is no longer any need to plan maintenance blindly or reward drivers without objective data on their driving behaviour. “You are not just selling a point on a map,” explains Konstantin, “but the prevention of downtime and breakdowns. You are selling safety. You are selling increased profits for your customers.”

Q&A

At the end of each webinar, we host a live Q&A session. Below, you will find some of the participants’ questions along with answers from our experts.

Can Teltonika team organise training on installing the CAN devices? 

Yes. Teltonika partners can contact the technical support team for detailed installation schemes for specific vehicle models. You can also find a video tutorial on Teltoika YouTube channel demonstrating how to install the FMC150 and ECAN02 in an IVECO Daily.  

Is it possible to decode DTCs in Wialon? 

Yes. One of the most effective approaches is to use Wialon together with flespi via a dedicated plugin. 

Can I use OBD devices to read similar vehicle data? 

Yes, it is possible. Like CAN data category devices, Teltonika OBD trackers  support a range of vehicle models and provide access to various vehicle parameters. The choice between CAN and OBD device depends on the vehicle type and your specific use case. For example, unlike CAN devices, OBD trackers do not support the connection of wired sensors and relays.  

Can I access the FOTA WEB portal if I purchased Teltonika products through a distributor? 

Yes. Please contact your Teltonika supplier to receive the access to the FOTA WEB portal. 

What is ECAN02 used for? Is it possible to install CAN devices without ECAN02? 

ECAN02 is used for contactless installation of CAN devices. If maintaining the integrity of the vehicle’s wiring is not a priority for the fleet owner, CAN devices can be installed without using ECAN02.