CLAAS Fleet View harvesting app can decrease stress and increase efficiency

CLAAS said Wednesday that its new mobile application, Fleet View, allows combine harvesters to coordinate all of the grain transport tractor-trailer units involved in a harvesting fleet in such a way that combine harvesters can continue to work without costly downtime.

The app gives drivers ongoing information in a logistics chain. The information includes the current positions of each combine harvester in a fleet, as well as their individual grain tank fill levels. This allows the drivers in transport vehicles to choose which harvester is their next destination.

Before the app, tractor-trailer units and their drivers were forced to choose which harvester would be their next destination according to intuition or experience. They depended on radio contact and a clear view of each machine.

This was difficult with large fields and poor visibility, or when inexperienced employees were making the decision. Tractor-trailer units would go to a combine harvester that still had free capacity available in their grain tank. This caused other harvesters with full grain tanks to slow or stop until the next transporter was available.

CLAAS Fleet View uses a graphic display with a smartphone or tablet PC. Each driver included in the logistics chain can use these tools to see where the harvesters are and how full each grain tank is.