Utility fleets are under pressure. America’s infrastructure is aging and requires increased maintenance.
Nearly 70% of transmission lines are over 25 years old, with many approaching the end of their typical 50–80-year life cycle. Extreme weather events are on the rise. In 2024, the U.S. experienced 27 weather and climate disasters with losses that exceeded $1 billion – the second-highest number of billion-dollar disasters in a calendar year. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is fueling electricity demand. U.S. data centers are expected to increase their electricity needs by 130% by the decade’s end, according to a recent study from the International Energy Agency (IEA).
“Utility fleets are finding ways to work more efficiently while prioritizing safety,” says Michael Newman, Customer-Facing Systems Market Manager for Altec, a provider of aerial devices, digger derricks, and cranes to the industry. “Connected products are a key piece of that puzzle.”
Adoption of connectivity and telematics is well underway. According to Jason Oakley, Fleet Services Market Manager for Altec, “The overwhelming majority of larger utility fleets have already adopted telematic solutions to increase productivity and maximize uptime,” he says. “We anticipate this trend will continue.”
What Does It Mean to Have Connectivity?
"Altec installs a variety of chassis telematics solutions on behalf of its customers, including Geotab Telematics, to monitor their assets. GPS technology and on-board diagnostics (OBD) are used to plot asset movements on a computerized map and collect data. With an Altec Connected vehicle that goes a step further, to bring not only data from telematics, but insights."
Altec Insights was introduced on E-Series derricks in 2023, which was the first connected digger derrick in the market. Since its release, Insights has expanded to E-Series cranes and JEMS (Jobsite Equipment Management System), Altec’s hybrid system.
These insights combine equipment data with product and industry expertise to create simple and actionable information. “Insights are more than just equipment data—it is contextualized information on equipment use, setup, and health that customers can rely on in their day-to-day operations,” says Newman. Customers can use Altec Insights as a tool to create a safer jobsite, increase efficiency, and maximize equipment uptime.
Connectivity Yields Practical Benefits
Connectivity brings practical benefits to fleet managers. For example, “high hydraulic oil temperature” events can help a customer identify a hydraulic oil cooler that is malfunctioning. These types of events can also help a customer decide whether they should continue specifying their units with hydraulic oil coolers when they order equipment.
According to Newman, utility customers can use Altec Insights to identify opportunities to minimize downtime and disruption to their crews. “Many of the machines are able to provide diagnostic trouble codes and near real-time Vehicle Status information,” says Newman. “This allows them to make more informed decisions when an operator is dealing with a troubled asset in the field.”
There is also an opportunity to use Altec Insights to coach operators on best practices for equipment use in the field. “Insights provides important context to facilitate constructive conversations about equipment use in the field,” says Newman. “Previously a lot of unknowns stymied a manager’s ability to drive change in work practices.”
Altec’s JEMS utilizes stored electrical energy from lithium-ion batteries to power auxiliary chassis applications like cab comfort, jobsite tools, and electric power take-off (ePTO) for aerial devices. Altec’s Insights for JEMS allows managers to document their return on investment as well as proactively manage battery health.
What to Consider When Adding Connectivity
Before deciding on a telematic solution Altec Fleet Services Market Manager Jason Oakley suggests buyers focus their questions on two areas: information delivery and support.
“In a world where everyone has a portal, who wants to log in to yet another screen to see what they need to know?” he asks. “Integrations and Op-Ready reports help streamline different information about one’s fleet into as few screens as possible.”
“Support is critical,” he adds. At start-up, good support ensures your fleet will be up and running smoothly. Over the long term, he recommends buyers look for a partner who has the structure and resources to take care of issues when they happen.
Since most customers have mixed fleets, a telematic solution for the utility market should help seamlessly manage data from a variety of manufacturers. Altec’s Op-Ready reports are designed specifically for mixed fleets and are customizable so that they can monitor the chassis telematics data on any asset. It can also monitor the unit data on Altec connected equipment to create a single report for the whole fleet, or any subset of that fleet, which identifies the actions needed to prevent downtime.
Getting started
While nearly any asset can be easily retrofitted with a telematics product like Geotab, it is important to note that only newer generation Altec equipment is equipped with the hardware needed to support Altec Insights.
“There’s a lot to be said for getting contextualized information directly from the company that designs, manufactures, and services the equipment and has relationships with all the chassis OEMs,” says Newman. “Altec Insights transforms raw unit data into simple and actionable information which helps customers get the most from their assets.”
Among the key questions Altec Insights can answer are:
- Is this the right piece of equipment for the job?
- Is the machine being used correctly and safely?
- How can downtime be mitigated and prevented?
That makes it a powerful tool that gives fleet managers greater control over their operations.
With a massive amount of work for utility fleets on the horizon, the time is right to harness the powerful insights of connected machines.
See Altec's Latest Up-Close 
Want a closer look at how connected equipment and smart fleet solutions are evolving? Visit The Utility Expo 2025, October 7–9 in Louisville, Kentucky, the largest show for utility construction.
Altec will be on-site showcasing the innovations driving safer, more efficient jobsites - from advancements in connectivity to tools that help fleets maximize uptime.
Don’t miss the chance to explore what’s possible and connect with the experts behind the equipment.
See the full list of companies that will be exhibiting at The Utility Expo 2025: Exhibitor Directory.
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