How FleetTherm Complements Your Detection Network
Wayside Hot Box Detectors monitor thermal anomalies during revenue service but capture only point-in-time readings as trains pass at speed. FleetTherm provides comprehensive thermal profiling when vehicles return to depot — enabling detailed inspection that wayside systems cannot achieve at line speed.
Wayside HBD
Point-in-time detection at line speed
FleetTherm Depot Scan
Complete thermal profile at rest
FleetTherm is designed to work alongside your existing wayside network, not replace it.
Designed for Depot-Based Operations
FleetTherm delivers maximum value for rail operations where vehicles return regularly to maintenance facilities:
Transit & Metro
Daily depot scans align with service schedules
Commuter Rail
End-of-day inspection before next-day revenue service
Light Rail
Pre-departure thermal verification
Passenger Rail
Consist-level thermal profiling at maintenance intervals
Industrial/Port
Captive fleet inspection in yard facilities
For freight railroads with car interchange, FleetTherm can monitor captive locomotive fleets and private car owner equipment at home terminals.
Transit Agency Deployment Results
| Metric | Before FleetTherm | With FleetTherm | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot box service disruptions | 12/year | 5/year | -58% |
| Emergency bearing changes | 45/year | 18/year | -60% |
| Planned bearing changes | 30/year | 52/year | +73% |
| Brake-related service delays | 8/month | 3/month | -62% |
*18-month pilot with metropolitan transit agency, 200-car fleet. Shifting from reactive emergency response to planned maintenance reduces both service disruptions AND extends component life by catching problems earlier.
Designed for Depot-Based Operations
FleetTherm delivers maximum value for rail operations where vehicles return regularly to maintenance facilities:
Transit & Metro
Daily depot scans align with service schedules
Commuter Rail
End-of-day inspection before next-day revenue service
Light Rail
Pre-departure thermal verification
Passenger Rail
Consist-level thermal profiling at maintenance intervals
Industrial/Port
Captive fleet inspection in yard facilities
Thermal Anomaly Detection Coverage
Journal Bearings
- Absolute temperature above configurable threshold
- Differential vs. same-axle mating bearing (alert at 95°F+ difference)
- K-value trending above vehicle average
- Historical baseline deviation analysis
Wheel & Brake Systems
- Hot wheel detection (dragging brakes, unreleased hand brake)
- Cold wheel detection (brake not applying — safety critical)
- Disc brake surface temperature mapping
- Uneven brake wear thermal indicators
Severity Classification
Temperature trending above baseline
Approaching threshold, schedule inspection
Remove from service, immediate inspection required
Standards & Compliance Support
FleetTherm reporting supports compliance documentation for transit and rail safety programs. Reports include timestamps, vehicle identification, thermal imagery, severity classification, and disposition tracking for complete audit trail.
Transit Standards
- APTA RT-VIM-S-007-02: Friction Brake Equipment Periodic Inspection and Maintenance
- APTA RT-VIM-RP-008-03: Rail Transit Vehicle Pre-Departure Inspection
Regulatory Compliance
- FTA State Safety Oversight: Thermal inspection records for SSO documentation
- AAR guidance: Temperature thresholds aligned with industry practice (170°F/200°F above ambient)
All thermal screening results include complete audit trail with inspector override capability and disposition tracking.
Human-in-the-Loop Design
FleetTherm supports proper maintenance decision authority:
Mechanic review required
All alerts require qualified technician disposition before vehicle release to service
Override with documentation
Technicians can override AI recommendations with logged justification
Escalation workflow
High-severity alerts require supervisor approval for override
Complete audit trail
Every detection, disposition, and override logged with timestamp and user ID
Role-based access
Configurable permissions for technicians, supervisors, and administrators
FleetTherm augments your qualified maintenance personnel — it does not replace their judgment or decision authority.
Outcomes
Technical Specifications
Implementation Phases
Proof of Concept
- Week 1: Site survey, power/data infrastructure assessment
- Week 2: Thermal array installation at selected depot lane
- Week 3: Baseline thermal capture across representative fleet sample
- Week 4: Accuracy validation, threshold calibration, false positive analysis
- Deliverable: Detection accuracy report with go/no-go recommendation
Pilot
- Integration with maintenance workflow and alert routing
- Live inference on depot entries with mechanic training
- CMMS integration testing and work order generation
- Threshold tuning based on operational feedback
- Deliverable: Operational readiness assessment
Production Scale
- Multi-lane deployment across depot facilities
- Seasonal model recalibration (summer/winter baselines)
- Quarterly accuracy assessments
- Continuous model improvement from validated detections
Proof of Concept
- Week 1: Site survey, power/data infrastructure assessment
- Week 2: Thermal array installation at selected depot lane
- Week 3: Baseline thermal capture across representative fleet sample
- Week 4: Accuracy validation, threshold calibration, false positive analysis
- Deliverable: Detection accuracy report with go/no-go recommendation
Pilot
- Integration with maintenance workflow and alert routing
- Live inference on depot entries with mechanic training
- CMMS integration testing and work order generation
- Threshold tuning based on operational feedback
- Deliverable: Operational readiness assessment
Production Scale
- Multi-lane deployment across depot facilities
- Seasonal model recalibration (summer/winter baselines)
- Quarterly accuracy assessments
- Continuous model improvement from validated detections
Why FleetTherm
Enterprise Thermal Intelligence at Regional Scale
Major carriers deploy comprehensive wayside monitoring networks from established vendors with decades of deployment history. FleetTherm brings comparable thermal detection capability to transit agencies and regional operators through:
Depot deployment
No trackside civil works, power, or communications infrastructure
Edge processing
Thermal analysis happens locally — your data stays on-premise
Open integration
REST APIs for any CMMS, not locked to single vendor ecosystem
Scalable licensing
Per-detector pricing matches your fleet size, not enterprise minimums
Focused scope
Thermal detection excellence, not bundled with systems you don't need
What it does
- Thermal anomaly detection on wheels, bearings, brakes, and HVAC systems
- Pre-failure alerts with component-level tracking and failure prediction
- Depot integration for scheduled maintenance interventions and pull-aside triage
- Trend analysis dashboard showing thermal degradation patterns over time
- Alert tuning by fleet type, service conditions, and maintenance history
How it works
Depot Thermal Scan
Vehicles pass through thermal imaging arrays at depot entry/exit points, capturing complete thermal profiles.
AI Analysis
Machine learning models analyze thermal patterns across bearings, wheels, brakes, and drive components.
Anomaly Detection
Elevated temperatures or abnormal thermal signatures are flagged against baseline and peer comparisons.
Severity Classification
Each anomaly is classified: Monitor (trending up), Elevated (schedule inspection), Critical (hold for service).
Maintenance Integration
Alerts flow directly to maintenance planners with vehicle ID, component location, and recommended action.
Trend Tracking
Historical thermal data enables pattern analysis — catching gradual degradation before emergency failures.
Depot Thermal Scan
Vehicles pass through thermal imaging arrays at depot entry/exit points, capturing complete thermal profiles.
AI Analysis
Machine learning models analyze thermal patterns across bearings, wheels, brakes, and drive components.
Anomaly Detection
Elevated temperatures or abnormal thermal signatures are flagged against baseline and peer comparisons.
Severity Classification
Each anomaly is classified: Monitor (trending up), Elevated (schedule inspection), Critical (hold for service).
Maintenance Integration
Alerts flow directly to maintenance planners with vehicle ID, component location, and recommended action.
Trend Tracking
Historical thermal data enables pattern analysis — catching gradual degradation before emergency failures.
What you get
- Thermal anomaly detection model trained on bearing/wheel/brake failure patterns
- Component failure prediction algorithm with lead-time estimates (days to failure)
- Depot maintenance queue integration with priority routing and parts availability check
- KPI dashboard tracking thermal alert accuracy, false positive rates, and prevented failures
Deployments & integrations
- Depot-mounted thermal imaging arrays (FLIR, thermal line-scan cameras)
- Edge compute (Jetson/x86) for real-time thermal analysis or cloud-based batch processing
- Integration with fleet management systems (maintenance scheduling, parts inventory)
Designed for Depot-Based Operations
FleetTherm delivers maximum value for rail operations where vehicles return regularly to maintenance facilities:
Transit & Metro
Daily depot scans align with service schedules
Commuter Rail
End-of-day inspection before next-day revenue service
Light Rail
Pre-departure thermal verification
Passenger Rail
Consist-level thermal profiling at maintenance intervals
Industrial/Port
Captive fleet inspection in yard facilities
For freight railroads with car interchange, FleetTherm can monitor captive locomotive fleets and private car owner equipment at home terminals.
Security & governance
- On-prem deployment for transit agencies with data sovereignty requirements
- Mechanic override capabilities for all thermal alerts and maintenance recommendations
- Audit trail for thermal screening results and maintenance actions
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