Volvo Trucks North America has driven its software update compliance rate from 25% to more than 80% of its connected fleet by introducing unattended over-the-air (OTA) updates, eliminating more than 100,000 days of unplanned downtime and generating roughly $60 million in savings, according to FreightWaves. The company operates more than 200,000 connected trucks in North America.
OTA compliance jumps from 25% to 80%
Before the new update workflow, only a fraction of the fleet ran current software. "We were seeing about 25% of our truck population running on the latest software updates — so 75% of our trucks weren't on the latest software update," said Nicole Portello, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at Volvo Trucks North America, as quoted by FreightWaves. Internal benchmarking showed trucks running current software experienced 25% less downtime than those that did not, giving the company a clear financial case to remove friction from the update process.
Unattended updates cut dealership trips and stops
The new workflow lets drivers initiate an update, lock the cab, and walk away — during an overnight stop or a rest break — rather than remaining in the vehicle or traveling to a dealership. Of the more than 100,000 days of downtime avoided, Volvo calculates approximately $16 million in savings tied directly to eliminating dealership trips for software updates alone, according to FreightWaves. The remaining savings come from fewer unplanned mechanical stops, which are down 24% for updated trucks.
"We've pushed out over hundreds of thousands of software updates. If you take that entire population, that means over 100,000 days of unplanned downtime that's been avoided, which is about $60 million," Portello said.
Key metrics from Volvo's OTA program
| Metric | Before / without updates | After / with updates |
|---|---|---|
| Software update compliance | 25% of fleet | More than 80% of fleet |
| Downtime from older software | Baseline | 25% less downtime for updated trucks |
| Unplanned mechanical stops | Baseline | Down 24% for updated trucks |
| Dealership-trip downtime savings | — | Approximately $16 million |
| Total avoided downtime / savings | — | 100,000+ days / ~$60 million |
Predictive maintenance: 70% fewer problems
Connectivity also underpins Volvo's predictive maintenance effort. The company processes millions of rows of data per minute from its connected trucks, using machine learning and AI-driven pattern recognition on fault codes to get ahead of failures, according to FreightWaves. Portello said that has produced a 70% reduction in problems for monitored trucks, a 30% reduction in repair time when trucks do come in for service, and a 95% first-time fix rate — because technicians can pre-diagnose issues before the truck reaches the dealership bay. The data stream also feeds back into Volvo's R&D process, helping identify potential quality issues for future product generations, FreightWaves reported.
My Truck app and the 2026-2027 roadmap
On the driver side, Volvo has launched a companion app called My Truck that surfaces fluid levels, lighting status, and remote start capability — allowing drivers to pre-condition the cab in extreme temperatures before beginning a route, according to FreightWaves. Portello said the philosophy is to put actionable information directly in the hands of drivers, not just fleet managers or dispatchers.
Looking ahead, Portello said safety technology and broader AI integration are top priorities for 2026 and 2027, alongside deeper predictive maintenance capabilities on the new VNL and VNR platforms, which she described as the most connected trucks Volvo has built. For fleet operators and OEMs evaluating connected-vehicle investments, Portello offered a pointed directive, as reported by FreightWaves: "Make sure you're not just getting data, but you're getting actionable data that you can use to further drive your business."
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