OTA Firmware Updates for Vehicle Fleets: Staging, Rollback and What to Ask Vendors

Updating firmware for large vehicle fleets can be challenging, as physically visiting each vehicle with a cable and a laptop is not practical. Over-the-air (OTA) updates offer a solution by remotely pushing updates over cellular or Wi-Fi. This article explains what an OTA update entails, how to stage one, and what questions to ask a vendor.

OTA updates are categorized into three types: application updates, configuration changes, and firmware and OS updates. Application updates are the least risky and most frequent, while firmware and OS updates are the highest risk and require staging and a rollback plan.

To minimize risk, it is recommended to stage updates by pushing them to a small group of vehicles first. Confirm that the devices are functioning properly after the update, including the app starting, GNSS and CAN data flow, and camera functionality. Keep track of which units received the update, which failed, and which are still pending. This is crucial when one tablet is responsible for running multiple systems together, such as driver monitoring, 360° camera view, and ISOBUS implement control.

The primary metric to monitor is downtime, as a vehicle waiting for an update is not functioning. Manual updates can cause downtime every time a fix or feature needs to be rolled out, but OTA updates allow for background processing, minimizing this risk. When evaluating a vendor's OTA capabilities, ask about their staging process, failure reporting, and how they handle signal loss during downloads.

Inquire about the speed at which critical patches can reach all units and who builds the firmware: the hardware maker or a third party. Knowing these details will help determine if OTA updates are a real capability or just a checkbox feature for your fleet.