Clarios Targets Fleet Blind Spot with New Trailer Battery Tech

LAS VEGAS, NV – January 07, 2026 – By Jennifer Anderson

Clarios, a global leader in battery technologies, today announced a significant expansion of its digital fleet solutions with the launch of the Trailer Battery Manager. The new service, integrated into the company's Connected Services Platform, is engineered to address what has long been a critical and costly blind spot for the logistics industry: the health and charge status of trailer batteries.

For fleet operators, a dead trailer battery is more than an inconvenience; it's a trigger for a cascade of operational and financial disruptions. From a non-functioning liftgate that halts loading and unloading, to blocked docks incurring hefty fines, the consequences are immediate. The new solution from Clarios aims to shift fleets from a reactive to a proactive stance by providing real-time, predictive insights into the power source that keeps their trailers—and their promises to customers—running.

Solving a Costly Operational Weakness

Historically, the battery powering a trailer's liftgate, lights, or refrigeration unit has been an unmonitored component, its failure often discovered only at the moment of crisis. This can lead to expensive roadside assistance calls, which industry data shows can exceed $700 per incident, not including the downstream costs of delivery delays and damaged customer relationships.

The Trailer Battery Manager tackles this problem head-on. By leveraging AI and cloud computing, the system continuously monitors the battery's state of charge and overall health. It automatically sends alerts to fleet managers when a battery is undercharged or approaching its end-of-life, providing a crucial window for intervention. This allows maintenance to be scheduled proactively, ensuring trailers are always ready for dispatch and preventing failures that can bring operations to a standstill.

“This new feature is a direct response to customer feedback,” said Cagatay Topcu, vice president of Connected Services at Clarios. “It empowers fleet managers to monitor trailer batteries remotely and take action before issues arise. That saves time, money, and frustration.”

By predicting failures before they happen, the platform helps operators avoid not only roadside service fees but also the steep costs associated with replacing major components. A malfunctioning liftgate, for instance, can cost between $2,000 and $10,000 to replace, a significant capital expense that proactive battery management can help defer or prevent entirely.

A Lifeline for the Critical Cold Chain

The implications of this technology are particularly profound for the cold chain sector, where battery reliability is not just about efficiency, but about product integrity and public safety. Trailers transporting temperature-sensitive goods like pharmaceuticals, biologics, and fresh food rely on a constant power supply to their refrigeration units. A battery failure in this context can be catastrophic.

Industry research highlights the staggering financial impact of temperature excursions. The pharmaceutical sector alone loses an estimated $35 billion annually due to such failures, while a significant portion of the more than $35 billion in yearly food loss is attributed to ineffective cold chain processes. For a single company, a spoiled shipment of high-value goods can result in losses exceeding $100,000, with some firms reporting annual disruption costs of over $1 million.

Clarios’s new system acts as a digital guardian for these sensitive shipments. By ensuring the trailer battery can consistently power the refrigeration unit, it helps fleet operators meet stringent regulatory requirements, such as those from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which mandate precise temperature control. Real-time monitoring provides the assurance that cooling systems are running without interruption, protecting product efficacy and preventing the immense waste and financial loss associated with spoilage.

A New Layer of Intelligence in a Connected World

While the market for fleet telematics is robust, with companies like Verizon Connect and ORBCOMM offering broad asset tracking solutions, Clarios is carving out a specialized niche. The company is leveraging its century-plus of expertise in battery chemistry and engineering to provide a level of diagnostic depth that goes beyond simple voltage readings. Its proprietary algorithms, powered by AI and machine learning, analyze battery data to deliver actionable intelligence specific to power system health.

This move positions the Trailer Battery Manager not as a competitor to general telematics, but as a crucial, specialized layer of intelligence that integrates into a modern fleet’s digital ecosystem. It provides a granular view of a component that is fundamental to the function of all other trailer systems.

This launch is a key part of Clarios's strategic evolution from a component manufacturer to a comprehensive, data-driven service provider. The Trailer Battery Manager joins a growing suite of tools on the Clarios Connected Services platform, which already includes:

• IdleLess™: A solution proven in pilot programs to reduce unnecessary engine idling by 40%, saving fleets up to $1,400 in fuel and cutting 2,500 kg of CO₂ emissions per vehicle annually.
• Battery Manager™: A predictive service for tractor batteries that forecasts end-of-life, optimizing replacement cycles and extending battery usage with confidence.

Together, these solutions create a unified platform giving fleet managers unprecedented visibility and control over the entire vehicle's low-voltage power system. By transforming battery data into strategic insights, Clarios is empowering operators to maximize uptime, reduce total cost of ownership, and build more resilient, efficient, and sustainable supply chains.