Most people associate GPS tracking solutions with powered assets, including fleet vehicles and heavy equipment such as agriculture and construction equipment. But GPS tracking also works well with non-powered assets that are key to running a successful transportation-related business.
Businesses now have more options than ever when looking into GPS tracking solutions. The emergence of telematics has given commercial fleets and other operations that depend on powered and non-powered assets a chance to streamline operations.
Tracking Powered Assets
For fleets, powered assets are the heart of the operation. The ability to use GPS tracking systems on vehicles that collect data and report it in real-time can save fleets time and money. The investment in tracking systems quickly pays for itself.
Areas where GPS tracking solutions offer advantages for powered assets include the following.
Maintenance and monitoring. Connected devices provide real-time data on the engine performance in a powered asset. They can send alerts of any problems detected in a vehicle’s engine, for example, and alert drivers and fleet managers when regular maintenance is needed. This saves money on repairs and allows fleets to address potential issues before they become major headaches.
Productivity. GPS tracking solutions provide fleet managers a clear picture of everything happening with their fleet in real-time, giving them an unparalleled opportunity to understand how vehicles are used (or underused). This paves the way to more efficient management of inventory, including knowing the best assets to deploy in different situations.
Theft Protection. Theft is always a challenge for fleets, construction companies and agricultural operations. GPS tracking devices make it easy to see when a powered asset has been moved, with alerts signaling if the asset leaves a predetermined work area.
Tracking Non-Powered Assets
Non-powered assets include all sizes of equipment that do not have a power source. It includes trailers, water tanks, heavy equipment, roll-offs, frac tanks and other types of containers. Telematics offers GPS tracking devices with a rugged construction that allows them to withstand the beating some of these pieces of equipment handle every day.
Advantages of using GPS tracking solutions on non-powered assets include the following.
Saving time. Every construction site manager has been annoyed by long “yard hunts” to find a piece of equipment or storage container that no one can remember where they left. With tracking, they always know the location of every piece of equipment.
Improved Productivity. By compiling data on the use of non-powered assets, managers can quickly see where they are wasting assets and money. By using tracking device data, managers can make more informed decisions about the size of the non-powered asset inventory and best practices for deployment.
Theft Protection. As with powered assets, theft is a continuing issue with non-powered assets – maybe even more so. The geofencing feature that sends a signal when an asset leaves a predetermined area is especially helpful in keeping track of non-powered assets. Tracking powered and non-powered assets is an important step for a company to take because of the amount of money invested into these important machines. By leveraging GPS tracking solutions and the data collection abilities of telematics devices, managers can better manage their assets and deploy them in ways that make an operation more efficient and effective.
