The same system that is used in our smartphones can also be installed in heavy equipment to enable a real-time view of its transitory life-cycle. GPS tracking is a means of making sure you are always aware of the exact coordinates for all equipment involved in a job site. If something is late-or worse-stolen, immediate measures can be taken to prevent further loss.
This type of technology is popular in a variety of industries including the following:
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Utilities
- Infrastructure and roadways
- Landscaping
- Farming
- Shipping and Logistics
- Restaurants and food trucks
- Motorsports trailers
GPS tracking technology (also referred to as telematics) can help measure the health of your system to make sure it is always running at peak performance levels. Any job that involves heavy equipment can be a big investment, so it is critical that you have a system in place for all the checks and balances in the asset management of a project. The following are some of the ways in which telematics is benefiting companies right now:
Tracking
The best means to safeguard your assets is to track them through every step of the project. A GPS tracker allows a company to locate equipment and monitor how it is managed in real-time. The unit is usually discreetly attached to each piece of equipment and is ruggedized and weatherized resistant.
Loss Prevention
The true purpose for the tracking abilities of telematics is loss management. A large problem across all industries, theft of heavy equipment can stall a project and cost a company millions of dollars. Options like a “starter disable” on GPS tracking technology allows a company to remotely immobilize equipment and prevent further theft.
Time Management
Tracking abilities extend beyond equipment theft. It also allows a company to monitor the way their assets are being deployed and how employees are managing their time. This enables better overall scheduling and planning. Additionally, it helps prevent loss in terms of driver overtime, as the system knows exactly when the equipment is engaged 24-hours a day.
Instant Alerts
GPS monitoring software will also alert you with real-time equipment updates throughout the lifecycle of your project. Automated SMS and e-mails can tell you things like:
Received and completed deliveries
Compliance breaches
Unauthorized equipment use
Geofence alerts
Although tracking is the obvious benefit to GPS technology, telematics can also help you maintain the life of your equipment.
Maintenance
Modern asset management involves programs that watch your equipment on levels a human eye is incapable of. GPS tracking technology not only enables personnel to locate and manage equipment efficiently, it can also report on performance. The software will look at metrics like:
Engine hours and usage
Inventory
Equipment idling
Fuel usage
Job-site management
Component management
Using these types of data points, a GPS tracking program can report and recommend a preventative maintenance program that will extend the lifecycle of your equipment.
Accurate reports on past service, mileage, and engine hours can help plan for future projects and necessary maintenance. When looking for top-notch GPS tracking equipment, a system that works with no power supply (and a 2-6 month battery backup) is your best option.
Reporting
The most underutilized, yet highly valuable aspect of GPS tracking is smart reporting. Detailed monthly reports can assist with keeping track of top performing equipment and where to focus repairs.
The technology can also help notify when regular maintenance is due on equipment to keep them running at peak performance. Vehicle maintenance notifications always ensure regulations and standards are being met.
Fleet management software like GPS tracking can also dig deeper and help determine if assets are being utilized to their fullest potential and where to make cuts. This type of data allows for smarter decisions that result in larger savings on cost and labor.
GPS tracking technology solves some age-old challenges to heavy equipment management. It gives business owners the ability to sit as a “fly on the wall” of every piece of equipment they own. This enables greater control of things like loss prevention, efficient usage, inventory control, and labor management.