Installing cellular assisted GPS devices in road vehicles and heavy machinery has become a standardized process for different fleet tracking platforms. While this approach provides a cost effective and powerful tracking solution for fleets able to maintain consistently solid cellular network connectivity, it’s not applicable in case uses taking place indoors or outside a cellular network. A more diversified set of hardware that utilizes Bluetooth technology in tandem with cellular assisted GPS is required to track assets in these environments.
It’s easy to take for granted the incredible energy density that gasoline-fueled vehicles provide to power conventional GPS tracking devices, but tracking smaller assets that aren’t able to power a GPS device has been historically challenging because of the limitations of battery technology. Fortunately, product developers in recent years have been able to take advantage of improved battery technology as well as Bluetooth sensors to offer tracking solutions for assets that were impractical to track in the past.
Case Uses for Specialized Asset Tracking
Modern specialized asset tracking devices work by using long lasting batteries to track devices anywhere out in the field with cellular assisted GPS tracking and leveraging Bluetooth sensors to let users know where assets are at a fixed location: warehouse, works yard, etc.
This robust new tracking methodology is utilized by a variety of industries with case uses such as:
Tracking forklifts that operate in indoor and outdoor environments. Usually unachievable with traditional cellular assisted GPS due to a signal loss once the forklift is indoors. By installing Bluetooth readers throughout the operating environment, users can get the precise location of their forklifts or similar pieces of equipment at all times. This application is scalable for any size of operating environment.
Tracking small tools on and off job sites. In the past, this has been challenging because of technological limitations and the associated cost. Basic GPS solutions requiring telecom connectivity were limited to high value assets. Modern solutions using a fixed or mobile local area wireless network on site have proven useful to track these small tools in a cost-efficient manner; but these lack reliability when they are not within the coverage area or left on site without a temporary local network.
Having an asset tracking device that can create an ad hoc mesh network to localize any small asset without 5G/4G connectivity has been game changing for many businesses. Assets equipped with these specialized asset tracking devices that use a Bluetooth edition of the tracking devices, allow businesses to track all their tools at an optimal cost.
An added bonus: in the event that tools are left at a job site and can’t connect to the mesh or cell network, users can walk through the area using a Bluetooth proximity sensor on their mobile phone to determine if any tools have been left behind.
Getting basic on or off site location data for any type of asset. At times, this is all that some users require, and they don’t need all of the additional functionality and costs that come with traditional tracking solutions. An initial investment of Bluetooth sensors with much lower monthly costs provide a much better ROI for such cases compared to comprehensive GPS tracking solutions. Furthermore, this low-cost solution will work for assets being stored both outdoors and indoors.
Adaptable Tracking Services Under One Roof
Organizations that require diversified hardware for versatile tracking solutions often also require comprehensive fleet management as well. Advantage Asset Tracking has been providing core fleet management to a variety of private enterprise and government fleets for over a decade and has now joined forces with leading asset tracking provider AssetFlo to give its clients adaptable tracking services under one integrated roof. We’ve discussed some of the more common case uses for this exciting new technology in this blog post. There are many more potential case uses for using combined cellular assisted and Bluetooth tracking devices depending on the requirements of the organization at hand.
If your business requires diversified tracking technology to facilitate its fleet and asset management, we welcome the opportunity to learn more about you and discuss how our services could help revolutionize your operational practices.
Blog post was written by Paul Edworthy. He can be reached at: paul@advtracking.net
