Trailers Tracking with BLE ID Beacon
Trailers Tracking with BLE ID Beacon
Intro
Challenge
Did you know, according to Automobile Trailers Global Market Report, the global automobile trailers market was valued at $10 billion in 2017 and it keeps growing?
Any size experienced fleet manager is aware proper trailers and tanks management is a vital part of logistics business operations – domestic or international. Failing to do so, eventually, will cause fleet assets disarrangement, thefts or unauthorised use, delays, customer complaints, weakened reputation and competitiveness, fewer orders, lower profits and ROI. It is not ‘a nice to have’ option anymore, it is a business necessity to help a logistics company stay afloat.
Dispatchers, fleet managers, and corporate leaders need to know a trailer status in real-time — location, mileage, which driver is using it, has it dropped off or picked up a load, how many stops has it made on a given day or route, what is a trailer parking location, which driver is the closest to that trailer and so on?
Yet more, managers in charge have to know each asset productivity — how many hours have they have used the particular trailer in a given shift, week, month or quarter? It is a widespread practice in most businesses to keep assets and employees accountable by recording, tracking, and analysing their workload one way or another.
Thanks to Skytrack Telematics newly introduced EYE Beacon model, wireless Bluetooth technology and clever thinking, there are ways to overcome these challenges trouble-free way with maximum results.
Solution
All Skytrack GPS trackers based on the FMB platform support wireless Bluetooth LE connectivity, so they can effectively communicate with wireless Bluetooth devices such as beacons and sensors. The lightweight and small EYE Beacons should be attached at the front of every type of trailer to be tracked and monitored – flatbed, chassis, and box trailers, dry van trailers, reefer trailers, intermodal chassis and/or containers, refrigerated trailers, life haul trailers, frac tanks, etc.
How it works – because each BLE beacon has a unique ID number transmitted over the air as a radio signal at configurable intervals, Skytrack GPS trackers (in this case, FMC130) mounted in lorries and trucks read, identify them and send this data as iBeacon or Eddystone profile, combined with its GNSS location details, to a server for analysis and reports. Dedicated software shows all beacons (thus, tagged fleet assents) location based on proximity to the closest tracker, helps with BLE accessories assignment procedure management and so on.
Even more, every trailer with an EYE Beacon attached to it can be tracked in real-time via any smart device with an internet connection – phone, tablet computer, laptop, or desktop PC. As a result, fleet managers know exactly what is going on and can plan their further actions timely and efficiently. No more the old-fashioned ‘pen and paper’ methods or guesswork whatsoever which is known to be impractical and error-prone.
The EYE Beacon model has two prominent features – ‘Proximity Event’ and ‘Detection By Filters’. Thanks to them and advanced Skytrack GPS device configuration functionality, it provides a choice of various settings and scenarios to satisfy logistics fleet tracking needs.
‘Proximity Event’ – for instance, a vehicle tracker can generate asset proximity events depending on Bluetooth signal strength. This way, trailers with a specified distance from a lorry will be tracked, but others beyond that range will be ignored. Here two distinctive events can be set up – a lorry gets near the trailer and enters the tracking zone – event #1; a lorry move away from the trailer leaves the tracking zone – event #2. Also, it allows determining each moving beacon (so, the trailer of interest) locations grouped into ‘Near’, ‘Away’, and ‘Far Away’ zones.
‘Detection By Filters’ – the custom filtering feature allows to group assets by a specific attribute or property meaningful to business operations (e.g., by different trailer types) or track only own listed fleet ID beacons and ignore others if there are some around. These handy event scenarios help to monitor, manage, and optimise corporate fleet assets use with maximum efficiency, this way avoiding costly mistakes, keeping a fleet well organised, saving time and company resources.
Bluetooth connectivity has low-cost, high-energy efficiency, accuracy, and is highly affordable. These accessories can be easy to install, deploy, and replaced if broken. Skytrack beacons with configurable to exact customer need signal strength and data transmitting intervals can be swiftly integrated into virtually any size fleet. Altogether, this may noticeably boost business reputation, profitability, and competitiveness, to say at least.
Topology
Benefits
- Precise asset tracking anytime, anywhere – corporate leaders, fleet management, and dispatchers can monitor any trailer status in real-time around the globe. 100% accountability of everything important to the logistics business and fleet efficiency.
- Effortless inclusion of Skytrack EYE Beacons – adding tracking and monitoring functionalities easily and quickly for the current users of vehicle telematics solutions.
- Value-adding smart EYE Beacon features – ‘Proximity Event’ and ‘Detection By Filters’ practical event scenarios help to track, monitor, manage, and optimise trailers utilisation with supreme efficiency.
- Wireless and affordable – Bluetooth connectivity ensures fast installation and setup, low interference, power consumption and is inexpensive. If damaged, lost or stolen, the Skytrack BLE accessory can be quickly replaced.
- Improved company reputation, competitiveness, and profitability – timely deliveries, considerable cost savings because of cutting valuable assets and loss of goods expenses, anti-theft protection to boost profits, improved cash-flow and expansion opportunities.
Why Skytrack
To successfully resolve fleet trailers, semitrailers, and tank tracking challenges, we offer an indispensable combo from Skytrack – wireless Bluetooth technology-based brand-new ID beacons, functional Android/iOS mobile apps for prompt configuration, scanning, debugging, and the most sophisticated GPS trackers to help logistics business succeed.
Skytrack is the right place to get all you need to succeed – an impressive variety of certified GPS trackers, accessories, and solutions for any use case imaginable in the vehicle telematics industry. We research, design, develop, manufacture, innovate, supply products, and provide impeccable customer service to our business partners and clients worldwide.