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The benefits of tracking tractor units are well known, but
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if the trailer is detached from the tractor there is no way to locate the load. Unless you install tracking devices on the trailers as well..
Sharon Clancy reports.
Tracking trailers independently involves a capital cost and increases servicing requirements, so there has to be a good financial case for doing so.
A survey by trailer-tracking supplier Axscend revealed that trailer under-utilisation in Europe is around 15 %."With profit margins remaining thin for many UK operators. investment in trailer tracking can help maximise the earning potential of the fleet," says managing director Tim Steer.
Load security is a further driver.While many consignors insist that contractors have tracking systems fitted to their trucks, there is a growing realisation that if the trailer is detached from the tractor unit, there is no method of locating the goods..lhieves have realised this too. Often it is low-price, easilysold loads that are the target, not high-value goods such as consumer electronics as these are more likely Lc) have increased security to deter thieves.
Trailer tracking can also help multi-depot fleets locate trailers for servicing.
Maintaining power
The big challenge in trailer tracking is maintaining power to the telematics unit: every satellite position fix or communications transmission puts a drain on the power pack. Various battery technologies have been developed to resolve the problem. Nonreplaceable batteries include standard nickel cadmium AA batteries (used by ICThings.com, for example) and long-life hybrid lithium thionyl chloride batteries (fitted in Axscend. Satamatics and TISS Trailer Security units, for example).
There are also battery packs that can be recharged either by solar power or with a trickle charge whenever the trailer is hooked up to a tractor unit.A trickle-charge system involves more complicated installation, but is preferred by some users because of its reliability.
Self-contained trailer-tracking units are easy to install because there is no need to hard-wire the tracking device into a trailer electrical circuit — often the tracking units are simply stuck to the trailer roof with adhesive pads.
The main servicing issue for trailer telematics is to ensure batteries are replaced before the unit stops reporting, and most systems now incorporate battery status monitoring to warn operators when power levels arc low.
The IC500e tracking unit from ICThings corn runs off six standard AA batteries which, says the company, will provide up to two years' use in a typical operation:The device is selfcontained and can be hidden out of sight in the trailer or even within a valuable consignment.
"With smart power management, there is no need for expensive lithium-ion batteries," says director Tom O'Connor. "Our devices are portable, so changing batteries periodically is not an issue, especially as we monitor the charge to avoid the situation where the operator is unable to locate the asset, but can't determine whether this is because it has been stolen or because the unit has lost power."
The 10500e unit incorporates an integrated motion sensor that alerts users to any prohibited actions, such as being moved by a low-loader or towing. Operators can even place one in hired trailers to eliminate any "black holes" in terms of the visibility of the operation, says O'Connor.
BTrack's solar-powered self-contained Easitracker can be configured to give an alert when it is within a 20-mile radius of a depot or customer premises, which reduces the need for polling, and motion sensors can activate the device whenever the trailer is moved.The unit transmits its position every 15 minutes when moving and every 24 hours when stationary.
The rooftop-mounted device is a lowprofile rectangular casing made of flexible material designed to cope with the movement of the trailer roof. The unit is fastened to the roof with industrial-strength bonding materials and has an 1P67 rating against dust and water.
Many operators are sceptical that solar power can generate enough energy for live tracking, but the secret lies in the management of power consumption, says Andy Walker. sales and marketing director. -The solar panels charge even in overcast conditions,and Easitracker is a smart device which senses when the trailer is being used."
There is battery backup, but Walker says power consumption on the unit is so low that it will work in ambient light conditions even if the battery pack is fully discharged.
"Live polling allows operators and their customers to track the progress of consignments via links to our site with preassigned login data. Operationally, it means fast identification of trailers that are available for loading. And rental firms can instantly locate trailers for collection."
Expanding market With trailer tracking now more affordable, the market is expected to expand and suppliers of truck telematics systems are broadening their product range to include trailers.Isotrak, for example, has added three trailer-tracking units to its portfolio.They form part of the company'sTotal Transport System telematics package, developed with scheduling specialist Paragon, which integrates vehicle and trailer asset scheduling with automatic live updating of the planned journeys.
Popular demand has been the driver for providing a trailer tracking option. says Quartix sales and marketing director Andy Kirk. "We don't market this service specifically, hut our clients can have our tracking units lilted to trailers on request.The tracking devices use a battery with advanced powermanagement features, making them ideally suited for use in remote applications where battery life is of key importance."
Minorplanet has added the 5800 trailertracker unit to its portfolio, powered by rechargeable batteries.
Trailer leasing companies are increasingly deploying trailer tracking to monitor their assets and ensure they are returned on time or that the customer is charged for the extended rental. Once the units are installed they can also be used to offer operators the facility to track trailer movements themselves.
Trailer manufacturers are also starting to offer tracking systems as original equipment with Schmitz Cargobull the trailblazer.
Two of the leading refrigeration equipment suppliers, Carrier Transicold and"lbermo King, now offer mainstream trailer-tracking systems, recognising that live temperature updates are only part of the picture.
Satamatics is incorporating Carrier's new third-party communications protocol into its firmware on the SAT-201 satellite modern.This will allow the tracking unit to capture temperature data, set point, fuel levels and history.
TracKing is a fully fledged trailer telematics system from Thermo King, which feeds back the current temperature at regular time intervals, and can also download temperature history from onboard data loggers.
Portable tracking
For goods-in-transit security, independent trailer tracking can be used to deter wouldbe thieves from unhitching the trailer from its original tractor unit. As well as installing tracking devices on the trailer, some companies are placing portable tracking devices inside a roll cage of pallets to help track goods.
Portable tracking units can also help hauliers secure a contract. Customers who require it can be offered trailer tracking without all the trailers in the fleet having Lobe equipped with tracking devices.
Easitracker Mobile, for example, can provide position fixes at three-minute intervals for three days on one battery charge. The system can store an unlimited number of planned routes, so you can be alerted if there is a route deviation.The company says the system has been successfully tested within dense loads such as mobile phones and general postal loads from within housings sue as tote boxes and wooden enclosures.
"Our customers tell us that hijackings involve the diversion of the trailer to a location which is hidden from view to carry out the removal of the goods," says Walker. "Easitracker Mobile is designed to warn the operator before the criminals have the opportunity to trans-ship the goods.The device can be hidden well inside the trailer, so it would be very difficult for the thieves to finc it quickly."
Aerotrack Portable is a self-contained tracking device that can be set up in minutes and offers web-based reporting in real time, lean be used to track trailers or individual iten of cargo, and provides up to five positions a d2 from one battery pack.
The Web experience Most tracking companies allow you to configure reports on trailer activity and get a live snapshot view of the current status of all trailers in the fleet.You can view them on the Web or, in many eases, arrange to have reports sent at pre-defined intervals by e-mai Another option is to have alerts sent by e-maor SMS if, for example, the movement sensor on the trailers triggers an alarm. .
Some websites, such as Axscend's, also alio' you to record trailer details online, including next service/MoT date and the number of dal until then, eliminating this normally timeconsuming and complicated process.
Utilisation reports can show you which trailers have not moved in the last day, week or month, and the number of days a particula. trailer has been stationary. GE Equipment Services offers trailer tracking through its TIE Trailer Services division; its Veriwise website can provide data on problems and rank trailers, issues and events according to userdefined criteria.
Many sites use the latest generation of online mapping software, enabling you to get the data you want more quickly.Axscend's mapping tools, for example, let you pinpoint trailers down to street level and reference them against 300,000 locations in 45 countrie: leThings.com's upgraded website allows users to configure their 10500e tracker units remotely, so there is no need to bring trailers into a depot if, for example, you want to add a geofcnce or change the frequency the trailer reports in. •