GPS trailer tracking systems used to be very straightforward: Either they located your trailer, or they didn’t. Fleets have much more sophisticated options today.
Now when you’re sourcing GPS trailer tracking systems, it’s important to know what the latest technology offers and how you can use it to make your fleet more profitable. Some bells and whistles sound good, but in real life they’re not as useful as you might like. And other innovations can truly take your fleet to the next level.
In this two-part blog post, we’ll look at 10 things you should know about GPS trailer tracking systems, from buzzwords like “Smart Trailer” and beyond.
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What is a “Smart Trailer”?
“Smart Trailer” has been a hot buzzword and has come to mean anything from accessory light packages to machine learning. In reality, it should mean trailer technology that provides you with actionable data about how your trailers are being utilized.
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What is “Intelligent Trailer Management”?
FleetLocate Intelligent Trailer Management® (ITM), built upon Spireon’s award-winning trailer management solution, brings a new generation of intelligent tools to carriers, helping to translate the billions of data events being collected each month into actionable intelligence. ITM equips fleets with the tools to organize and analyze the data that means the most, improve fleet operational efficiency and generate true ROI.
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What does Intelligent Trailer Management include?
FleetLocate’s Intelligent Trailer Management includes these tools:
· Smart Sensor Integration
· Advanced IntelliScan Platform
· Data Sharing and Custom Analytics
· Actionable Intelligence
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What do those tools mean to a fleet?
Integrated smart sensors increase trailer visibility, drive operational efficiency, mitigate maintenance costs and reduce CSA violations. They include: Door sensors, temperature probes, liftgate monitoring, Automatic Tire Inflation Systems (ATIS), Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS), and more.
Spireon’s patented IntelliScan cargo sensing technology delivers 99.9% cargo detection accuracy, and includes: Time of flight lasers, Optical imaging technology, soft cargo sensing, irregular cargo sensing, and image capture and retrieval.
Data sharing and custom analytics allow fleets to combine telematics data with third-party data sources to create custom intelligence and customizable KPIs. With this next-level data tool, you can: Access thousands of assets, access years of data, utilize advanced APIs, extend TMS integration, maximize data sharing and warehouse, and utilize our partnership with Snowflake.
Actionable intelligence means you get the right insight at the right time, which allows your fleet to become proactive versus reactive, reduce downtime, and extend trailer life. With this kind of intelligence, you can make the most of: Advanced KPIs, intuitive reporting, visual dashboards, predictive analytics, and target maintenance monitoring.
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What do most fleets use this kind of technology for?
In a recent survey, 50% of carriers said they use Smart Trailer/Intelligent Trailer Management (ITM) for:
- Monitoring trailer location
- Tire pressure sensing and control
- Recovering lost/stolen trailer
40% of carriers in the same survey said they use Smart Trailer/ITM for four additional uses:
- Monitoring trailer mileage and maintenance schedules
- Reducing or improving detention billing
- Weight sensing
- Detecting whether a specific trailer is connected to a specific tractor
More sophisticated fleets use their trailer intelligence systems to prove load damage, see available capacity in the trailer and more. But the industry is just getting up to speed with these more leading-edge functions; less than 40% of carriers in the survey said they use Smart Trailer/ITM for these advanced capabilities:
- Capture photos or videos of cargo
- Use telematics devices to measure cargo load and available capacity in the trailer
- Integrate trailer data into a TMS
- Monitor tire temperature
Learn more in Part 2 of this blog about how Intelligent Trailer Management can take your fleet to the next level, and read how fleets are using them today.
For more information about how Intelligent Trailer Management can help your fleet, visit spireon.com/trailer-management or call one of our friendly experts at 800.557.1449.