Wireless Asset Tracking
Only transport fleet owners know the true cost of a truck hijacking. Reported figures only tend to take the value of the vehicle into account, but fail to account for the load, the emotional impact on the drivers, the subsequent staff costs, the knock on effects of failure to deliver the product to the client and so on.
Combating truck hijackings is not a simple matter, especially when the thieves are targeting only the trailer or cargo. Conventional fleet management and wired tracking devices in the truck simply don’t work if the trailer is dragged away, or if they are disabled.
Transport operators with tracking units fitted to their trucks or trailers have the problem that these devices require power from the truck, making them easy to find and therefore susceptible to disablement if they are separated from their power supply.
A solution which has achieved a great deal of success around the world and especially in South Africa is a wireless unit called Mtrack which is supplied by Electronic Tracking Systems Ltd (ETS).
The battery life of self powered devices is usually measured in days or weeks, but Mtrack’s patented power management algorithm enables the device to last for up to 3 years on factory-set reporting intervals.
Deon Bayly, Managing Director of ETS says “The majority of our transport clients who run their devices on a 40 minute sleep cycle get between 8 and 12 months from the battery. This means that it is now practical to imbed the Mtrack into a vehicle, trailer, cargo or any other moveable asset. Obviously the more times you have to access a device to recharge it or replace the battery, the more you compromise your security”.
Mtrack uses the GSM network to get an initial macro location, and then Radio Frequency to track the device to within 1 metre.
“GSM units are not as easy to shield as GPS-based systems," says Bayly. Because Mtrack doesn’t have to ‘see the sky’ we are able to track inside warehouses and buildings and even underground locations such as parking lots."
The system has a user-friendly web based interface, making it possible for clients to access the system and view their devices from any where. Each user is given a unique user ID with custom user rights. This enables the user to do what he is allowed to do, and protects the system from unauthorized use. Depending on user rights, a user can query for position on units, usage reports and communicate with the units. All communication, configuring, daily health checks etc are performed remotely through the GSM network.
Says Bayly, “because Mtrack is wireless it is also totally mobile. It can be moved from one vehicle to another or one load to another without expensive installations. Motor Dealers love this, plus the fact that you do not have to interfere with any wiring harnesses”.
Mtrack is supplied by Electronic Tracking Systems Ltd and has been operating in South Africa for 3 years. The technology is Norwegian, with products being built in the Sony Ericsson factory in Malaysia.