Guide
What is Asset Tracking?
Asset tracking is the practice of locating physical equipment you own or manage—trailers, attachments, generators, containers—when those items are not the truck that pulled them last.
- An asset tracker follows the equipment, not the driver log.
- Unpowered assets usually need their own battery or energy-harvesting strategy.
- TruckerPro is evaluating battery Teltonika hardware for this job; no customer asset map is live.
Why a cab device is not enough
When a tractor drops a trailer, the ELD and the dash cam leave with the driver. The trailer can sit in a customer yard, a drop lot, or a construction gate for days. The operational question becomes “where is the box?”, not “where is the driver?”
The same pattern shows up with generators, light towers, attachments, and containers. Those assets often have no dependable 12/24 V feed, harsh weather exposure, and long idle periods. A self-powered terminal is the usual design, with a reporting interval chosen so the battery lasts through the duty cycle.
What an asset-tracking program has to decide
| Decision | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Power | Hardwired, battery, or hybrid. Runtime is a function of interval, motion, signal, and temperature—not a sticker rating. |
| Mounting | Must be authorized, secure, and still see sky and cell. A hidden mount that kills GNSS is a failed install. |
| Network | LTE-M / NB-IoT capability is not a coverage map. Test the actual SIM on the yards and lanes you use. |
| Events | Movement, geofence enter/exit, and “has not reported” are different products. Confirm each one exists. |
| Identity | The software has to keep trailer 214 attached to the right device after a swap or repair. |
Theft, utilization, and honesty
Vendors often sell asset tracking as theft recovery. A tracker can help you notice that a unit moved. It is not a police service, a guaranteed recovery, or a lock. Utilization reporting is similarly useful only if you define “in use” and the device actually reports during that window.
TruckerPro will not claim theft recovery, insurance discounts, or guaranteed location while the platform is unbuilt. The private pilot is meant to test whether the TAT141 candidate reports usefully on unpowered assets in Canada and the United States.
Related reading
- GPS asset tracker pilot
- GPS tracker for trailers
- Glossary: asset tracking
- Equipment GPS tracker pilot
Questions
What is GPS asset tracking?
It is location reporting for physical assets—often trailers or equipment—using a dedicated tracker rather than relying on the tractor’s cab device.
Is asset tracking the same as fleet tracking?
Fleet tracking often means powered vehicles. Asset tracking usually covers items that can be dropped, rented, stolen, or left on a jobsite without a cab attached.
Can TruckerPro track my assets today?
No. The TP057 candidate is under evaluation. Ingestion, maps, alerts, coverage, and commercial terms are not available.
Share a pilot use case
Tell us what you would track and where it operates. This records interest; it does not place an order.