Trackunit has launched the Spot S300, a battery-powered tracking device for equipment that has no power source to wire into. According to Rental Equipment Register, which cited a company press release, the target assets include trailers, containers, portable heaters, welders and message boards.
The device has been available for order since Oct. 1. First shipments are scheduled for November.
The visibility gap
Unpowered equipment has long sat outside connected fleets because wiring it into a network was not feasible, according to the report. These assets also tend to move often between job sites, which makes them hard to locate.
The Spot S300 does not require wiring. Trackunit says it can be installed in minutes, with activation and reporting starting almost immediately.
What the device does
The S300 builds on the earlier Spot 2 and keeps the same wireless installation. Trackunit says it adds more frequent reporting, better cellular coverage and more device intelligence.
- Connectivity: LTE Cat 1 bis, which runs on standard 4G networks worldwide.
- Reporting: Positions are reported four times per day by default. The frequency can be changed through the Trackunit Fit app or Trackunit Manager.
- Battery: Up to seven years of life, with batteries that can be replaced. Device health insights are meant to flag low batteries before the device loses power.
Where the data goes
In Trackunit Manager, fleet managers can see Spot S300 devices next to powered equipment and tools on the job site. The data also feeds Trackunit IrisX, the company's operating data platform for construction. There, users can build reports and dashboards for their own business.
Trackunit's pre-built IrisX Blueprints can turn the data into automated tasks. One example given is flagging out-of-contract equipment usage.
Rental recovery
The company also pitches the tracker for rental returns. When a rental period ends, location data can show where an asset is, rather than relying on phone calls to find it for pickup. Trackunit says this could mean faster turnaround times, though the report presents that as a potential benefit and gives no figures.
The report does not include pricing, and the details above come from Trackunit's own release.
Sources
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