Webfleet Solutions' Asset Tracking Helps Reduce Risk of Equipment Theft

Webfleet Solutions is helping fleets reduce the risk of equipment theft and improper usage with a new capability for asset tracking within WEBFLEET, released Oct. 5 to US fleet customers and business owners. WEBFLEET Asset Tracking gives companies the ability to visualize the position and usage of their powered assets, such as trailers, generators, and other equipment from a single interface with the position of vehicles and assets are displayed on a clear map view. 

According to recent data, the United States has the second highest cargo theft rate in North America, and annual estimates of the cost of equipment theft vary from about $300 million to $1 billion, with most estimates in the range of $400 million.

With WEBFLEET Asset Tracking, fleet operators can choose to be alerted when an asset is being used, when it leaves a designated area, or when any motion is detected. This helps reduce both the risk of theft and the likelihood of improper usage. Notifications can also be set up to alert the user when maintenance is required, which helps to preserve the value of the asset.

The user can find out the location of each asset in seconds, whether it’s on-site or off. Asset Tracking provides access to a detailed map, which provides visibility of where their assets have been, with position updates every five minutes on the map. If they want more detail, they can get instant reports 24/7 listing current position, trip, maintenance, input, and all the other details regarding how the asset is being used. Customers can setup a maintenance notification based on the odometer, engine hours, or time since the last maintenance – whatever is most suitable for judging that an asset needs to be serviced. 

Trailers equipped with a LINK 340 device - a ruggedized tracker, which is dust, shock, and waterproof - also provide coupled asset information, displayed automatically on the map for both truck and trailer. Users can easily identify which of their assets are connected to which vehicle, or which machine is being transported by which truck. This advanced new feature provides better control of the total transportation value chain for enhanced business efficiency, while increasing the accountability of drivers. 

With Asset Tracking, users can: 

• Accurately locate assets by viewing the current positions of assets, ensuring they're on-site or can be located quickly when needed.
• Understand asset’s general usage for project handling using asset reports that provide an overview of asset usage, including total trip and engine hour information for increased efficiency of rental billing, regular book-keeping, and maintenance management. 
• Detect theft in time to take effective action, a costly and common concern for businesses, with geofencing or motion activation which provides instant alerts if an asset is moved without permission. 
• Monitor their entire business from one interface by tracking trailers and powered assets from one interface alongside a fleet of vehicles. E.g. fleet managers can monitor their trailer as well as see which truck driver is handling it based on the coupling information. 
• Track trailers that are not in use with active, minimum traceability that reports the location, one position per day, of disconnected trailers.

Originally posted on Government Fleet