# IOX-BT and Bluetooth Asset Tags: How They Work and What to Tag

IOX-BT is the Bluetooth expansion module that lets a GPS tracking device hear beacons on trailers, tools and equipment nearby, and relay them into the High Point GPS platform. Here's how the module, the tags and the platform fit together, what range and battery life to expect, and which assets are worth tagging.

Source: https://www.highpointgps.com/resources/iox-bt-bluetooth-asset-tags
By Stefano Mazzone, IT Technical Support Specialist — published 2026-09-18, updated 2026-09-19

## The Three Parts

Bluetooth asset tracking on the High Point GPS platform is a module, a tag and the platform. The IOX-BT is an expansion module that plugs into the IOX port on a GPS tracking device and adds a Bluetooth Low Energy radio; newer GPS tracking devices carry that radio built in and skip the module. The tag is a small sealed beacon attached to the asset — a trailer, a compressor, a tool crate — that broadcasts its identity every few seconds on a coin-cell or larger battery. The High Point GPS platform is where the tag appears as an asset with a location, a last-seen time and, for sensor tags, a temperature or other reading.

The GPS tracking device does the work. Whenever it hears a tag, it records which tag, when and where it was at the time, and sends that up with its regular telematics data. The tag itself has no GPS and no modem, which is why it is inexpensive and why its battery lasts years.

## What 'Nearby' Means

A tag is heard within Bluetooth range of a GPS tracking device, typically tens of metres in the open and less through steel. That makes the location of a tagged asset the location of the last vehicle that heard it: a trailer in the yard is seen by every truck that passes, a generator on a site is seen by the crew truck parked beside it, and a tool crate in a van reports from wherever the van goes. An asset that sits where no tracked vehicle ever goes is not seen — so a tagged asset's coverage is the fleet's coverage, which is good for a yard-and-site operation and not for a trailer dropped at a customer three provinces away.

For that case, a standalone battery or solar tracker with its own GPS and modem is the right tool, and the two coexist on the same map.

![Three cards comparing wired trackers, battery trackers and Bluetooth tags by the assets they suit, update rate and battery life](https://www.highpointgps.com/images/figures/asset-tracker-types.webp)

*Which tracker fits which asset: wired for powered equipment, battery for trailers and dropped equipment, Bluetooth tags for tools and attachments.*

## Sensor Tags

Beyond identity and presence, some tags carry sensors. Temperature tags in a reefer body or a cooler give a continuous cold-chain record through the vehicle's own device. Door, humidity and tilt variants exist. The IOX port can also take wired third-party sensors from the add-on library for cases where a beacon's sampling is not enough, and driver ID readers such as the IOX-NFCREADERA share the same port family.

## What to Tag First

Start with the assets that go missing or are hunted for most: trailers and dollies, generators and compressors, attachments and buckets, and any tool or kit that costs more than a few hundred dollars and travels between crews. Group them by type in the High Point GPS platform so a search for 'where are the compactors' returns a list, and turn on last-seen alerts so an asset unheard for longer than its normal cycle is flagged before it is needed on a job. The installation is a magnet, screws or industrial adhesive in a spot out of sight, and the tag pairs to the platform by scanning its ID.

## Tag Types and Where They Go

The tags High Point GPS deploys most, with the mounting that survives the asset's life and the reading each one adds.

| Tag | Mount | Adds | Battery |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Standard beacon | Adhesive or screws, hidden inside a cavity | Identity and last-seen location | Years on a coin cell |
| Rugged beacon | Bolted or strapped, sealed against washdown | Same, for equipment left outdoors | Years, larger cell |
| Temperature tag | Inside a reefer body, cooler or tote at product height | Continuous temperature | Years |
| Door or tilt tag | On a door frame or a tipping body | Open and close, tilt events | Years |
| Magnet-mount beacon | Steel surface, for assets that change hands | Identity, quick to move between assets | Years |

## FAQ

### What is the IOX-BT?

An IOX expansion module that adds a Bluetooth Low Energy radio to a GPS tracking device so it can hear nearby beacons. Newer GPS tracking devices have the radio built in.

### Do Bluetooth asset tags have GPS?

No. The tag broadcasts its identity; the GPS tracking device that hears it supplies the location and the connection to the High Point GPS platform.

### What is the range of a Bluetooth tag?

Tens of metres in the open, less through steel. A tagged asset is located wherever a tracked vehicle last heard it.

### How long does a tag battery last?

Several years on a coin-cell or larger battery, depending on the broadcast interval and the model.

### Can tags report temperature?

Yes. Temperature tags in a reefer body or cooler report readings through the vehicle's GPS tracking device for a continuous cold-chain record.

## Sources

- [Platform documentation: IOX Add-Ons](https://www.geotab.com/hardware/iox-expansion/)
- [Platform documentation: Asset Tracking](https://www.geotab.com/fleet-management-solutions/asset-tracking/)