Glossary
Asset Tracking
Tracking equipment that doesn't have its own engine, trailers, generators, tools, usually with a Bluetooth beacon relaying through a nearby GPS-equipped vehicle, or a standalone powered tracker for equipment that travels alone.
What Asset Tracking means in practice
Asset tracking means following equipment that has no engine of its own, such as trailers, generators and tools, with either a Bluetooth tag that relays through a nearby tracked vehicle or a standalone powered tracker. The choice is made asset by asset, not once for the whole fleet. A Bluetooth tag has no cellular connection of its own; it reports when it is within range of a vehicle with a GPS tracking device, typically tens of metres. That keeps the ongoing cost low and suits tools and smaller equipment that ride on the same truck. A standalone powered tracker carries its own battery and cellular connection, costs more, and reports from anywhere with coverage.
Three questions sort most assets: does it usually travel with a tracked vehicle, is it valuable or theft-prone enough to justify its own connection, and do you need its location while it sits alone for days? Two or three yes answers point to a powered tracker.
Most equipment-heavy fleets end up running both, on the same platform. The common mistake is assigning a device once and never revisiting it, since an asset that used to travel with a truck can end up parked at a site for weeks.
Read the full explainer
The definition above is the short version. The page below explains Asset Tracking in depth, with the rules, numbers and examples behind it.
GPS Asset Tags vs. Powered TrackersGuides that explain Asset Tracking
- How Much Does GPS Fleet Tracking Cost?
- Telematics vs GPS Tracking: What's the Difference?
- Construction Equipment Telematics: Tracking Heavy Machines, Not Just Trucks
- Trailer GPS Tracking: How It Works With and Without a Truck Attached
- Heavy Equipment Theft Recovery: How GPS Gets Stolen Machines and Trailers Back
- Bluetooth Asset Tracking Tags and the IOX-BT: How They Work and What to Tag
- GPS Tracking for Landscapers and Lawn Care: Crew Time, Equipment and Snow Season
- GPS Fleet Tracking for HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical Contractors
Asset Tracking: common questions
What is the difference between a Bluetooth asset tag and a powered GPS tracker?
A Bluetooth tag is a small battery beacon with no cellular connection; it relays its location through a nearby GPS tracking device, so it only reports when a tracked vehicle is in range. A powered tracker has its own battery and cellular connection and reports independently, anywhere with coverage. Tags cost less per unit and per month.
How long do Bluetooth asset tag batteries last?
Typically months to a couple of years, depending on the device and how it is used. The tag lasts that long because it never maintains its own cellular connection; it only broadcasts a short-range signal that a nearby GPS tracking device picks up and relays to the High Point GPS platform with the vehicle's position.
Can I track trailers and tools on the same platform as my trucks?
Yes. Most mixed fleets put Bluetooth tags on tools and smaller items that travel with a vehicle and standalone powered trackers on trailers, generators and other assets that spend real time away from any vehicle. Everything appears on the same platform as the trucks, so one map shows the vehicles and the equipment together.