Rental Equipment Trackers

Why Do Rental Equipment Businesses Use GPS Tracking?

If you have not heard the term “tracking system” you have probably been living under a rock for the past 10 years. The reason is that GPS trackers are now being employed by people in the business and consumer sectors for a variety of purposes from monitoring the driving activity of a company driver or teen driver. However, one area where GPS trackers are now increasingly being used that people might not be familiar with is in the rental equipment industry. Businesses renting out vehicles, heavy equipment, or other assets are able to securely monitor and protect equipment through the use of real time GPS tracking. But what is a real time GPS rental equipment tracker, and how does the technology assist rental equipment businesses?

How a GPS Tracker For Rental Equipment Works

Although GPS tracking systems are used around us every day in the form of navigation, mobile apps, and fleet tracking, some people might ask how exactly does the technology work? More importantly, how does a GPS tracker for rental equipment work?

GPS technology essentially refers to the network of satellites that are constantly orbiting the Earth and transmitting signals down to the ground. These satellites, which were placed in outer space by the Department of Defense, are used to help calculate information such as distance traveled. Without these GPS satellites, there would be no tracking systems or navigation devices.

GPS asset trackers work by acquiring the signals transmitted from the satellites that orbit the Earth twice daily and then utilizing a mathematical process known as triangulation to determine position. Basically, a tracking device is a receiver that gathers GPS signals and then uses that information to determine location, distance, and more. The GPS tracking data is then typically plotted over the backdrop of a mapping program where users can view addresses arrived, addresses departed, times en route, distances traveled, altitude, and more.

For a more detailed explanation of how GPS tracking works please click here.

Tracking Rental Equipment

Data recorded onto an equipment GPS tracker can be accessed either live or after the GPS receiver has returned from its travel. Devices that allow data to be viewed live are referred to as real time GPS trackers, and tracking devices where data is accessible after travel is known as data loggers. Real-time GPS trackers send information that is recorded onto the GPS receiver over wireless networks where it can then be accessed online. On the other hand, data loggers need to typically have GPS tracking data recorded on the GPS receiver manually downloaded to the computer either through a USB port or a download cable. The GPS tracking data can then be used by an equipment rental company to validate driver safe driving, mileage documentation, and even safeguard equipment from theft.

The most popular form of rental equipment GPS tracker is one that provides real-time updates that way the rental equipment company can instantly locate assets.

GPS Protects Rental Equipment From Theft

Everyday rental equipment businesses across the globe look for ways to mitigate the risk of theft and increase asset protection strategies. Whether a business is in the field of construction equipment rental and needs to safeguard a piece of heavy machinery or a stainless steel distributor who needs to monitor equipment to ensure freight is not stolen, real-time GPS tracking technology is proving to be the go-to solution.

Rental equipment businesses all have valuable assets needing protection, whether those assets be vehicles, heavy machinery, freight, tools, appliances, and more. Before the era of technology, many of businesses had to rely on security guards to watch over an entire facility, hope that customers did not damage rental equipment, and hope staff members were not stealing from the company. Now, monitoring technology has become so affordable it doesn’t make sense not to utilize either video surveillance equipment or equipment rental GPS tracking systems to watch over vehicles, people, and other valuable company assets.

Imagine for a moment the rental equipment business constantly had someone stealing generators or some other expensive equipment from the job site. The company wouldn’t know if the theft was coming from an internal source, or a local thief looking to make a quick buck to pay for his crack addiction. If the rental equipment operation had a GPS tracking device protecting any of those items they could be alerted by text message or email the moment the equipment was moved. After receiving the notification from the equipment GPS tracker that theft has occurred:

• Management could go online
• View in real time where an equipment rental/asset/valuable is located at that precise moment
• Call local law enforcement
• Relay the location of the stolen goods to the police
• Quickly acquire stolen items back before the crack head can sell them to a pawn shop or drug dealer

Best GPS Tracker For Equipment

According to online reviews and industry experts, the best GPS tracker for rental equipment is the SpaceHawk. The reason SpaceHawk GPS is so popular among rental equipment companies is that the tracker is portable, waterproof, small, and has a surface magnet so it can easily be hidden on a piece of equipment without hassle. Another cool feature of the device is that it is a real time GPS tracker but service plans are month-to-month so rental equipment companies do not have lengthy contracts or commitments.

For more information on the SpaceHawk GPS tracker for equipment rental please click here.

Fleet Management Tips For Equipment Rental Companies

In the business world, having the ability to communicate, monitor, and manage a fleet of vehicles effectively can result in increased revenue, efficiency, and structured operations. Understanding the importance of GPS fleet management, and how it pertains to equipment rental businesses, here is a list of tips businesses can utilize to help organize and improve internal fleet management strategies. By implementing even one or two of the following simple tips/strategies an equipment rental business will quickly see a more modernized, efficient, and productive fleet management operation.

1. Make A Checklist Before Any Vehicle Leaves The Facility

Checklists help people stay on track in the regular world and in the business world. They can remind people shopping not to forget the milk, and in the business world, they can remind drivers of important deliveries and pick-ups. Many times a driver will have so many things to take care of that some details can slip through the cracks. Drivers, delivery persons, or other individuals in the shipping industry need to make sure that the most important items, packages, or clients do not slip through the cracks, and creating a checklist is one way to prioritize.

2. Invest In GPS Tracking

GPS asset trackers are designed to monitor and document the movements of pets, people, equipment, and vehicles. By utilizing GPS tracking technology a company can easily improve fleet management operations and security. Vehicle tracking systems allow a company to view the location of a truck or car while in the field in real-time from a computer. Having 24/7 access to a vehicle eliminates the potential of theft, improves driver security, allows a business to document tax-deductible mileage driven, and gives a business a way to audit accountability. GPS tracking system technology has been one of the driving forces behind the improved fleet management operations of large and small businesses across the globe.

3. Make Design Improvements To Delivery Vehicles

Many delivery vehicles may be required to perform unique job descriptions, making minor vehicle enhancements and improvements a priority to businesses aiming to make a job safer and easier. For example, businesses that specialize in oil and fuel delivery typically operate large trucks that can make maneuverability a chore on city streets. Oil and fuel delivery vehicles many times will have difficulty navigating sharp turns on winding roads or city streets, causing delivery times to be less efficient and predictable. Small vehicular adjustments and upgrades such as the use of a swept-back bumper, further set axle, axle strengthening, hydraulic hoods, or wider door openings can all help improve the functioning of a fleet.