Equipment Tracking System: Devices and Software

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How it works
Which device
AirTags
What to expect
FAQ

What is an equipment tracking system and how does it work?

An equipment tracking system has two parts: a tracking device on each asset, and software that keeps every location report. Each report carries a date, so together they form the asset's history. A site alert is sent when an asset is next reported outside the boundary drawn around a yard or job site.

Any GPS tracker needs two things: power and a data plan. The power comes from wiring into the machine, or from a battery that someone charges every few weeks or months. The tracker also sends every position itself, so each unit carries its own data plan.

A crowdsourced tag needs neither: it has no GPS receiver, no wiring and no data plan. It broadcasts a Bluetooth signal, and any phone that passes reports where it heard the tag. These networks are large (Apple counts over a billion iPhone, iPad and Mac devices, and Google over a billion Android devices). The tag's battery lasts up to six years, depending on its size.

Theft is one reason to track equipment. The NER and NICB 2016 theft report counted 11,574 equipment thefts reported to police that year, and 2,442 recoveries. A location record gives the police somewhere to look. The stolen tool and equipment recovery playbook covers the first hour.

Reports its own positionGPS tracker

Gets its position from satellites
Sends it over the cellular network
Needs power and a data plan

Passing phones report itCrowdsourced tag

Broadcasts a Bluetooth signal
Any phone that passes by reports where it heard it
No GPS and no data plan

Tracking software

Where it is now
Where it has been
An alert when it leaves a site

A GPS tracker reports its own position. A crowdsourced tag is reported by any phone that passes it. Either way, the software keeps every report.

Which equipment tracking device fits each asset?

The same equipment tracking device fits every kind of equipment: a crowdsourced tag, in a size to suit the asset. A coin-sized tag fits a tool or a case that stays dry. A larger tag, sealed to IP68 and screwed or stuck on, suits a trailer or a machine that lives outside. Where the tag goes depends on what the asset is and how it moves.

One tag on each kind of equipmentPick an asset

A tag works on all four. It sits out of sight in the excavator cab, on the trailer frame and on the compactor. In the gang box, one tag covers the tools inside.

A tag fits a machine of any brand or age, with no wiring. It puts the machine on the same map as the rest of the fleet. The heavy equipment tracking guide covers which machines thieves take and where the tag goes.

A trailer has no engine running most of the time, so there is no power to draw on. A compactor or a portable pump has nothing to wire into, and many items are too small for a GPS tracker. The trailer tracking system guide covers where a tag hides on a trailer. The small equipment tracking guide covers which items to tag first.

Hand tools often travel together in a gang box, so one tag on the box covers the kit. The tool tracking system guide covers where the tag goes on each kind of tool.

Can you use AirTags to track equipment?

Yes. An AirTag on a machine or tool box shows up in the Find My app, like one on a set of keys. The app is built for personal items, and a growing fleet runs into four gaps:

A limit per account. One Apple Account holds a limited number of items. A larger fleet needs several accounts, and someone has to switch between them. An equipment company we work with was signing in and out of accounts on shared tablets.
No history. Find My shows where an item is now. It keeps no record of where it has been.
No site alerts. Find My can tell you when you leave an item behind. It cannot tell you when an asset leaves a yard, a job site or the country.
No team access. Find My is built around one Apple Account. A colleague can be given a few items, but there is no login to the whole list. There is no export or API either, so there is no spreadsheet of every asset's last known location to send to management.

Equipment tracking software fills these gaps. The AirTag data export and API guide shows how the locations reach a spreadsheet or the systems you already run.

What to expect from a tag-based equipment tracking system

Expect a dated location for every tagged asset, reported by whichever phones pass it. That shapes how often each tag updates.

Updates come from passing phones. Any phone that goes by can report the tag. A busy site updates often. A remote yard updates when someone passes, or when the asset moves somewhere busier.
Building-level position. The position comes from the phone that heard the tag. Expect the right site, yard or building, not the right shelf.
Location, not engine data. A tag reports where an asset is and when it came and went. Engine hours, fuel and fault codes come from the machine's own feed.
Where, not who. A tag shows where an asset is, not who signed it out. For that, keep a sign-out sheet or a check-out system alongside.

For construction work, the GPS tracker for construction equipment guide sets out which alert to set in each phase of a job.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best way to track equipment?

Put a tag on each asset and keep them all in one system. A GPS tracker needs power and a data plan for every unit, which is why tracking used to stop at the most expensive machines. A crowdsourced tag needs neither: any phone that passes reports it, and its battery lasts up to six years, depending on its size. So machines, trailers, portable equipment and tool boxes can all sit on the same map.

What is the best equipment tracking device?

A sealed tag with a long battery life that screws or sticks on. Look for an IP68 rating if it lives outdoors, and pick a size to suit the asset, from a tool box to a machine.

What is the best equipment tracking software?

The best equipment tracking software puts every asset on one map, with a login for each colleague who needs it. It should keep the location history and alert you when something leaves a site. It should also export to a spreadsheet, and have an API if you want the locations in your other systems. Check that it works with the devices you already own.

Is there free equipment tracking software?

Yes, but free tools cover only part of the job. A spreadsheet or a check-out app records what someone enters. The free app that comes with a consumer tag shows where each item is now. It keeps no history and sends no alert when an asset leaves a site.

How much does an equipment tracking system cost?

The cost is the device on each asset plus the software. A GPS tracker also needs a data plan for each unit while it runs, and someone to wire it in or recharge it. A crowdsourced tag has no data plan and no wiring, and its battery lasts up to six years, depending on its size.

What is the difference between equipment tracking and asset tracking?

Equipment tracking is asset tracking for the machines, trailers, portable equipment and tools a business moves between sites. Asset tracking is the wider term. It also covers things that rarely move, such as office IT and furniture. The same tags and software can cover both.

Can I track equipment in a spreadsheet?

Yes, for a short list. A spreadsheet only shows what someone last typed in, so it falls behind as soon as a unit moves without a note. A tag reports the location on its own, and tracking software can export the list back to a spreadsheet.

Does equipment tracking software work on a phone?

Yes. It usually runs in a phone browser or an app, so the map comes with you to the yard or the truck. With crowdsourced tags there is nothing to scan, because any phone that passes reports them.

Does an equipment tracking system work for rental equipment?

Yes. The last known location shows whether a rented unit is at the contract address, and a site alert tells you when it leaves. Tagged units in towns and suburbs report often. A unit on a remote site reports less often, when someone passes or when it moves somewhere busier.

Can I prove where a machine was on a given date for an insurance claim or a billing dispute?

Up to a point. The location history shows where the device was reported and when. For a tag, the position is the approximate position of the phone that heard it. No tracker shows where the asset was between reports.

See your whole fleet in one place

Tell us what you run, from machines to tool boxes. We will suggest a tag for each and tell you what updates to expect on your sites.

Talk to us about your fleet Compare the three tag sizes