Photo by Mael BALLAND on Unsplash
Running a construction operation is a stressful job and any way to make it easier would be welcomed by managers.
The industry has transitional workers, odd hours, vehicle and shipping costs, and just the general anxiety of getting something built on time. All of those things can add up for even the most experienced construction managers.
One of the most stressful things for any construction firm to handle is losing vehicles and heavy equipment. It may not happen to your business frequently, but when it does it is a huge pain in the backside.
These heavy equipment machines are built for specific purposes and they are obviously hard to replace if they are unable to be found. Excavators cost a lot of money for a reason and having constant knowledge of its whereabouts should be a top priority for any construction company.
These are five ways construction equipment tracking helps companies:
Avoid losing heavy equipment
Whether it’s your wallet or a bulldozer, losing something is just the worst. It almost always takes a long time out of the normal schedule to search an area for heavy equipment, not to mention the stress of not knowing where it is.
Construction equipment tracking technology would greatly benefit any company that uses heavy equipment. Typically, equipment tracking works using telematics GPS trackers that are installed directly into the machine and transmit data back to the product’s back-office dashboard or from a smartphone.
This allows construction managers quick access to the equipment’s location so it can be found right away and normal operations can continue.
Transportation Status Knowledge
Heavy equipment is often shipped to the work site from a dispatch center or another work site and it’s imperative for construction companies to know when it will arrive. A lot of jobs call for specific equipment so it’s important you know where it is so progress doesn’t get stalled too badly.
Managers have instant access to its location, the same as if equipment is lost. That dirt pile isn’t going to move itself, so you better know when that bulldozer will get to the jobsite!
Equipment status Information
Many tracking sets report other equipment diagnostic data beyond its location. Some products are configured to send alerts when they detect problems with overheating, fuel level, fuel and oil temperature, coolant temperature, engine hour readings, and odometer readings, to name a few.
Equipment condition and location will always be accessible with construction equipment tracking.
Catch Suspicious Activity
Picture this: It’s 2 a.m. on a Sunday and the ignition was turned on in one of your dump trucks. Learning that someone is tampering equipment in the dead of night may keep you up until the morning, but you’ll at least know exactly what is going on with the dump truck.
Lots of trackers detect after-hours activity and send notifications to the tracking software so you have up-to-date knowledge on your construction assets. Furthermore, if something gets stolen, you can just check where it is on the tracking dashboard and direct the authorities to its current location.
Saves Money
Construction equipment tracking will lead to big savings. Tracking sets share a machine’s real-time location so you won’t have to waste money and time looking for it – or worse, replacing it – after it’s been misplaced or stolen.
Additionally, the mechanical diagnostic alerts inform managers about defects so they can be addressed before it is too late and the repairs cost much more.
It is important to protect your assets in any walk of life and that rings especially true for construction equipment.