A trailer tracking option with no monthly fees from PeopleNet identifies a trailer and provides location information when hooked to a tractor equipped with the company’s g3 onboard communications system. The tethered system uses an RFID device on the trailer to wirelessly transmit the trailer ID, location, hook and drop times, and other alerts to a new Wi-VAN gateway device in the tractor.
Trailer data is relayed over the g3 system to PeopleNet’s operating center, where it can be accessed by fleets over the internet in report form or retrieved for data integration with other back office systems. Initial reports include trailer status, location, movement and history, but the company said future plans call for extending the trailer tracking system’s capabilities to include information on tire pressures, refrigeration unit operations and other data.
Untethered systems can provide real-time trailer status and location information without being hooked to a tractor. While the new PeopleNet Trailer ID system requires a tractor hook-up to access that data, the company said it is “more cost-effective than untethered wireless systems since there is no recurring monthly fee and significantly lower hardware costs.”
