When you think of GPS tracking devices, what comes to mind? Maybe a blinking little box that someone sneaks onto the bumper of a car in a Tom Cruise movie? While GPS tracking devices can be quite discreet and useful for tracing the location of an object or vehicle, there’s so much more to consider in terms of use—for example, temperature tracking.
Tracking the temperature of your assets or cargo is, in fact, an invaluable tool when handling sensitive property. Validating that assets are being stored or transported in the appropriate environment is vital to numerous industries and situations; alternatively, knowing when the ideal environment isn’t delivered is just as crucial.
Let’s dig into what is temperature tracking, why it plays a vital role in asset tracking, and how GPS tracking devices go above and beyond simply monitoring the location of your assets or property.
Quick Links:
- What Is Temperature Tracking?
- Top Benefits of Monitoring Temperatures with GPS Tracking Technology
- Benefits of Asset Tracking Devices
What Is Temperature Tracking?
As the name suggests, temperature tracking involves ensuring that cargo is kept at the appropriate temperature and knowing when there’s an issue with the temperature needed for the sensitive cargo.
This aspect of asset tracking is invaluable for industries dealing with cold or perishable goods—especially when the stakes are so high. If a semi-truck transporting frozen foods has something go wrong with its air conditioning system and the problem isn’t discovered until it reaches its destination and all the food is spoiled, that’s a huge cost in time, fuel, and loss of product.
Having the ability to monitor temperature extends beyond transportation, of course. Another use case pertains to the healthcare industry where certain medications need to be kept at a controlled temperature so that the medicine doesn’t become unstable. Items like insulin or vaccinations are expensive to manufacture and are in constant demand to help people—losing that product because of unregulated temperature is a lose-lose situation all around.
Before the implementation of GPS tracking technology to monitor temperatures, any issue with the environment would go unnoticed until the next time the assets were manually checked or the next time they were needed. This leaves a huge room for error and can result in significant consequences. That’s why it’s important to monitor the temperature of your cargo’s environment and avoid such a loss.
Top Benefits of Monitoring Temperatures with GPS Tracking Technology
GPS tracking is for more than simply knowing the location of your assets—although that’s a huge advantage in itself. With GPS tracking power to monitor temperatures, you can enjoy benefits like:
Real-time Tracking and Alerts
Incorporating a GPS tracking device into your cold storage system’s temperature monitoring equipment allows fleet managers to track the temperature of a reefer truck’s trailer in real-time. Within seconds, you can verify that your asset’s environment is as it should be. Plus, you can even set an alert to be triggered if the temperature in the cold storage starts to exceed a certain level.
This real-time temperature tracking allows fleet managers to quickly alert drivers to an irregularity, increasing the chances of being able to fix the problem before it compromises the shipment. Whether it’s simply the door not being shut all the way or a more significant problem with the air conditioning system, this ability to track and be alerted to the live temperature is a huge advantage in the world of asset management.
Reliable Temperature Reporting
When temperatures are manually recorded, there’s a lot that can go wrong. Whether it’s simply human error and an honest mistake, someone fudging numbers to avoid blame, or a significant amount of time passing between logs, manual temperature logs can impact the quality of your assets.
However, the use of automatically-generated temperature logs removes the risk of erroneous temperature recordings being made by a driver. Instead, you have an impartial and accurate record to show that your shipment stayed within the appropriate temperature range the whole trip.
Fleet managers can monitor a vehicle’s cargo temperature levels remotely and minimize driver labor by using fleet management software to receive comprehensive temperature tracking reports on:
- Temperature fluctuations
- Humidity levels
- Defrost cycles
- Power fluctuations and disconnections
Saving Driver Time and Labor
Another huge benefit of incorporating GPS tracking into your asset management strategy is saving your drivers time and effort. Since they won’t have to make repeated stops along their route to check on the temperature of their cargo, they can just keep moving forward to the destination.
With more efficient driving and transportation efforts, your drivers will have peace of mind knowing that their cargo’s temperature is stable—and will be alerted if there ever is an issue. Plus, your customers will enjoy faster delivery timelines and guaranteed temperatures for their cargo.
Benefits of Asset Tracking Devices
In addition to temperature tracking capabilities, GPS tracking devices provide numerous benefits related to overall asset management, including:
- Improved Antitheft Protection: Knowing exactly where your vehicles and assets are at all times is helpful for preventing theft—and ensuring a speedy recovery in the case that assets are stolen
- Efficient Routing: Save time and fuel by giving drivers an alternate route to follow when traffic gets too congested
- Reduce Fuel Costs: By avoiding excessive idling in traffic and keeping drivers on task, you can reduce fuel consumption for your fleet
- Get Comprehensive Vehicle Diagnostics: Some GPS devices can integrate with a vehicle’s onboard diagnostics system to track vital vehicle health statistics and alert you to key preventative maintenance issues
Ready to enjoy the benefits of GPS tracking devices for temperature monitoring? Want to optimize your asset management strategy? Let Rastrac’s team of experts help you find a customized solution for your needs.
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