Remember those old TV commercials from the 1990s for the LoJack Vehicle Recovery System? The ones where car thieves are thwarted by a GPS beacon that was secretly embedded in a car they stole?
Now one of the world’s largest manufacturers of industrial equipment is using similar technology to protect its vehicles and it’s already paid off for at least one customer.
Brand-New Excavator Stolen
On Thursday, May 21, the heavy equipment dealer MCO, located in Montacosaro, Italy, took delivery of a brand new JCB 85Z-1 midi excavator. That night, thieves broke into the dealership, pried open the vehicle’s door, started the engine, and drove it through a wall that surrounded the dealership.
The excavator was then loaded onto a waiting truck.
Eye in the Sky
What the thieves didn’t know was that the vehicle had been fitted with a new JCB LiveLink tracking device, which uses GPS technology. Unfortunately, the signal was lost after the vehicle was loaded into a container, and a direct air connection to a satellite was lost.
But that’s not the end of the story.
The dealer had already programmed the JCB LiveLink to send him an email and text alert the next time the excavator’s engine was started or the GPS signal was restored.
A few hours later, that same evening, an email landed in the dealer’s inbox: The excavator’s engine had been started and the vehicle was located in a barn in the middle of the countryside between Rome and Frosinone, about 190 miles away.
Group Telematics Manager David Midgley told the website HUB-4 that the police were once again called and the dealer was able to lead them directly to the excavator’s exact location using satellite images collected by JCB LiveLink.
GPS Use More Widespread
GPS software systems are becoming increasingly common on heavy equipment. Tracking isn’t used just in cases of vehicle theft. It also can tell your where your equipment is at all times, regardless of how remote the location.
With GPS tracking systems, you can accurate track not just location, but such things as when the engine is turned on or off or when mechanical systems such as cranes are activated. Fuel usage can be monitored to guard against fuel theft or unexpected heavy consumption.
Data such as start and stop times can be stored and used for accurate billing or for bidding on new jobs. It also can be helpful when tracking use and scheduling preventative maintenance.
Benefits of GPS Software
Software such as GPS or RFID can be helpful when tracking use and scheduling preventative maintenance. The software can be programmed to issue notifications regarding usage and automatic service alerts.
Issues like a low battery or worn tires also can be monitored remotely so they can be corrected before they result in a costly breakdown.
It’s even possible that you can get a discount on your vehicle insurance if you can prove to your insurance company that you are using GPS monitoring to improve the security of your heavy equipment.
This “Italian Job” is only one example of how new technology such as GPS tracking software can improve performance and productivity of your fleet.