Tracking construction machinery, tractors and generators: location and operating hours

How is machine tracking different from vehicle tracking?

In a delivery vehicle, the tracking system follows the route, speed, and stops. A construction machine, on the other hand, often stays in the same place on a site or in a field, covers little distance during the day but works for hours. For excavators, loaders, graders, cranes, tractors, and combine harvesters, what matters is how long the engine has run and whether the machine is at the site where it should be.

That is why the reports are different in machine tracking. Instead of kilometers traveled, what stands out is daily and total operating hours, how long the ignition stayed on, the times of entry to and exit from the site, and how much time is left until maintenance.

In Şanlıurfa, both construction and agricultural machines are heavily used. In the Harran Plain during harvest season, combine harvesters and tractors work from morning to night; on construction sites, machines are moved from site to site. In both cases, knowing where the machine is and how long it works makes planning the job easier.

Why do operating hours matter?

Maintenance of construction machines is done by operating hours, not by kilometers. Oil, filter, and hydraulic maintenance intervals depend on the hours set by the manufacturer. Because the tracking device records the time the engine has run, it can give a warning when maintenance time is near. Even if the machine's hour meter is broken or unreadable, the record is kept.

For businesses that rent out machines or run them hourly with an operator, operating hours are the basis of invoicing. The report shows which days and between which hours the machine worked and can be compared with the hours the operator declares. Disputes over hours with the renting party also decrease with this record.

For a farmer or contractor using their own machine, operating hours show how efficiently the machine is used. If a machine waits idling at the site for a long time, fuel is being wasted.

Expert note: Ask for the device to be connected to the machine's engine running signal instead of the ignition line. When the ignition is on but the engine is off, or in the opposite cases, the operating hours report comes out more accurate.

Theft and out-of-zone alert

Construction machines and tractors usually stay overnight at an unprotected site or in a field. In a theft, the machine is often loaded onto a carrier and taken away; in this case the ignition is never turned on. That is why a feature that detects movement or location change even while the ignition is off is important in a tracking device.

When a virtual zone, that is, a site boundary drawn on the map, is defined, a notification goes to the manager the moment the machine leaves this boundary. A separate alert can also be defined for the ignition being turned on outside working hours.

The main alerts that can be used are:

• The machine left the defined site
• Ignition turned on outside working hours
• The machine changed location while the ignition was off
• The device was disconnected from power or removed
• Maintenance hours are approaching
• The machine idled for a long time

Equipment with no electricity: generator, trailer, container

Site generators, compressors, welding machines, trailers, water tankers, and site containers are also frequently stolen equipment. Some of this equipment has no continuously running electrical system, or there is no line to power the device.

In this case, tracking devices with their own battery are used. To save energy, battery-powered devices send the location less often, for example a few times a day. They can be set to report more often when the equipment moves. Battery life varies with reporting frequency and the device model.

It is important to place the battery-powered device in a hidden spot, in the body of the equipment or inside its housing. A visible device is easily removed by a thief.

Regularly check the battery level of battery-powered devices from the reports in the panel. When the battery runs out, the device goes silent without notice, and this is noticed only when the equipment goes missing. Tying battery replacement to a certain time of year, for example before harvest or at the start of a new site, prevents forgetting.

Points to watch during installation

Construction machines are exposed to vibration, dust, mud, and high temperatures. The tracking device should be in a sealed housing suited to these conditions and fixed so that it is not affected by vibration. The cab of a machine left in the sun in Şanlıurfa summer gets very hot; the device's operating temperature range must meet this condition.

The antenna location is also important. A metal cab and body can weaken the location signal. The device or its antenna should be placed where it can see the sky. Because mobile coverage can be weak in fields and rural areas, the device needs to store data in its memory when there is no connection.

For wired devices, the connection must be made at a correct, fused point so that it does not harm the machine's electrical system. This work should be done by a team that knows the machine's electrical system.

Who uses the reports, and how?

Whether the tracking system is useful depends on looking at the reports regularly. For a contractor, a weekly machine operating hours report shows which machine was used how much at which site. A machine standing idle can be shifted to another site.

For a farmer, knowing how long the tractor and combine harvester worked in which field during harvest makes settling accounts easier in fields where paid harvesting is done. Some systems can show the area the machine worked on the map; this feature varies by device and software.

The work and location data of operators can be considered personal data. Operators should be informed about the system, and the purpose for which the data will be used should be clearly stated.

Questions to ask when choosing

When choosing a device and service, ask these questions: Does the device measure operating hours from the engine signal or from the ignition? Does it detect movement while the ignition is off? Is there a battery-powered model option, and how long does the battery last? Does it store data when there is no connection? Can a maintenance reminder be set? Can the reports be exported?

Desa Bilişim installs construction machine, tractor, and equipment tracking for contractors and agricultural businesses in Şanlıurfa. We can see your machine fleet and decide together which device suits which equipment.

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