Telematics in Construction

Technology continues to evolve and the latest innovations are changing the way construction and equipment managers work. Job sites are more connected than ever, and advances in telematics provide real-time data on equipment usage and location.

Since this field is evolving, construction companies like Axis Capital Group have adapted telematics in machines while partnering with manufacturing companies which have factory-installed telematics system. This trend is now in demand in developing cities in Asia such as Singapore, Jakarta, Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

As a result, most equipment owners are aware by now that many of their machines have telematics system, which collects all manner of data from sensors placed throughout the machine and wirelessly transmits these facts—along with satellite-based location information—to the machine manufacturer’s telematics website. There, owners can view the data, run reports that detail their machines’ whereabouts, operating status, and health, plus set up “fences” that limit a machine’s operation to specific times and geographical areas.

A few fleet owners and equipment dealers—early adopters of the technology, mostly—have not only learned the value of telematics for monitoring machine health and status, but also have learned to integrate telematics data into their business systems and to use this information across various disciplines. But there are still practical ways where you can use these systems:

Telematics Track down Undercarriage Wear

When track rails wore out, telematics data can help analyze the cause of uneven wear by determining the factors and spends triple the time moving in its high-speed travel mode. Our experience is that large fleets are the ones taking note of telematics; among machine owners with fewer than 50 machines, the use of telematics is spotty.

Telematics fixes Issues

When clients tend to have complaints on how hard it is to identify the issues in their machines, specifics are being asked about equipment that will be used on the project, including fuel burn. These kinds of information would be difficult to dig out without telematics.

According to reviews, CareTrack [Volvo telematics system] status report also provides a very accurate fuel gauge as well as machine location and hours. It doesn’t matter if you either rent or buy the equipment, it still comes with these features.

Telematics can Inform

Today, the health-monitoring aspects of telematics are critical for keeping machines running properly, especially with Tier 4 emissions controls. These systems give out updated data, making it easier for equipment owners to maintain their machines. The system also informs when a critical fault code has occurred. That gives them the opportunity to fix problems while they’re still small.