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Asset Tracking Software Buying Guide for Carriers

Asset Tracking Software can help carriers locate and monitor trailers, containers, equipment, and other mobile assets. Evaluate each option against how your team manages drivers, tractors, trailers, dispatch, safety, maintenance, customer commitments, and load economics.

Why this category matters here

For carriers, the most relevant fit is trailer & fleet tracking. Confirm that the product supports this workflow in practice and fits the people, systems, controls, and exceptions already in place.

Capabilities to evaluate

  • Utilization reporting
  • Empty detection
  • Location and movement history
  • Geofence, dwell, and exception alerts
  • Asset inventory and utilization views

Questions to ask vendors

  • Which assets, sensors, and coverage environments are supported?
  • How are battery life, connectivity gaps, and missing events handled?
  • Can events flow into yard, transportation, maintenance, and customer workflows?
  • How will this fit the way your team manages drivers, tractors, trailers, dispatch, safety, maintenance, customer commitments, and load economics?

18 marketplace profiles are listed for Asset Tracking Software and Carriers. Compare their listed details with your requirements and confirm fit with each provider.

Options for Carriers

  • BlackBerry Radar Portal

    Radar asset visibility for trailers, chassis, containers and railcars, with a unified portal and alerts.

    Listed features: Unified Radar portal, Event-driven asset insights, Cargo-status visibility (configured sensors). Listed integrations: ISAAC (confirm implementation), McLeod Software (confirm implementation), Trimble (confirm product and implementation).

  • BlackBerry Radar Trailer Tracking

    Radar tracks trailers, chassis and other non-powered assets, with device-specific sensors and alerts.

    Listed features: Trailer and chassis tracking, Container tracking, Railcar tracking. Listed integrations: ISAAC (confirm implementation), McLeod Software (confirm implementation), Trimble (confirm product and implementation).

  • Blume Visibility

    Multimodal shipment visibility with predictive arrivals, exception management and IoT data.

    Listed features: Container-shipment visibility, Chassis visibility (confirm module), Predictive arrival times. Listed integrations: Visibility data interfaces (confirm systems and scope).

  • Decklar (formerly Roambee)

    Shipment and reusable-asset visibility with IoT data, exception monitoring and Decision AI.

    Listed features: Container and reusable-asset tracking, Shipment monitoring, Condition sensing (configured devices). Listed integrations: Integration Hub (confirm systems and implementation).

  • FleetLocate

    Spireon trailer and asset tracking with cargo sensing, dwell reporting and fleet-utilization tools.

    Listed features: Flex trailer tracking (configured model), IntelliScan cargo sensing (vendor-reported accuracy), Detention and dwell alerts. Listed integrations: Not listed.

  • Geotab Asset Tracking

    Track trailers, containers and equipment in MyGeotab with device-specific GPS and Bluetooth options.

    Listed features: Battery, solar and Bluetooth options, Trailer and container tracking, Equipment tracking. Listed integrations: MyGeotab (first-party platform), Platform APIs (confirm device and access).

  • MarineTraffic Visibility

    AIS vessel tracking, voyage analysis and port intelligence, with plan-dependent satellite coverage.

    Listed features: AIS vessel tracking, Maritime AIS data, Port intelligence. Listed integrations: Not listed.

  • Nexxiot Intermodal

    Railcar and container telematics with device-specific reporting, sensors and asset analytics.

    Listed features: Railcar tracking, Container tracking, Intermodal asset visibility. Listed integrations: IntelliTrans (configured sensor-data integration), RailPulse (partner program; confirm deployment).

  • Phillips Connect Connect1 Trailer Tracking

    Connect1 trailer visibility with configured cargo, tire, brake and door-status monitoring.

    Listed features: Trailer GPS tracking, Cargo-status monitoring, Door-status sensing. Listed integrations: Not listed.

  • PowerFleet Unity

    Unity combines vehicle, asset and warehouse IoT data for visibility and operational insights.

    Listed features: Unity AIoT insights, Video analytics (separate modules), Warehouse telematics (configured hardware). Listed integrations: Unity data interfaces (confirm source and implementation).

  • Samsara Asset Tracking

    GPS gateways and Bluetooth Asset Tags provide device-specific tracking and asset-utilization insights.

    Listed features: GPS and network-based asset tracking, Battery life by device and reporting mode, Geofence alerts. Listed integrations: Samsara platform APIs (confirm access and device scope).

  • SkyBitz Asset Tracking

    Trailer and asset tracking with InSight reporting, cargo visibility and integration options.

    Listed features: Kinnect GPS tracking (configured hardware), Tractor-trailer pairing (compatible platform), InSight fleet portal. Listed integrations: McLeod (InSight API; confirm implementation), Trimble (InSight API; confirm product), Platform Science (compatible deployment).

  • Tag-N-Trac RELATIVITY Platform

    Full-stack AI-powered IoT supply chain visibility — from disposable smart labels to satellite-connected reusable trackers, unified on the RELATIVITY cloud platform.

    Listed features: Real-time in-transit and in-warehouse visibility (SKU to container level), AI-powered risk intelligence with predictive analytics, Disposable smart labels. Listed integrations: SAP TMS / ERP, Oracle Transportation Management, Blue Yonder TMS.

  • Traxens Smart Containers

    Container devices monitor location, doors and cargo conditions, with permanent and removable options.

    Listed features: Smart-container sensors, GNSS location tracking, Door-open alerts. Listed integrations: Not listed.

  • VIACHAIN Container Tracking (an ORBCOMM company)

    Container and chassis telematics with fleet analytics and configured cargo-condition monitoring.

    Listed features: Connectivity by device and deployment, Reefer monitoring (configured hardware), Coverage by connectivity and region. Listed integrations: Business-system APIs (implementation-dependent).

  • VIACHAIN Trailer Tracking (an ORBCOMM company)

    Trailer telematics with asset visibility and configured cargo, door and reefer monitoring.

    Listed features: Solar trailer tracking (model-dependent), Reefer monitoring (configured sensors), Connectivity by device and region. Listed integrations: Business-system APIs (implementation-dependent).

  • Xirgo Asset Telematics

    Cellular and solar asset trackers with model-specific cargo, door and condition-monitoring options.

    Listed features: XT53 tracking (up to seven-year battery), Enterprise telematics software, Partner deployment options. Listed integrations: Not listed.

  • Zonar ZTrak Asset Tracking

    Rugged ZTrak location tracking for non-powered assets, with configurable reporting and theft recovery.

    Listed features: Rugged ZTrak location tracking, Up to ten-year battery (1–2 daily pings), Theft recovery (current two-minute reporting mode). Listed integrations: Zonar Ignition (first-party platform).

Explore the full interactive guide · Browse Asset Tracking Software listings

Asset Tracking for carrier buying guidance

At a glance: Asset tracking identifies and records the status or movement of reusable or operational assets—such as returnable transport items, trailers, containers, chassis, tools, and equipment—using identifiers and observations captured through processes or technologies such as scans, tags, GPS, or partner events. Identification, event sharing, and precise live location are different capabilities; the asset type and deployment determine which evidence is available. Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI); GS1 EPCIS: enabling visibility with real time information on supply chain events; GS1 Traceability standard, version 1.3.0

Fit for carrier (core)

A carrier may track trailers, chassis, containers, and powered vehicles, but each class can require a distinct identifier and observation method. Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI); GS1 EPCIS: enabling visibility with real time information on supply chain events

Workflow: Connect trailer assignment, terminal scan, trip event, maintenance or out-of-service status, and yard return without confusing vehicle telematics with trailer location. Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI); GS1 EPCIS: enabling visibility with real time information on supply chain events

Ask in a demo: Show a dropped trailer whose tractor has departed, including last observation time, device status, and how dispatch receives a stale-location warning. Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI); GS1 EPCIS: enabling visibility with real time information on supply chain events

Check before choosing: Confirm device coverage, roaming, battery servicing, ownership permission, and data access for leased equipment. Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI); GS1 EPCIS: enabling visibility with real time information on supply chain events

Common workflows

Questions to ask providers

  • What asset classes, individual units, and ownership boundaries are in scope, and which identifier is retained over the asset's life?
  • Does the proposed method report an event, an approximate last-known location, or a continuously sampled position, and what is the evidence source for each?
  • Which scan, tag, gateway, device, power, network, roaming, and replacement components are included in the design and quote?
  • How are missing, duplicated, delayed, out-of-order, and contradictory asset events reconciled across carriers, 3PLs, and customer systems?
  • What permissions, retention, data export, partner access, device security, and decommissioning controls apply to the tracking records?
  • How will the pilot measure identifier-read rates, event completeness, location age, battery service, and recovery workflow without extrapolating beyond the tested routes?

Frequently asked questions

What counts as an asset for tracking?

A supply-chain asset can include reusable transport items, transport equipment, tools, or other identified objects. GS1's GRAI key is especially suitable for reusable transport items and transport equipment; buyers still need to choose what their own asset register covers. Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI)

Is asset identification the same as GPS tracking?

No. An identifier labels which object is involved, while GPS or another observation method may report a position or event. GS1 GRAI describes an asset key, and EPCIS describes visibility-event sharing; neither by itself promises continuous GPS coverage. Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI); GS1 EPCIS: enabling visibility with real time information on supply chain events

What is EPCIS used for?

GS1 describes EPCIS as a standard for sharing supply-chain visibility-event information about physical objects and business events. It can support event exchange between applications and trading partners, but a buyer must still define which events, identifiers, interfaces, and responsibilities apply. GS1 EPCIS: enabling visibility with real time information on supply chain events

Should a business track a container, trailer, and tractor in the same system?

They may be connected operationally but have different owners, identifiers, devices, and observation patterns. Model each asset type separately, then test how a system links a trailer or container to a load and journey without treating a powered-vehicle telematics feed as proof of cargo position. Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI); GS1 EPCIS: enabling visibility with real time information on supply chain events

Can asset tracking prevent theft or guarantee recovery?

No tracking standard or category definition guarantees prevention or recovery. A buyer should evaluate alert coverage, power, communications, response ownership, police or insurer procedures, and actual incident evidence before assigning an expected outcome. GS1 EPCIS: enabling visibility with real time information on supply chain events

How should a tracking pilot be measured?

Use a defined asset population and route sample, and separately measure identity match, event completeness, observation freshness, coverage gaps, device servicing, and exception resolution. Do not generalize one pilot's route or asset mix to all operations. GS1 EPCIS: enabling visibility with real time information on supply chain events; GS1 Traceability standard, version 1.3.0

Sources (3)
  1. Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI) — GS1
  2. GS1 EPCIS: enabling visibility with real time information on supply chain events — GS1
  3. GS1 Traceability standard, version 1.3.0 — GS1