Asset tracking is the practice of identifying equipment and recording events or observations about its location, custody, or movement. In logistics, that may mean a trailer in a yard, a container crossing between transport modes, or reusable equipment returning to a pool. The key distinction is whether a system identifies the asset, records a business event, or reports a location from a device.
Separate identity from location
A useful asset record connects a stable identifier with an owner or custodian and the events that matter to the operation. GS1's Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI) is designed for reusable transport items, transport equipment, and tools. It helps identify the item; the identifier itself does not send a location.
A barcode or RFID read can associate the asset with a gate, dock, or work area. A connected device can send location observations at intervals, depending on its power and network. A partner may report a handoff or shipment milestone. These data points have different meanings and freshness. GS1's EPCIS material describes sharing physical supply-chain events with information about what was involved, where and when it happened, and its business context. It describes event sharing, not necessarily continuous GPS tracking.
Common asset-tracking jobs
- Trailers and chassis: Identify which unit is assigned, at which facility it is waiting, and whether a yard move or handoff has been recorded. Keep tractor and trailer identities distinct, especially after detachment.
- Containers and intermodal equipment: Follow gate, interchange, loading, discharge, receipt, and return events across the parties that capture them.
- Reusable packaging and tools: Focus on asset identity, custodian, transfer, and return rather than assuming a continuously available location feed.
- Powered vehicles: Evaluate vehicle telematics as its own source; a truck's position does not automatically locate a separate trailer or its contents.
How to choose a tracking approach
List the assets, owners, routes, facilities, and custody changes you need to cover. For each workflow, state the question the team needs answered and how fresh the answer must be. Identify who captures the event, whether it comes from a scan, sensor, driver, terminal, carrier, or partner system, and who is responsible for resolving missing information.
In a demonstration, follow one asset through assignment, handoff, receipt, and return. Show the asset identifier, event source, event time, and time the event reached the application. Then test a missed scan, a stale device, a duplicate event, lost connectivity, and an incorrect transfer. Ask how leased and partner equipment is represented, who can see its status, and how records are corrected.
Compare hardware, installation, power, connectivity, servicing, replacement, subscriptions, integrations, and support. If an asset is late or missing, also define the action: who receives an alert, contacts the partner, or updates the plan. Tracking is most useful when the operating team knows what to do with the information.
Questions buyers ask
Does asset tracking always use GPS?
No. It may rely on scans, RFID, partner events, or connected devices. Confirm what each observation means and when it was captured.
Does tracking prevent theft?
An identifier or event feed does not itself prevent theft or ensure recovery. Evaluate coverage, alert response, and recovery procedures for the specific operation.
How should a pilot be measured?
Agree on asset identity match, event completeness, freshness, coverage gaps, and exception handling for a defined route or facility sample. Keep those measures tied to the tested assets and process.