Sun shines on trailer tracker

The untethered trailer tracking system TrailerMax from GeoLogic Solutions will be offered with a solar power option for recharging its internal batteries while unhooked from a tractor. The new solar panel will not only keep the tracking system charged when tractor power is unavailable, but also cut down on battery replacement, according to the company.

TrailerMax is an event-driven system, sending location messages and alerts only when it senses changes in status set by the fleet. For example, it can be configured to notify a fleet if a door is opened, a tractor connected or if the unit moves.

Sending just one message a day, an untethered unit can be expected to run 45 to 60 days without recharging, GeoLogic says. Adding door, cargo and movement sensors increases the power draw on the battery and shortens that period.

The new solar charger will help extend power availability between recharges, as well as provide a backup when batteries need to be replaced at the end of their forecast two- to three-year life cycle.

“If a battery loses power before recharging, then the trailer loses the ability to communicate and virtually becomes lost to the fleet,” says Norman Thomas, director of asset management sales. “With TrailerMax Solar, battery power is one less thing our customers have to worry about.”
www.goGeoLogic.com