Heavy Equipment Telematics

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What is Telematics for Construction Equipment?

Heavy equipment telematics data includes location, speed, fault codes, engine hours, computer engine diagnostics, and other vital asset health data that is read through a machine or vehicle’s onboard computer. This information is accessed and transmitted through IoT technology via GPS and cellular trackers.

How does Heavy Equipment Telematics for Construction Work?

Modern vehicles and heavy equipment all contain various computers and an Engine Control Unit (ECU) that controls the engine and various aspects of the asset. These computers also contain a wealth of maintenance and diagnostic information than can be read via various standardized plug-in interfaces.

Fleet trackers and other cellular GPS trackers for heavy equipment are designed to plug into the standard OBD II or JBUS vehicle interface or wire directly into the asset engine. In addition to transmitting live GPS location (position) information over a cellular network connection, these devices are also capable of transmitting fleet management telematics data including speed, fault codes, engine hours and other important diagnostic information.

Electrical Cable Cords on a table

Electrical System Adapter Cables

Heavy equipment telematics requires direct wiring of a Cellular GPS tracker to the engine. In the absence of a native interface, like an OBD II port, this connection happens under the hood. Cables from the tracker connect to the equipment ignition sensing interface to detect when and how an asset is operating.
OBD Connector

OBD II Connector

A vehicle’s computerized diagnostic data center and reporting interface is known as On-board diagnostics (OBD). Today, all consumer vehicles are required by law to have an OBD interface. The OBD-II specification is what is in use in most automobiles today. OBD-II can be accessed via a specific 16-pin connector which is also standardized under SAE J1962.
JBUS Connector

JBUS Connector

Heavy-duty trucks and vehicles utilize J-BUS, sometimes referred to as the Modbus protocol, for vehicle diagnostics. J-BUS devices are typically accessed with one of two connectors – a 6-pin J1708 or a 9-pin J1939.

What is Telematics for Construction Equipment?

Any vehicle or piece of equipment with an OBD II or SAE J1708/J1939 interface/port can get fleet management telematics data.

Engine Operated Equipment

Track engine hours and the precise location of large, engine-operated equipment and machines.

Heavy Trucks and Service Vans

Monitor on-road heavy fleet vehicles for performance and maintenance needs.

On-Road Vehicles

Monitor on-road fleet vehicles for performance and maintenance needs.
Heavy Equipment Illustration of assets managed with Tenna

Benefits of Fleet Management Telematics

Tenna’s telematics for construction equipment provides rich insights into the performance and health of your assets. Benefits include:

Improved Equipment Tracking

  • Rich, Actionable Data
  • Live Location Updates in Real Time
  • Automated Alerts

Improved Equipment Management

  • Improved Maintenance Processes
  • Equipment Utilization Insights
  • Improved Safety

Tenna Heavy Equipment Telematics Technology Summary

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