The challenge is one way shipments. You want to track high value shipments, but will not be at the destination to retrieve the tracker for its next assignment. You also may be using an independent shipper to manage the transportation task, further adding to the retrieval complexity.

GPSit’s PT300 trackers are designed to be covertly deployed, perhaps within the shipment itself or accompanying the shipment manifest. In this scenario, the client was worried less about theft and more about the timeliness of delivery, so attachment to the manifest was the best solution. With over 200 shipments per day, the client required a repeatable, reliable solution.

Here is how it works. It starts with some inexpensive cardboard, polystyrene sheets, Duck Tape, clear shipping tape and Federal Express “Letter” shipment envelopes. Although I don’t have an actual constuction diagram, you can see the task at hand here:

The construction is fairly simply:

• Cut a polystyrene sheet to fit comfortably inside the FedEx envelope.
• Cut out a rectangle the same size as the Tracker in the middle
• Cut two sheets of cardboard the same size as the polystyrene sheets.
• On one sheet of cardboard, cut a small hole large enough to expose the PT300’s light sensor. This is only needed if package opening detection is needed.
• One the second sheet of cardboard, make a “trap-door” large enough to pull open and insert the PT300 tracker. Use the Duck Tape to make a small handle.
• Use shipment tape to assemble the “insert” into one solid piece.
• Cut a second “trap-door” on the outside of the FedEx envelope, this one 1” larger than the PT300 tracker inset, and a small “window hole” aligned with the light sensor location.
• Insert the cardboard insert inside the FedEx envelop, ensuring proper alignment, tape the secure all components into one “reusable assembly”.

The PT300 should fit securely inside the cardboard and in it’s polystyrene “cradle”.

Once you get the hang of it, you should be able to turn out these “shippers” quickly and inexpensively. From here it’s a simple task to insert the fully charged PT300 tracker, use shipment tape to secure the trap doors closed, and put your shipment tracker to work!

Due to the large number of shipments, additional efficiency was gained by “pre-charging” spare batteries to allow for quick turnaround.

Let us know if we can help you think through your shipment tracking logistics and or answer questions about our high performance asset trackers.

Partnered with CalAmp and Verizon, GPSit is pleased to announce the immediate availability of low cost battery operated GPS tracking services for high value assets.

Managing assets such as trailer fleets, containers, portable generators and construction equipment is greatly simplified by attaching long life battery operated trackers.  Unlike fleet tracking applications, daily updates are generally all asset tracking customers require, enabling GPSit to deliver a long life tracking solution at very reasonable pricing.

Utilizing the environmentally sealed, battery operated TTU-720 trackers from CalAmp enables our solution to be easily deployed and deliver daily updates for an anticipated 7 years before battery replacement.  This is idea for trailer tracking and other applications where infrequent updates are all that is required. The CalAmp TTU-720 installs in just minutes and has no maintenance requirements.  The TTU-720 is activated by GPSit on the Verizon network.  Bottom line, it is an ideal tracking solution for high value asset tracking. 

GPSit has also introduced new low cost TrackFusion service pricing for applications requiring no more than one location update per day.  Additional quantity discounts are also now available for customers who deploy large numbers of asset trackers.  GPSit’s new pricing extends the feasibility and improves the return on investment for tracking across a much wider range of assets.

Want to learn more, give us a call today!

GPSit is proud to announce that our GPS tracking developer application programming interface (API) is now available for enterprise application integration. Although TrackFusion remains the nucleus of our services offering, clients seeking the holy grail of seamless location services integration can now utilize the API free of charge.

Developers familiar with XML and SOAP can become immediately productive using our well documented API. Programming examples make simply location and real time tracking services integration straightforward and simple.

Advanced development is augmented with assistance from GPSit’s developer support team, enabling programmatic creation of Geofences and other sophisticated device control tasks previously only available from within TrackFusion. With integration at this level, very sophisticated covert tracking, cargo monitoring and automated alerting and reporting can now be seamlessly integrated into your applications.

Clients seeking turn-key solutions can also request from GPSit a services proposal for integration professional services.

So if you are ready to move beyond TrackFusion as a stand-alone GPS tracking application and bring location services into your enterprise applications, the TrackFusion API enables a cost effective and speedy solution.

Contact us today for additional information on GPSit’s API and how you can get started.

Nippon Express approached GPSit via our partner Verizon Wireless looking for solutions which could help optimize logistics management. Nippon was seeking accurate and timely information that could be used to improve service quality, streamline logistics operations and reduce shipment risks.

Their challenges proved to be a perfect fit for GPSit’s TrackFusion, Sendum Wireless PT300 GPS trackers, and data services provided by Verizon Wireless. By inserting trackers into their shipments, instant visibility and condition monitoring was achieved for shipments being transported by independent carriers.

Read more about this success story and other examples of how to address loss prevention concerns.