---

Past Issues

September 2005

---

SECUREMENT

Asset tracking is big news in the transport industry. Whether it is the truck tractor, the trailer, tyres, batteries, fuel or the all-important cargo, technology is stepping in with 'solutions' that keep the owners of these assets constantly informed of their whereabouts. In recent months, truck hijacking has seen a shift in focus on the part of the criminal syndicates. Now it's the trailer they're after, or, more specifically, the merchandise on the trailer. Paul Collings 'test-drives' one solution to this problem.
 

Deon Bayly (left) and Adrian Knowles pose in front of a potential customer.

The modus operandi of the thieves is to detach the trailer as quickly as possible from the truck tractor (without disturbing the on-board tracking system), then attach it to one of their horses and pull the trailer of bounty into a warehouse. Transport operators with tracking units fitted to their trailers have the old 'wiring' problem - the tracking unit is powered by the tractor's battery. How do you track a load when the tracking unit has been separated from its power supply? 

"Easy," says Deon Bayly, MD, Electronic Tracking Systems (ETS). "You use a wireless unit." OK. But don't wireless units need a battery and don't batteries need regular recharging? "This is true," replies Bayly, "but our unit has a patented algorithm which manages the power of the battery that can hold a charge for up to four years on factory-set reporting intervals."

So what is ETS offering the transport industry? "It's called Mtrack, a totally wireless GSM and RF (Radio Frequency) enabled unit, just slightly bigger than a 20's pack of cigarettes that can easily be concealed in the truck, on the trailer or in the load," says Bayly. "The GSM network gives us a 98% national coverage and is the initial 'macro' locating system for Mtrack. Once we have the macro location of a missing asset, we use RF to pinpoint the unit to within 1 metre." 
 

Adrian Knowles with the tools of the 'wireless tracking' trade - laptop with GPRS card, RF receiver and aerial.

Field Test
Bayly invited FleetWatch to put the Mtrack system to the test and we obliged. ETS supplied us with an Mtrack 'black box' which was placed in a handbag belonging to intrepid FleetWatch sales executive, Angelique Hörmann, who was tasked to 'disappear' with her bag and the unit, preferably hiding the bag in a building or basement.

"GSM units are not as easy to shield as GPS-based systems," claims Bayly. "Mtrack doesn't have to 'see the sky' so we're able to track in buildings and underground locations."

This journalist is invited to join Bayly and ETS director Adrian Knowles in the 'recovery' vehicle as it tracks the 'stolen bag'. 

"The unit has an anti-tamper device so it sends a signal as soon as it's messed with," explains Knowles. "The units can be configured to send signals every five minutes or remain in 'sleep' mode for longer periods to conserve battery life. They also store a location history, so if a unit is discovered by criminals and discarded, we are able to trace where it's been." 

FleetWatch's Hörmann is asked to tamper with the unit at a specific time, which she does most expertly. Within seconds, the control room has informed the 'recovery team' of the incident and identified the macro-location of the unit, a shopping centre on the outskirts of Kempton Park. 

With an in-car laptop, Knowles zones in on the location via the internet (something all Mtrack customers can do). As we approach the shopping centre, the RF signal kicks in, emitting a 'bleep' from the radio handset. The closer we get, the louder the bleep.

Once in the car park, Knowles enters the shopping centre with RF aerial and radio in hand, following the trail like a bloodhound. Two minutes later the 'bleeps' are coming on like a heartbeat in a horror flick. Knowles enters a pie shop and goes behind the counter. "Aha!" he bellows, "that's my bag!" and lifts it from under the counter, removing the 'black box' triumphantly. While he beams, a pie seller looks on, somewhat confused. This journo looks on, somewhat impressed.
 

Flexibility and security
With 'mission accomplished', Bayly continues to expound on the advantages of a wireless tracking unit. "You can move it from vehicle to vehicle or load to load because it's not wired to anything. Another big plus is that you don't have to mess with the wiring of the truck, something that often jeopardises warranties." 

Knowles adds that the wireless aspect makes for quick and easy installation: "You don't need any special skills, just a bit of imagination, which helps keep the security loop watertight."

Mtrack obviously satisfies a definite need for an uncomplicated, flexible tracking unit that can be used on a number of moving assets. With cargo on the back of trucks often reaching values in excess of R1-million, it makes sense to minimise the risk of losing that load by tracking it directly, independently of the truck tracking system.

"Mtrack is SAIA approved and despite a skeptical market initially, we're making excellent inroads in the transport industry with over 1400 units sold in just over a year," concludes Bayly.

Based on our field-test, it's worth taking a look at.