Deregulation has created an environment where competition on the basis of price threatens the financial survival of many independent carriers. In this climate, the ability of fleets to control costs and operate at peak efficiency has taken on renewed importance.
Led by industry giants like Schneider National and J.B. Hunt, fleets are increasingly turning to asset tracking technology - trailer tracking - to meet this need, according to a new report for Technology Assessment Associates.

Because asset tracking can reduce fleet capital costs through fewer lost trailers, containers and railcars and through higher equipment availability, it is now perceived as an investment in lower business costs by many fleets.
"Cost control is a big issue for transportation companies," explains George Perros, Technology Assessment's Managing Director. "Managers are turning to asset utilization in increasing numbers, trying to squeeze more loads, more stops, more shipments out of the same equipment."
While trailer tracking has been largely confined to aftermarket installations by third-party suppliers, trailer OEMs are actively pursuing strategies to include trailer tracking capabilities as original equipment.
"We now expect trailer tracking to mirror the trend we've seen in the cab, with third-party aftermarket electronics establishing the market, and the large equipment OEMs stepping in to take control of the market at the factory," adds Perros.
With millions of dry trailers, and tens of thousands of specialty rolling trailers, the worldwide market for tracking trailers is significant. The average commercial truck fleet has between three and four trailers for every power unit or tractor. In addition to reporting a trailer's exact location, premium trailer tracking systems incorporate onboard sensors to enable carriers to access information such as load status, trailer temperature, and door status.
Technology Assessment Associates is a marketing and technology strategy company specializing in markets and applications for new technology.