Choosing a tracking mix per site
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Start every site with tags and staff phones, then add fixed hardware only where a zone must update on its own or where nobody walks. Most fleets mix all four methods over time: phones for the yard, site gateways at the gate and wash bay, vehicle gateways on trucks, and live trackers on units that travel alone.
How do the four methods compare?
Section titled “How do the four methods compare?”| Staff phones | Site gateway | Vehicle gateway | Live tracker | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hears tags | When someone walks past | All the time, at one spot | While the vehicle drives | All the time, near the unit |
| Position | Zone on your site | The zone it watches | With the vehicle | GPS over 4G, anywhere |
| Fixed hardware | None | Yes, needs power | Yes, wired to the vehicle | Yes, on the unit |
| Best for | The whole yard | Stages and handover points | Attachments that ride along | Units that go out alone |
What questions decide the mix?
Section titled “What questions decide the mix?”- Do people walk most of the site every day? Then phones cover it. If not, add site gateways in the quiet areas.
- Should a stage log itself? Put a site gateway at the gate, wash bay or workshop.
- Do attachments travel on your trucks? Fit vehicle gateways on those trucks.
- Do units go to a site on their own? Fit them with live trackers.
- Do you already own BLE tags? Keep them. See Bring your own hardware.
Can I change the mix later?
Section titled “Can I change the mix later?”Yes. Every listener reports to the same inventory, so adding a gateway or a tracker changes nothing for the team. The asset shows up in the same zones, with more sightings.