As a business owner, you understand the responsibilities that you have. With plenty of things to manage, one wrong move can lead to the downfall of your company. You need to find experienced drivers that you can rely on for your roll-off bins. At the same time, you should make sure the trucks are on the road so you do not waste precious resources. Apart from all your duties, you still need to find time to perform container and bin tracking for your business.
Before pieces of software emerged, many companies in the industry, particularly the smaller ones, would simply depend on their friends or family members to handle certain tasks. These people are typically unpaid to do jobs, such as accounting and tracking assets. While it may be understandable for small firms that want to save as much money as they can, there are also bigger operations that hold themselves back.
Instead of using efficient tools to track containers and bins, these big businesses utilize outdated software, as well as obsolete record-keeping methods. If you are guilty of the same practice in your organization, it is time to switch to M2M solutions.
What is Container and Bin Tracking?Â
When it comes to tracking your assets, you want to get near real-time data all the time. An intermodal asset tracking solution gives businesses the control and complete visibility of their containers and bins. You can have containers, such as dry storage, open-top or open-side, and flat rack or roll-off containers and bins if you are in the waste industry.
No matter what it is you want to monitor, your company will greatly benefit from this method of keeping track of all your assets. When dealing with intermodal containers that cargo ships transport, the freight trucks will typically pick them up. Sometimes, they are transferred to another location from the port yard. There is indeed uncertainty in the entire moving process. In the world of business, vagueness and doubts are not welcome.
Roll-off containers and bins, on the other hand, are mobile assets that your company would need to deploy from time to time. You will also need to know if there are bins that should be used so you do not waste resources.
Tracking your assets is not just about knowing the precise location of these items. It comes with a ton of benefits, which is why all businesses that deal with containers and bins should have an effective tracking method.
Sticking with Old and Ineffective MethodsÂ
Believe it or not, several companies all over the world still choose to use the manual way of tracking their assets. One reason behind this choice is that they want to save, not only on money but also time. Using technology, such as a piece of tracking software, may require a bit of training for the employees. Whether it is manual tracking with papers and pens, barcode tracking, or other outdated ways, they cannot measure up to the power of GPS or IoT. Here is a breakdown of these old techniques and why innovative tracking solutions are superior:
Manual
In this tracking method, an employee manually counts all the containers in the storage yard. When all the assets are counted, the quantity and other details will be entered on a logbook. After that, he or she will enter the data to a spreadsheet or even a tracking application for the inventories.
Advantage: There is no need to purchase any type of equipment, which saves some money relating to this area. It is helpful for those who are just starting out in the business.
Disadvantage: Unfortunately, the benefits stop at being an affordable way to track containers and bins. It requires exhaustive labor yet it can lead to a lot of errors.
Barcode
When using barcode, it works the same way as the black and white labels that you see on products when you check out at the store counter. These barcodes are simply placed on the bins and drivers would scan them during delivery or pickup.
Advantage: The manual way of entering data is removed, which makes it easier than manual tracking. The scanners and stickers you will use are also affordable and will even be less costly in the coming years.
Disadvantages: Accuracy is still a huge problem despite the barcode use. Containers frequently move, so it gets hard to have current data. Even though manual entries are eliminated, the whole process is still labor-intensive.
Radio Frequency Identification
RFID works almost the same way as barcodes. There are scanners, which the drivers or employees use, to get data from the containers. Sometimes, the trucks come with a fixed scanner so the driver does not have to manually scan the roll-off bins, for instance.
Advantages: The scanners allow you to read container data from a distance. The data will mostly be accurate as well, specifically if this method is implemented for counting the containers that go in and out of the storage yard. Another good thing about this tracking option is that it is still affordable even though barcodes are much cheaper.
Disadvantages: Although RFID is useful, especially for commercial and residential waste collection, there are still issues when adopted on a wide scale. Additionally, you will need to install the scanners on the trucks or facilities, which can mean significant expenses. It also does not guarantee error-free data.
Businesses know that time is of the essence. Not everyone has enough time to look for their assets and make sure all resources are complete or in the right location. For an automated way of tracking containers and bins, you need a trusted provider to give you the real benefits monitoring your assets for your business.
How to Change for Better Asset Tracking
If you are tired of manually tracking containers and bins or even using outdated technologies like RFIDs and barcode scanners, it is time to make a switch. The business world today demands that you have accurate data at all times. With the help of GPS-based or IoT solutions, you get the information you need whenever and wherever without losing your focus on what matters for your company.
CallPass is a dedicated firm that you can rely on when you need high-quality products for container and bin tracking. The company has multiple GPS offerings that can provide you with near real-time data with the help of experts in Telco and hardware design.
This firm, which has its headquarters in Clearwater, FL, has been operating for more than a decade now. Since then, its customers have seen the benefits of efficient asset tracking, which include:
- Better operations
- Lower risk of asset loss
- Prevention of misplaced and unused assets
- Increased revenue
- Decreased issues with costly expenditures when handling stolen or lost assets
- Extra free time for employees, thanks to process automation
GPS tracking mainly involves mounting the GPS device to the container or bin. The software connected to the hardware will follow the movement of the asset. You can specify some information, such as the location, work order, and customer account using the application. Through these details, you can check whether or not the container matches the requirements you have indicated beforehand.
Often, GPS tracking is beneficial for those with open-top containers. However, you can always use them with dry storage containers, as well as special-purpose ones. You can find the list of products that will fit your needs on the company’s website.
Why You Should Switch to GPS Tracking SolutionsÂ
Your competitors are already using an automated way of tracking their containers and bins. You cannot let your company be left behind with manual tracking or even RFIDs. While these outdated methods may not cost you a ton of money, they are inefficient.
GPS tracking solutions do require a bit more financing on your part, but they are well worth your investment. Also, they will not break your bank, even if you are running a startup business. CallPass offers cutting edge solutions that are affordable.
Your containers and bins require their own tracking devices, which denote a significant amount to invest, especially if you have several assets to monitor. However, you will instantly recognize the true value of the solution, which provides you with updated information that is complete and useful for your operations.
Plus, you do not have to worry about training your staff because the GPS-based solutions are easy to use. If you have any problems, you can quickly contact customer support. The user-friendliness also eliminates the burden on your staff, so you do not have to assign a dedicated team just to monitor your assets that leave and arrive at the facilities.
An automated inventory management product is what you need to make sure you can keep track of your inventory wherever you may be. Since it is fully automated, you can continuously monitor your assets without requiring human intervention.
When it comes to data accuracy, you will not have any issues on this regard. Unlike other methods, GPS-based solutions will provide you the information you need about the container. These details include location and the precise time in which the bin or container was in that certain position. All these pieces of information make your business more operational than ever.
It is time to move to a smart platform for tracking bins and containers and there is no other better provider than CallPass. All businesses aim to achieve success and this firm is the key toward protecting and monitoring your assets in and out of your storage yard.
