Asset tracking goes hand in hand with GPS monitoring and plays a key role in telematics and fleet management. It’s about using technology to monitor and manage physical assets — from containers and tools to heavy machinery and sensitive cargo.
These systems provide real-time data on location, movement, condition, and sensor metrics. This helps businesses protect assets, reduce losses, and streamline operations. Let’s take a closer look at the building blocks of a modern asset tracking system — the devices that make it all work.
Short answer? All of them. And each plays a part.
Modern GPS trackers are no longer just about location. They’ve become smart devices that can connect to a variety of sensors — wired or wireless. Think fuel level sensors (like FLS or FCS), temperature sensors, door status sensors, and many others.
Then come the BLE beacons and sensors — compact, wireless, and surprisingly capable. Many of them carry built-in sensors for temperature, humidity, and more. Simple in form, powerful in function.
In practice, what used to be a basic GPS tracker is now a data hub: collecting inputs from multiple sources and pushing them to a platform for processing, visualization, and analytics.
Most platforms treat this stream of data as coming from a single object — a unit: a vehicle, trailer, or piece of equipment. That simplifies logic, dashboards, and reports. But here’s the catch: this “single unit” model makes it hard to track and manage the external devices individually. Details get lost in the stream.
So maybe it’s time to rethink the concept?
There might be a better, more flexible way to build this.
So what do we end up with? A seemingly ordinary GPS tracker that’s actually collecting and forwarding data from four different external devices. And that’s just a start — the number of connected components can easily scale up. In this setup, the tracker effectively acts as a gateway.
The gateway (GPS tracker) sends a full stream of data to the platform — but it all gets bundled into a single entity: a unit. Still, that data actually comes from the tracker plus four independent sources that aren’t inherently linked to each other.
Our new asset tracking app — Tags — solves this challenge by allowing each connected device to be tracked individually as a separate Asset.
Tags is a solution for tracking and managing diverse assets. Let’s clarify the core terminology.
Usually GPS trackers that connect to sensors (wired or wireless), detect nearby BLE devices, and send all collected data to the platform.
Anything the system tracks individually:
📍 Key advantage: Any gateway parameter can be turned into a trackable asset — no extra hardware needed.
Example: A fuel level sensor on a truck becomes a separate "Fuel Level" asset.
Assets can be tagged with Labels for better organization and control. Labels fall into two types:
The Tags module offers a robust event-driven reporting system that enhances operational transparency and decision-making. Reports are built around two core dimensions:
These reports deliver detailed, chronological event histories for individual assets, capturing:
Monitor all asset activity across defined geographic zones. Gain visibility into:
Users can refine data by selecting specific event types and assets on Events tab.
The Layers feature introduces an abstraction level for managing the relative positioning of assets and gateways. This functionality is designed to enhance interaction by allowing users to define and visualize physical environments beyond conventional GPS coordinates.
Layers enable placement of assets and gateways within structured indoor or constrained environments—such as floors, warehouses, buildings, or zones—where traditional geolocation is insufficient or unavailable.
With Layers, your asset and infrastructure management becomes more intuitive, flexible, and space-aware—unlocking a new dimension of control.
Here are several scenarios that can be observed in the demo environment:
To try out Tags, just create an account in our admin application – Partner Panel.
Feel free to share your suggestions, ideas, or any thoughts by emailing us directly at business@gps-trace.com