The Hidden Cost of Not Knowing Where Your Assets Are
Does your transportation system struggle to find enough trailers to handle capacity? Does every request to lease new assets trigger debates? A modern, reliable trailer tracking system solves those issues and delivers huge ROIs.
Because what many companies consider a capacity problem really is a visibility problem. Fleet managers who don’t know what they have must find their trailers’ real-time location. And every misplaced trailer, wasted yard move and hour spent searching for assets quietly erodes margins.
Over time, those small inefficiencies compound into millions of dollars in unnecessary expenses. That’s on top of the fact that today’s fleets face rising costs and constant disruption.
Yet many organizations still rely on outdated, unreliable or overly complex tracking solutions. These systems often lock fleets into rigid platforms, create data silos and require costly integrations. And a few trailer tracking devices don’t make a complete system.
The result is partial visibility, limited confidence in the data and poor operating efficiency.
Tompkins Ventures can connect companies with modern trailer tracking that flips the equation. Companies can eliminate blind spots, find underused trailers and quit wasting time – without complex setup or hidden fees.
Companies that stop guessing and start making data-driven decisions discover returns that seem hard to believe at first glance. In fact, one national fleet realized an ROI of 800%.
What Is Trailer and Asset Tracking?
Trailer and asset tracking uses rugged, connected devices to provide real-time visibility. These devices attach directly to equipment, whether assets are in the yard or on the road. Fleets know where their trailers and assets are, when they move and where they go.
Unlike legacy systems, modern tracking platforms aggregate data into a single screen, even if fleets use devices from multiple providers. This unified view eliminates manual searches and guesswork. Dispatchers, operations leaders and finance teams can see exactly where assets are, how long they dwell and how often they move.
Advanced trailer tracking also automates alerts and reporting. Geofencing automatically logs arrivals and departures. Companies can actively measure and improve trailer utilization. Real-time tracking supports operations, billing and long-term planning.
How Trailer Tracking Delivered an 800% ROI
A national trucking fleet kept adding trailers every year to handle expanded capacity. Without tracking software, dispatchers had no real-time visibility into trailer location. They thought the fleet was fully using its existing equipment.
In reality, even as the company signed new leases, trailers were sitting idle across the network.
After implementing a modern trailer tracking solution, leadership finally saw the truth. Real-time utilization data revealed widespread underuse. Instead of relying on gut instinct, fleet managers started using hard data to guide decisions.
This newfound visibility allowed the company to return 200 trailers at the end of their leases. That single decision saved millions of dollars and produced an 800% ROI on the tracking investment.
What looked like a capacity problem was actually a visibility problem. And trailer tracking solved it.
Operational Wins Translate Directly to ROI
The impact of trailer tracking becomes clearest in day-to-day operations. From recovering lost assets to validating billing, real-world use cases show how better visibility improves operations and finance. In the examples below:
- The system proved to be 25% less expensive than rival solutions and offered greater reliability.
- Trailer tracking enabled quick recovery of a misplaced trailer carrying $250,000 in product, averting a costly claim.
- Switching to 10‑minute tracking updates helped quickly recover a stolen customer trailer – which saved the business
- Automated arrival and departure data validated demurrage invoices, improving accounts receivable and strengthening customer relationships and collections.
- Identifying underused assets avoided unnecessary trailer purchases and leases.
Turn Visibility into Measurable Returns
Trailer tracking delivers far more than dots on a map. It delivers financial clarity, operational confidence and quick return on investment. Fleet managers no longer have to guess whether they need more equipment. They don’t have to rely on outdated assumptions.
Tompkins Ventures can match your company with trailer tracking solutions that go live quickly, scale affordably and aggregate data across the entire fleet. The result is fewer blind spots, better decisions and ROI that speaks for itself.
If your organization is still leasing trailers you cannot see or searching for assets you already own, rethink visibility. Let’s explore how trailer tracking can unlock hidden capacity and deliver returns that change how companies operate their fleets.
Related Reading
- The Real Value of Industrial Real Estate
- Digital Enablement Drives Smarter Business Growth
- How Warehouse AI Is Transforming Operations
Tompkins Ventures matches your enterprise’s challenges with our network of 1000s of Commercial Partners, Capital Partners and Consulting Partners. Our toolbox is unlimited, as every Tompkins Ventures Partner has decades of experience helping companies address the five major factors for business success: Leadership, Capital, Technology, Supply Chain/Facilities and Procurement. In today’s business environment of continual disruption, even the best companies do not do everything great. Your core competency is your business. Our core competency is selecting the right Partner(s) to work with your executive teams to make good companies great. Business strategy and supply chain expert Dr. James A. Tompkins founded Tompkins Ventures in 2020. Our network is based in the U.S. but operates on all continents except Antarctica.