The utility, property and construction industries loose millions of pounds worth of equipment and small plant from vehicles every year. Accidental loss and theft are blamed for the majority. But now, most of these losses can be prevented.

Tool Tag from Eagle-i is an exciting new application that integrates RFID tagging with its core fleet management solution. Equipment is allocated an electronic product code (EPC) and this is programmed to an active tag.

The tag is secured to the equipment, and it is “allocated” to a vehicle. A reader in the vehicle confirms this and, if fitted, displays the piece of equipment as part of the vehicle’s inventory on an MDT or PDA. If equipment is removed from the vehicle and it moves out of RF range this can be displayed in cab, to remind the driver not to leave it behind, and/or it can be transmitted back to operations control.

Operations therefore have real time visibility and management of the small plant inventory and, critically, an inviolate audit trail when equipment goes missing.