Search time
Crews walk the yard looking for a boom section, a spreader bar or the right spool. A late load holds up the crane, the truck and the crew.
Asset Tracking and Fleet Tracking in Crane Yards and Laydown Yards
Cranes, rigging and laydown material, located before anyone goes looking.
CRATUS tracks cranes, attachments, rigging, trucks and laydown material across crane rental yards and project laydown yards with the ASSET-Rx real-time location platform. UWB, BLE and GPS tags report where each asset is, how long it has been there, who moved it and whether it is working, on one live yard map.
- ASSET-Rx with
- UWB
- BLE
- GPS
- Cloud
Live yard mapEvery tagged asset, every shift
FleetUtilization, idle time, custody
- LiveLocation of cranes, trucks and material
- Idle timeMeasured per unit, not estimated
- CustodyWho moved it, when and where
- PortableAnchors on poles, structures or booms
The challenge
Why yards lose track of assets.
A yard changes every day. Paper logs and memory do not keep up.
Idle fleet
Units sit on the lot or on site without anyone measuring how long. Rental days are missed and utilization is a guess.
Mixed-up material
Laydown material is moved, restacked and relabeled. The wrong piece goes out, or the right one is reordered.
ASSET-Rx tracks every tagged asset in real time, logs every move and gate event, and shows utilization by unit, by yard and by project.
See the approachWhere it is used
Yards where assets move every day.
Each yard gets zones, rules and reports that match how it runs.
- Crane rental yardsCranes, boom sections, counterweights and attachments.
- Construction laydown yardsSteel, spools, rebar, prefab and equipment.
- Plant turnaround laydownRefinery and plant shutdown material and tools.
- Wind and solar projectsBlades, tower sections, modules and trackers.
- Ports and terminalsProject cargo, breakbulk and handling gear.
- Rail and utility yardsMaintenance vehicles, poles, reels and transformers.
- Equipment dealersRental fleet, demo units and service bays.
- Mine and quarry yardsSpare parts, tires, buckets and mobile equipment.
Side by side
Yard tracking methods compared.
ASSET-Rx uses the right tag for each asset: UWB where position matters, BLE for zones, GPS on the road.
| Paper logs and walkdowns | GPS telematics | ASSET-Rx RTLS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assets covered | Whatever gets written down | Powered vehicles | Vehicles, attachments, rigging and material |
| Location in the yard | Last known, if recorded | Yard level | Row, bay or exact position |
| Updates | End of shift | Periodic | Real time |
| Who moved it | Rarely recorded | No | Chain of custody |
| Utilization | Estimated | Engine hours | Hours, idle time and moves by unit |
| Worker safety zones | No | No | Static and dynamic danger zones |
General characteristics of each method. ASSET-Rx can read GPS telematics you already have and combine it with RTLS on site.
Our approach
Tag, locate, log, act.
Tags, anchors, connectivity, cloud software and edge AI, engineered as one system by one team.
Tags & anchors
UWB transponders on cranes and high-value attachments give exact positions. BLE tags on rigging, tools and material give zone-level location at low cost. GPS covers trucks and units on the road. Anchors mount on light poles, fences, buildings or temporary masts.
- UWB for exact position
- BLE for zones and material
- GPS between sites
Connectivity
The ICL8-WC182 Wireless CAN Bus Bridge and site gateways collect tag data and send it to the ASSET-Rx cloud over Ethernet, Wi-Fi or cellular. No trenching is needed for most yards.
- Wireless CAN on mobile equipment
- Ethernet, Wi-Fi or cellular
- Temporary or permanent
Software & dashboards
A live yard map, asset search, gate events, utilization reports and a chain of custody app for iOS and Android. Location data flows to your ERP, EAM and rental systems through APIs.
- Live yard map and search
- Utilization by unit and project
- Chain of custody app
AI
AI flags assets that sit idle too long, moves that break the plan and units due for service. ASSET-Rx EDGE adds cameras and LiDAR to detect untagged equipment and people.
- Idle and misplaced asset alerts
- Maintenance by actual use
- Untagged detection with EDGE
What we deliver
Asset and fleet tracking for yards.
From one rental yard to every project laydown in your fleet.
Live yard map
Cranes, attachments, trucks and material on one map, searchable by unit, type or project.
Tags · Software
Fleet utilization
Hours working, hours idle and moves per unit, by yard, project and customer.
Software · AI
Gate check-in and check-out
Geofenced gates log every unit and load leaving or entering the yard.
Tags · Software
Laydown material location
Spools, steel and prefab found by piece mark, with the row and bay.
Tags · Software
Chain of custody
Location-confirmed handoffs between yard, driver and site crew.
Software
Danger zones around cranes
Zones that follow the load warn workers before they step in.
Tags · Software
Danger zones for cranes and heavy equipment are covered on the Crane and Heavy Equipment Safety page.
The ASSET-Rx system
Hardware and software for yard tracking.
Tag types and anchor positions follow the yard: dense where material is stacked, sparse where units park in the open.
ASSET-Rx
UWB Anchor
ARX-UWB-Ax
- Weatherproof
- Ethernet or CAN
- Pole or structure mount
Fixed reference points that locate every UWB tag in the yard.
ASSET-Rx
UWB Transponder
ARX-UWB-Tx
- Exact position
- Rechargeable
- Visual alerts
On cranes, attachments and workers where position matters.
ASSET-Rx
BLE Tag
ARX-BLE-Tx
- Long battery life
- Low cost
- Zone level
On rigging, tools, reels and laydown material.
ASSET-Rx
Attitude Sensor
ARX-ATTx
- Slew angle
- Boom elevation
- Calculated position
Places the hook and load from crane geometry, not estimates.
INTERCAL8
Wireless CAN Bus Bridge
ICL8-WC182
- CAN FD
- Isolated
- No cable runs
Connects mobile equipment and field hardware to the platform.
ASSET-Rx
Cloud Platform
SW-01x / SW-03x / SW-05x
- Fleet dashboard
- Chain of custody
- Maintenance
Multi-yard dashboard with per-site data isolation.
One platform
Tags, sensors, edge, software and AI from one team
CRATUS surveys the site, plans coverage, supplies the hardware, sets up zones, rules and integrations, and supports the system after commissioning. ASSET-Rx is hardware-agnostic and works with compatible off-the-shelf components.
ASSET-Rx platformASSET-RxStack
AI
- Idle alerts
- Maintenance
- Vision with EDGE
Software
- Yard map
- Utilization
- Custody
Connectivity
- WC182 bridge
- Gateways
- Cellular
Tags
- UWB
- BLE
- GPS
What to send us
These details let CRATUS plan tags, sensors and coverage for your site.
- Yard layout, size and photos
- Asset types and counts to tag
- Material types in laydown
- Gates and check-out rules
- Rental, ERP or EAM system in use
- Existing GPS telematics
- Power and network on site
- Questions you need answered daily
How we work
Surveyed first, then tagged.
Every yard is planned from its layout and asset mix, so tags, anchors and zones are set before installation.
- 01
Yard details
Layout, asset list, material flow and the reports you need.
- 02
Coverage plan
Anchor positions and tag type per asset, planned for the yard geometry.
- 03
Tag & install
Anchors mounted, assets tagged and registered, gates geofenced.
- 04
Commission
Zones, rules and reports set up and checked with yard walks.
- 05
Operate & expand
Remote monitoring and updates, and new yards added without redesign.
Standards & practices
Planned around the requirements you work to.
Installations follow the safety, asset management, radio and cybersecurity requirements that apply to the site.
- ISO 55000Asset management
- ISO/IEC 24730Real-time locating systems
- IEEE 802.15.4zUltra-wideband ranging
- OSHA 1926 Subpart CCCranes and derricks in construction
- ASME B30Cranes, rigging and below-the-hook devices
- FCC Part 15UWB and BLE radio equipment
- ISA/IEC 62443Security for industrial networks and devices
- IEC 60529Ingress protection for outdoor equipment
Compliance decisions rest with the site owner and the applicable authority. CRATUS designs and documents installations to support your programs and audits; we don’t self-certify.
The basics
What can be tracked in a crane or laydown yard?
Cranes, boom sections, counterweights, attachments, rigging, trucks, trailers, tools and laydown material such as spools, steel, reels and prefab. Each asset gets the tag type that suits its size, value and how precisely it must be located.
Why use UWB, BLE and GPS together?
Each covers a different need. UWB gives exact position for cranes and high-value items, BLE gives zone-level location at low cost for many small items, and GPS covers vehicles between yards and sites. ASSET-Rx shows all three on one map.
Does it need permanent infrastructure?
No. Anchors mount on light poles, fences, buildings, boom sections or temporary masts, and connect over cable or wireless links. Project laydown yards can be set up and moved with the project.
Fleet and utilization
How is utilization measured?
From tag location, movement and equipment signals. ASSET-Rx records when a unit works, idles or sits, by shift, project and customer, so utilization comes from data instead of estimates.
Can it work with our existing GPS telematics?
Yes. Telematics data can be brought into ASSET-Rx through APIs and shown with RTLS data on site, so one dashboard covers the road and the yard.
Can it trigger maintenance?
Yes. Actual operating hours and moves feed the Maintenance Intelligence module, which schedules service by use and routes work orders.
Material and custody
How do crews find laydown material?
They search by piece mark, spool number or project in the app. The map shows the row and bay, and the history shows who moved it last.
How does chain of custody work?
Both people must be at the asset to complete a transfer. The handoff is confirmed by location, timestamped and logged, with a full audit trail.
Working with CRATUS
How do we get a proposal?
Send us the yard layout, the asset list and the questions you need answered every day. A CRATUS engineer replies with questions, an anchor and tag plan and a phased rollout.
Can we start with one yard?
Yes. Start with one yard or one asset class, then add yards, asset types and modules without redeployment.
Talk to a CRATUS engineer
Need to know where your fleet is?
Send us the yard layout and the asset list. A CRATUS engineer will reply with a tag and anchor plan.
Illustrations are not to scale. Specifications subject to change without notice.