Monitoring of orders and resources

Depending on the capabilities and needs of your company, we can offer ACTIVE or PASSIVE MONITORING. 

In the active monitoring model, the XTrack GPS modules allow real-time monitoring of vehicles and machinery. Depending on your company’s needs, we always choose the optimal solution thanks to a wide range of available models of XTrack equipment. They can be the basic versions from the XTrack XT2+ family designed for self-assembly (connected to the cigarette lighter socket, OBD socket or directly to the battery terminals) or advanced onboard computers, which record hundreds of parameters per second, based on the XTrack XT4 Smart model. Documenting work with the installed equipment is called active monitoring in XTrack. 

It is not always possible to install an active GPS equipment or it may not be economically viable. In this case, we have a unique custom solution, i.e. passive monitoring. How does it work? Each time you perform an operation, place a container, empty a selective socket, issue a tool, service machinery or infrastructure which you manage, the onboard XTrack systems in the vehicle and/or the mobile XTrack software used by the employee creates a history of the activities for the resource and it updates its GPS position in the XTrack system. 

Whether you decide to have active or passive monitoring, or you want to combine both methods, the density of the GPS data recording can be adjusted to your needs. We update the information from the equipment in the provided XTrack software over the GSM network every few seconds. If something happens that requires your attention, the alarm mechanism informs you immediately. 

The detailed analysis is also supported by the data visualised on digital maps, presented in tabular lists and charts, including with external business intelligence (BI) tools and built-in export and reporting mechanisms in XTrack templates. 

The visibility of individual elements depends on the rights assigned to a given user. 

Apart from collecting basic GPS data, the XTrack units also record additional information, such as CHASSIS OPERATING PARAMETERS and BODYWORK OPERATING PARAMETERS. 

The chassis operating data are usually obtained through a CAN bus, including through a dedicated factory FMS connector of the vehicle. The typical data are the most commonly available parameters, such as: 

• engine revolutions per minute and temperature, 
• fuel and AdBlue level, fuel consumption, 
• mileage shown on the odometer, 
• load on axles equipped with air suspension. 

The data is recorded in real time and transferred to the XTrack software, where you can freely process, analyse or store it. 

Thanks to advanced technical features and extensive factory controls and sensors, modern specialist bodywork is another direct source of valuable data about how the company’s resources are used. Carrying out measurements prevents overloads and allows you to react quickly to any irregularities in the operation of the vehicle, which reduces service costs and unnecessary downtime. 

If the vehicle’s specialist bodywork has its own CAN bus that operates in accordance with the CleANOpen standard, such data can also be available in the XTrack system. The system is also ready for quick implementation of other documented protocols, with which elements of your vehicle or other machinery can communicate. 

The following data are most often logged: 

• number of operating hours / working time of the bodywork; 
• number of operating cycles; 
• operating time of individual bodywork equipment, e.g. hydraulic attachment, pump, hopper, compressor, etc.;  
• information about opening the load space or, in the case of garbage trucks, about opening the tailgate; 
• activation of any electrical switches; 
• information about the operation of loading mechanisms and activation of additional drives on the bodywork; 
• information about temperature and humidity. 

The scope of work documentation created in the XTrack system, both in the case of chassis and bodywork, can be extended thanks to additional sensors, e.g. weight, liquid level, detecting the operation of hydraulic vehicle elements, counting flow or recording mechanical loads of the structure of bodywork elements. 

Thanks to the extensive possibilities of data-logging and presenting an unlimited number of operating parameters, you gain a full picture of the use of your vehicle storage in the field. You can also benefit from the tools supporting the performance of periodic maintenance tasks, detecting irregularities and situations that may affect the effectiveness of settlements with business partners. 

YOUR BENEFITS FROM OUR SOLUTION 

• Reducing the costs resulting from performing periodic services and the possibility of eliminating unnecessary downtime by recording data on the operating time of individual equipment,
• Easier identification of errors in the operation of the equipment or causes of faults, e.g. overload, operation contrary to intended use or improper conditions,
• Notifications in the case of a risk of a fault due to systemic warning mechanisms,
• Information on the operating time and performed work cycles for inspections, repairs and internal and external settlements
• Visualisation of changes during recorded parameters and alarms of exceeding permissible values, e.g. temperature, revolutions, load, loaded weight or sudden change of liquid level
• In addition to standard alarms, complex alarms triggered on the basis of several recorded parameters, e.g.:
  • no geographic coordinates at 15 recent recorded events; 
  • no RFID tag during weighing (occurrence for at least 15 consecutive events); 
  • no weighing for container vehicles when the attachment operation is recorded (occurrence for at least 4 consecutive events);
  • checking the place and time of start-up of special equipment of the vehicle under the tasks to be performed;
  • Error and fault codes. 

The XTrack system records data on the weight of the collected loads on the basis of onboard scales systems. Depending on the use case and the type of the vehicle, two solutions are available as standard: NON-AUTOMATIC STATIC CHASSIS SYSTEMS and AUTOMATIC DYNAMIC SYSTEMS INTEGRATED WITH THE LIFTER. 

Static, non-automatic chassis systems 

This solution can be used for a wide range of specialised vehicles (e.g. dustless waste collection vehicles, container vehicles, box vehicles, vehicles with loader cranes, dumpers, tankers, slurry tankers, truck mixers), where large single loads are collected. The standard weight measurement resolution of this type is 10 kg. Before the weighing, the static scales require time up to a few seconds to stabilise the load and the bodywork and maintain an appropriate inclination angle of the surface.

These types of scales do not require any additional activities in the scales computer from the crew, as it gives an increasing sum of successive loads. Due to the above and the assembly method – between the chassis frame and the auxiliary frame of the bodywork – the non-automatic static weighing systems are not recommended for dustless vehicles when collecting waste from containers with a capacity of up to 1,100 L and when it is required to assign the accurate weight of the waste, including the light fractions, to its producer. 

In addition, because of the speed of operation of the static scales, the solution cannot work in combination with automatic LF RFID systems in dustless vehicles. The time required to get each measurement with the number of operations (typically 400–700 collections) performed by a dustless vehicle significantly affects the crew efficiency and thus the profitability of routes. 

Dynamic automatic systems integrated with the lifter

These are operating-free weighing systems that do not reduce the crew efficiency thanks to fully automated operation and no impact on the speed of the loading mechanism. They are dedicated for dustless waste collection vehicles. 

Depending on the design of the lifter, the dynamic weighing system allows determination of the weight of waste from each container separately, even in one loading cycle. This means that dynamic weight works perfectly with automatic LF RFID systems. Since the measuring elements of the scales are integrated with each independently working lifter, the solution is also precise and effective on multi-chamber vehicles collecting waste of various fractions, including light ones, within one route. 

The standard measurement resolution of automatic dynamic scales for two-wheel containers is up to 1 kg, depending on the manufacturer and the technical condition of the loading mechanism; the industry standard is 2 kg. For four-wheel containers, the standard measurement resolution is 5 kg. The weighing system automatically selects the appropriate measuring scale. 

TIP! 

Does your company already have telematics systems and you plan to purchase only a weighing module? It is possible! DYNAMIC WEIGHING SYSTEMS implemented and serviced by XTrack, as standard, support communication with external data recording systems using the open CleANOpen protocol. 

YOUR BENEFITS FROM OUR SOLUTION

• For dustless waste collection vehicles equipped with an additional tailgate for containers and/or loader crane or collecting bulk waste, thanks to our data recording equipment, you can use both weighing solutions on the vehicle at the same time. 
• All the data on the performed weighing are logged in the XTrack system and it has assigned GPS coordinates and time of performance. As a result, each collection can be visualised on a digital map. Already at this level, you can verify whether all the collections were carried out in accordance with the planned service area. 
• By integrating the weighing system with the manual or automatic XTrack RFID system, the system can assign each weighing to a specific waste producer, even if the crew pull containers from many properties and canopies to the garbage truck at the same time in the area where the vehicle operates. 
• When you use a weighing system with an integrated XTrack VIDEO RECORDER /CLICK/, you get additional visual confirmation of the operations performed by the crew. You can also detect cases requiring attention, e.g. erroneous operation of the lifter, bins falling in or incorrect handling, such as loading waste without the loading mechanism or OHS breaches. 
• The XTrack system also constantly monitors the filling level in the loading space, so you can be sure that the crew do not exceed the vehicle’s gross weight. 
• The weighing systems used by XTrack are years-tested solutions from industry leaders, with all the required metrological certificates and approvals (E). Our weight solutions can be approved, which means they can be used in trading. In addition, if you need a printout for the customer to confirm weighing and the weight of collected waste, we also have such modules. 
• The durability of the measuring elements and the stability of their parameters over time ensure long-term safe operation and the possibility to obtain re-approvals for the weighing system every 24 months, as required by law, without replacing its elements. 
• Each approval of a dynamic weighing system is carried out with the representative of the Regional Office of Measures. You gain certainty of proper operation and compliance with the official certificate. 

The integrated additional module enriches data recording carried out by individual onboard XTrack equipment with video recordings and image frames. 

Unlike safe reversing systems, commonly referred to as 360 degrees, or with the aerial view function, the XTrack Image Recording System has been designed from the ground up as a tool for documenting the task performance in the field. The system complies with all known tender provisions, especially concerning waste collection, in which it is crucial to confirm the proper performance of the contract. 

In our solution, we have matched all current market expectations to meet the requirements formulated by business partners, as evidenced by the SYSTEM PARAMETERS: 

• We record video footage with speeds between 1 and 25 frames per second, in HD to FHD quality, with 4 digital cameras simultaneously, completely covering the vehicle’s surroundings. 
• For all the recorded events described above, we provide image frames in accordance with the time of occurrence of the event in HD to FHD quality. 
• In addition, we provide HD to FHD image frames attached to GPX points recorded every 1 second to present them on the map, as in the case of other data. 
• In each of the above cases, the quality of the material can be suited to your needs. The configuration mechanism is so flexible that you can configure the settings of each camera separately to optimise the costs associated with data transmission. 
• We automatically anonymise the image and entire silhouettes of employees and bystanders if our AI mechanisms detect them in the shared image frames. 
• Although the entire recorded material is sent online (details below), when necessary it is possible to use live view, which is remote current view from the vehicle’s cameras, which is similar to CCTV. This view can be used continuously with large screens when many vehicles are monitored at the same time. 
• If the contractor requires direct access to data from the place of the services performed, including video recordings, and because multiple entities can be serviced with the same vehicle, the XTrack software has features that give you full control over the scope of data shared with partners. 
• In the XTrack Image Recording System, all created recordings are sent online at LTE speeds. You do not have to wait to analyse images with other telemetry data until the vehicle returns to the base when a copy is made manually or the recordings are downloaded over a WiFi network. You can use complete integrated data already during the route. In order to ensure safety, we stopped using traditional HDD-based recorders, which had limited capacity to store data in a vehicle. The function of the hard drive in our solution is taken over by the cloud (cloud computing) in a professional server room. Its advantage is the possibility of automatic scaling without the need to replace equipment and depending on the increase in needs. 
• If your vehicles operate in the field with reduced GSM network quality, or if there is no coverage, the temperature and vibration-resistant SSD memory built into the XTrack Image Recorder stores the recorded image and automatically resumes its transmission to the XTrack software when the system regains the connection with optimal speed. The smart system manages the scope of the data sent in real time. If the GSM network does not temporarily support video transmission, it can transmit data from the GPS, sensors and other modules installed in the vehicle. The XTrack System also integrates automatically the data above with the completed image, as soon as the GSM network bandwidth is sufficiently strong. 

YOUR BENEFITS FROM OUR SOLUTION 

• The XTrack Image Recording System is an integral part of the XTrack system, also in the scope of the available software. While working with the data from GPS, sensors, weighing systems or RFID, we immediately present recordings automatically linked to each recorded event, e.g.: driving, stop, PTO operation, loading and unloading, weighing, identification, start-up of suction and discharge pumps. 
• Since video recordings and image frames are an integral part of the remaining XTrack telematics data, you do not need to use separate software. You gain advanced capabilities to search for recordings by geographical location names and names of supported entities, by types of events listed above, by RFID codes and barcodes, waste fractions and types of objects, e.g. containers, driver or crew data, as well as by vehicle names and performance time. You do not incur double costs related to the maintenance of separate IT systems and difficult to estimate costs of inefficient acquisition of necessary data, which may accumulate after years of using other solutions. 

The XTrack identification system is a tool that improves the effectiveness of the documentation created in the field. At the same time, it maintains crew efficiency, thanks to automation of confirmations of task performance. Depending on your resources, we always offer an optimal solution. 

Read our ABC guide on RFID frequency. The guide shows industry standards and their application, depending on the process implemented in your company. 

The XTrack identification system is ready to support the RFID technology in the following standards: 

• Automatic XTrack LF RFID system for dustless waste collection vehicles 
• Automatic XTrack UHF RFID system for container and box vehicles 
• Manual object identification 

Automatic XTrack LF RFID system for dustless waste collection vehicles 

A solution adapted to the specific operation of dustless waste collection vehicle operation, fully in accordance with the industry standard 14803:2020, which strictly defines, among other things, guidelines on the applicable operating frequencies of antennas and RFID tags in vehicles of this type. 

Thanks to the complete implementation of the requirements specified in the document, the XTrack system can identify containers with the following LF RFID tags on one route using the basic set of antennas: 125 kHz Unique, 134.2 kHz FDX and 134.2 kHz HDX. This means an efficient route planning and lower service costs. But also there is no need to replace onboard systems and/or RFID tags on containers when you perform field service, where containers already have tags (99% of the RFID systems implemented in the world in this application are based on the LF – low frequency – range). 

Our versatile solutions give you a number of benefits on the market. If you obtain contracts through public tenders, your company can be ready for each specification, as the previously implemented system does not need to be included in the bids submitted in subsequent proceedings. It is similar if you want to be a subcontractor of a larger partner. 

The use of weather-resistant LF RFID also ensures 100% reading effectiveness and identification of the objects you wanted to identify. 

The range of our RFID antennas guarantees individual reading of each bin placed in the lifter. At the same time, it is so optimised that there is no risk of accidental reading of RFID tags from the containers near the vehicle. In addition, LF RFID eliminates the risk of obtaining ambiguous documentation in the case of UHF tags in waste (product packaging, textile labels, courier envelopes, etc.). Any accidental tags do not affect the operation of the XTrack system on a dustless vehicle. 

If you plan routes for dustless vehicles and assign them lists of waste collection points where there are containers with RFID tags, the garbage truck crew is supported in checking if the bin in the lifter matches the route. 

The XTrack indicator in the loader work zone informs the operator about the reading of RFID tags and possible non-compliance with the plan. This protects your company against waste contamination with an incorrect fraction. The system reacts immediately, so the crew receives necessary information the moment the bin is placed in the lifter, before the loading cycle begins. If the RFID tag has been damaged or stolen, the signalling equipment can inform the operator as soon as the lifter starts its operation and they can have time to react. The vehicles which are pre-adapted to the “lifter STOP” function, after identifying a container that does not match the route, the XTrack system can automatically stop the loading mechanism. 

If you have carried out stocktaking of RFID tags at the location of the containers and assigned them to waste producers or collective waste collection sites, and if you skip route planning and assigning the route to vehicles during waste collection, you can still receive full performance documentation with the information about the assigned producer. 

How does it work? After an RFID tag has been read, the XTrack system receives the information from the onboard system operating in the field and it automatically generates a confirmed collection order. The system stores this information both in the vehicle operation history and in the waste producer’s service history. What if the RFID tag was not added to the inventory by accident? Such collection is also documented by specifying collection date and time together with the address based on the vehicle’s GPS location, so that you can complete the inventory data. 

The XTrack automatic LF RFID system for dustless vehicles works perfectly with an automatic dynamic onboard waste weighing system. Since our LF RFID system reads each container individually after weighing and if the design of the lifter supports it, you can receive the weight of waste for each container separately.

In every aspect of cooperation as an organisation, we respect freedom of choice and no limitations. By choosing XTrack as a technology partner, you can be sure that we do not make you dependent on any supplier. We act according to the no vendor lock-in principle.

We are experts in the products for the municipal industry and cooperate with specialists to provide comprehensive solutions. Due to the full compliance of our identification systems with the industry standards, the RFID tags of any type can be purchased from us, as well as on the market, at wholesale prices. We can assist you in choosing professional suppliers. 

If you need barcodes, you can produce them yourself. The XTrack software, along with a dedicated printer from the market, allows you to implement a barcode ID system. 

The equipment operating as onboard terminals or used by the driver for manual identification are also available on the market. We can show you the currently-supported special models that are compatible with our mobile software. You can also use any modern smartphone or tablet. 

Automatic XTrack UHF RFID system for container and box vehicles 

A solution adapted to the specific features of vehicles collecting loads with container and box bodies, including those equipped with a loader crane and operating at 860 MHz UHF. The advantage of this band is its long range and width of the reading, which guarantee successful identification, regardless of where the operator places the transported load on the bodywork. 

The integral part of the XTrack UHF RFID system is the monitoring system for the container presence on the vehicle, thanks to which you can analyse how many “empty” routes are carried out. With this data, the dispatcher can make better decisions by delegating subsequent tasks to maximise the vehicle’s presence in the field and increase the profitability of each working day. 

Each operation on the identified objects is recorded in the vehicle operation history, as well as in the history of the object itself. Additionally, the mechanism also works with the manual identification of objects. This means that the system updates and visualises the last position of the object, e.g. a container, on digital maps. Thanks to this, you can display the history of its rotation in the field and you have access to a full record of the recipients of the services you have performed and which means of transport and when was used to perform the order. With this presentation of the object locations, you also gain full knowledge of how many of your resources are currently in the warehouse, waiting for the assignment of an order. To facilitate the analysis of cases when an object has not been collected from the place of service in a timely manner, we change the colour scheme of the icons representing your resources on digital maps, depending on the time elapsed since the last action on them. 

If the driver is equipped with an onboard terminal with the XTrack software, the last logged location of the operation on the object serves the operator as a point to which they can navigate. This significantly increases the effectiveness of implementation in vast areas with a large number of gates and buildings. 

The automatic UHF RFID XTrack system for container and box vehicles works perfectly with non-automatic static onboard scales. By implementing such a combined solution, you receive data about the weight of the delivered or collected loads. 

Manual object identification 

Our approach is to use a mobile Android equipment with installed XTrack software. Such a set is called a “board terminal” or “driver’s terminal” and it is also used as an additional element of automatic identification systems described above. 

If the vehicle cannot reach the place of performance, the operator goes with the terminal communicating wirelessly with the telematics system in the vehicle to a problematic location and manually scans the tag, attaching additional information about this situation, including photos. 

The solution works whenever you want to inform the crew about the list of tasks to be performed and the process you support requires reading the tags installed on the resources used by the company at the same time. In addition to LF and UHF tags requiring dedicated industrial tablets, you can also use popular NFC tags. In this case, virtually any modern smartphone or tablet can work as an identification terminal. 

A special type of an identifier is a barcode, which can be also handled manually using a terminal with our software. On the market, there are dedicated equipment that support LF RFID tags and barcodes at the same time, so you can create documentation with one universal equipment. Such a solution significantly reduces costs, as well as makes the process easier. It does not matter what type of identifier is read by the terminal with the XTrack software. The driver does not have to learn different operating methods which depend on the identification technology. 

TIP! 

If the data logging equipment use the XTrack XT4 Smart version as the XTrack system deployed in your company, you can build your own cyclic diagnostic procedures.  

How does it work? CHECK! 

Connect any equipment with a WiFi card and a web browser to the WiFi network of the XTrack system in the vehicle. With the built-in diagnostic interface of the XT4 Smart recorder, you can check: 

• Connection status of the SIM card or enter the parameters of a new card after its replacement 
• GPS module status and current GPS coordinates 
• Data synchronisation status of the internal recorder database with the XTrack software database on the server 
• Visualisation of the status change on the bodywork operation sensors 
• Current instantaneous values of data from the FMS(CAN) bus 
• Readings from the RFID antennas 
• Indications from the measurements made by a dynamic weighing system 
• Current status of digital cameras of the XTrack Image Recorder with the current image preview 

YOUR BENEFITS FROM OUR SOLUTION: 

• RFID solutions of the XTrack system operate in as many as three ranges: LF, UHF and HF. This is the widest possible market approach to RFID. 
• Depending on the type of the resource you want to identify and the vehicles and tools you want to use when handling the identification process, you can choose the most optimal reading frequency. 
• By choosing the operating scope of the RFID solution to the specific needs of your business, you can be certain of the effectiveness of the identification, the highest reading precision in given conditions and the optimal level of process costs. 
• If flexibility is important to your company, we have also thought about it, as in the XTrack system you can simultaneously assign multiple unique labels working at different frequencies to one object. As a result, you can document the operation of the object with different methods and tools 
• The XTrack system ensures freedom of choice. We work with RFID tags that are completely available on the market and we do not follow a vendor locking policy. 
• The RFID ranges in which our solutions work ensure full compliance with formal industry requirements.