Oyster Edge Reduces Leased Trailer Theft

Annually, American logistics companies rely on over three million trailers to transport freight nationwide. Ranging in cost between USD$30,000 and USD$50,000 per unit, leased trailers provide a flexible, cost-effective solution for logistics and freight companies to streamline goods transport, manage risk, and contain capital expenses. Long-term leases are popular, letting customers use trailers for up to 5 years and travel thousands of kilometres across United States highways. However, theft and loss are common among long-term trailer leases, with slow manual tracking and physical checks to locate them adding delays to recovery, cost, and operational disruption.

One US-based leasing company wanted better visibility into the location of its trailer assets to safeguard against costly theft and loss, understand asset utilisation, and replace “gut feeling” decisions with data-driven insights to guide maintenance and capital investment decisions across its fleet.

To meet these goals, the company turned to Hawk Trax LLC, a leading provider of Internet of Things (IoT) asset-tracking solutions. The project use case requirements included regular location updates for a fleet of over one thousand non-powered trailers with an easy to install and maintain solution, that was reliable, cost-effective, and scalable.

Solving the visibility gap in trailer fleet management with IoT

Hawk Trax LLC worked with the leasing company to design and deploy a solution featuring Digital Matter’s Oyster Edge devices. The Oyster Edge is an Indoor/Outdoor battery-powered tracking IoT device that utilizes GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth to pinpoint asset locations to within five metres. Ultra-rugged and waterproof IP68 and IK07-rated housing ensures the device can withstand impact, fine dust, and brief submersion and is rated to operate within a temperature range of -30°C to +60°C.

Powered by three AA batteries that can operate the device for up to ten years without recharging or maintenance, the Oyster Edge is roughly the size of a thick smartphone, making it ideal for discreet installation. The device supports flexible mounting options including screws, bolts, cable ties, or rivets. Once installed and activated, the Oyster Edge determines trailer locations via GPS and securely transmits longitude and latitude coordinates over cellular networks to a cloud-based platform, which feeds the data into an easy-to-use visual dashboard, giving the leasing company on-demand insights to trailer locations.

Amanda Harris, Founder at Hawktrax LLC, says, “Our goal was to give this customer complete confidence in a cost-effective solution to remotely monitor their fleet location. With Digital Matter’s Oyster Edge, we were able to do this. Having eyes on their assets all over the country is a major advantage.”

How Hawktrax used the IoT to improve trailer fleet visibility, security, and utilisation

Over 3 years, Hawk Trax LLC deployed 1,500 Oyster Edge devices on trailers for the leasing company. Daily, each device shares its location data with the cloud platform.  In cases where a lease payment stops or a trailer moves unusually, the customer can place the device into Recovery Mode. When set, the device reports more frequently and begins live tracking while in motion to support rapid asset recovery. 

Since the deployment, the leasing company has saved an estimated USD $2.5-$3 million annually by reducing trailer theft. Faster, more accurate location data has improved asset recovery times and strengthened operational controls.

Harris notes, “We are so proud to be able to provide this customer with the solution they had been looking for.