A patented technology called global location systems (GLS) is said to offer a number of advantages over the widely used global positioning system (GPS), including lower initial cost and longer battery life for tracking hardware, according to SkyBitz Inc., the company that developed it. Now offering GLS for untethered trailer tracking, the company announced last month that Landstar System is installing the system on an undisclosed number of new trailers delivered this year.

GLS hardware is housed in a single, flat box that is glued to the top of a trailer and requires no wiring or holes in the trailer roof. Sending one position message a day, it will run for up to seven years on 8 “AA” lithium batteries, according to SkyBitz CEO Andy Wood. Retail cost for the hardware is $350 a unit, and service is $7.50/mo. for a daily location. Unit software can be updated over the air without pulling a trailer out of service.

Coverage for the satellite-based system includes all of North America, and accuracy is said to be within 10 to 12 meters.

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