A telematics gateway is a Trackunit TU600 device installed on heavy equipment such as excavators, loaders, and bulldozers. It connects to ON!Track to provide automatic location tracking, machine usage data, and — when connected to the machine's CAN bus — detailed telematics information such as fuel consumption and idle time.
The telematics gateway is self-sufficient: it has its own GNSS module for GPS location, cellular connectivity for direct cloud communication, and can be powered by the heavy equipment's electrical system or its own internal battery. It does not depend on phones, Wi-Fi, or other gateways to function.
Requirements
License: Telematics features — including utilization data, utilization charts, planned maintenance alerts from gateways, and heavy equipment reports — are available only on ON!Track PRO, Enterprise, and Legacy license bundles. ON!Track Lite customers can create planned maintenance service templates manually, but will not receive utilization data or service alerts from the gateway. Even if a telematics gateway is installed for a Lite customer, the utilization data is ignored at the message processing layer and does not appear in ON!Track.
Heavy equipment asset: The machine must already exist in ON!Track as a heavy equipment asset type before the gateway can be linked to it.
Trained installer: Installation should be performed by a trained installer familiar with the Trackunit Verify tool and the machine's electrical system. Incorrect installation — particularly wrong CAN bus connections or CAN profile selection — is the most common cause of missing or incorrect data.
What data does the telematics gateway provide?
The data available depends on how the gateway is installed:
Basic installation (no CAN bus connection)
If the gateway is mounted on the machine but not connected to the CAN bus, it provides:
Last seen location (GPS coordinates via the built-in GNSS module)
Estimated engine hours (derived from vibration and motion detection)
Basic utilization data (working vs. idle vs. off, estimated from motion)
CAN bus installation
If the gateway is wired into the machine's CAN bus and the correct CAN profile is selected, it provides everything above plus:
Accurate engine hours (read directly from the machine's onboard electronics)
Fuel consumption data
Idle time breakdown (working hours vs. idle hours)
Distance traveled
Additional machine-specific data depending on the CAN profile and machine model
Important: If the wrong CAN profile is applied during installation, fuel data and idle time information will not appear in ON!Track — even though the gateway is physically connected to the CAN bus. The CAN profile must match the specific machine type.
Utilization data in ON!Track (PRO, Enterprise, and Legacy only)
Utilization panel — total engine hours and total distance on the asset details page
Utilization summary chart — working vs. idle vs. off breakdown
Daily utilization detailed chart (web only)
Planned maintenance alerts — triggered when engine hours or distance thresholds are reached
Heavy equipment utilization reports — daily, weekly, or monthly in PDF or Excel format (web only)
Installation
Installation involves four steps. Each step must be completed for the gateway to function correctly.
Step 1: Ensure the gateway is on the Trackunit platform
Before configuration, verify that the TU600 device is registered on the Trackunit Iris platform for the correct environment (production or QA). Log in to the Trackunit Manager at manager.trackunit.com and search for the device by serial number. If the device is not found, submit a request to Trackunit support to onboard it.
Step 2: Configure and verify using Trackunit Verify
The installer uses the Trackunit Verify tool at verify.trackunit.com to configure the gateway:
Log in and search for the device serial number.
Confirm that the device has power, cellular connectivity, and GPS signal.
Ensure IN2→OUT1 is enabled.
Select the correct CAN profile matching the machine type (if CAN bus is connected). Selecting the wrong profile is the most common cause of missing fuel and idle data.
Enter machine metadata (unit name, reference number, current engine hours).
Press "Save and Install" to activate the gateway.
Tip: Verification is often easier outdoors because GPS and cellular signals are usually stronger.
Step 3: Onboard to Hilti SAP
After verification, the gateway must be onboarded to Hilti SAP with the correct customer number. Ensure the SAP environment matches the Trackunit Iris environment (production or QA). Without this step, gateway data will not flow to the correct ON!Track tenant.
Step 4: Link the gateway in ON!Track
Link the gateway to the correct heavy equipment asset in ON!Track. This connects the gateway's data stream to the correct machine record. Once linked, users can open the heavy equipment asset in ON!Track and view telematics information.
Before installation checklist
Before starting installation, confirm:
The gateway serial number is available (printed on the box label — save this label).
The machine exists in ON!Track as a heavy equipment asset.
The installation area has adequate cellular and GPS coverage.
The gateway can be mounted safely and securely on the machine.
The device is mounted at least 20 cm away from the machine operator.
The machine can provide the required power to the gateway.
The installer has access to the Trackunit Verify tool.
If CAN bus installation is planned, the correct CAN profile for the machine model is known.
How to check that it is working
What to check |
What should happen |
|---|---|
Machine record |
The heavy equipment asset is visible in ON!Track. |
Gateway link |
The gateway is connected to the correct machine in ON!Track. |
Location information |
The machine shows "Last seen" location details (may take a few minutes after first power-on). |
Utilization data |
Engine hours, distance, or utilization data appears after the machine is used. Note: Utilization data may not appear for up to 1 hour after initial installation, as usage information is updated in 1-hour intervals. |
Fuel and idle data (CAN only) |
If CAN bus is connected, fuel consumption and idle time data should appear in the utilization panel after the machine has been running. If this data is missing, verify the CAN profile is correct. |
Common issues
Issue |
Possible cause |
|---|---|
No data appears in ON!Track |
The gateway may not be onboarded to Hilti SAP, or the SAP environment does not match the Trackunit environment. |
No utilization data on first day |
Utilization data is updated in 1-hour intervals. Wait at least 1 hour after installation with the engine running. |
No fuel or idle time data |
The gateway is not connected to the CAN bus, or the wrong CAN profile was selected during verification. |
Location not showing |
The machine is in an area with poor GPS coverage (accuracy > 200 m), or the gateway does not have cellular connectivity. |
Gateway shows as offline |
The gateway has not sent any BLE tag messages for 20 minutes. Check power supply, cellular coverage, and whether the device is in deep sleep mode. |
Wrong serial number used |
The verification step was completed with an incorrect serial number. Re-verify with the correct serial number in Trackunit Verify. |
Gateway not linked to correct machine |
The gateway was linked to the wrong heavy equipment asset in ON!Track. Unlink and re-link to the correct asset. |
Inventory data incomplete |
More than 300 BLE tags are in the gateway's range. Reduce the number of tags or add additional gateways. |
Summary
The telematics gateway provides automatic location tracking, machine utilization data, and — with CAN bus installation — detailed telematics such as fuel consumption and idle time. It also acts as a BLE scanning gateway for nearby tagged assets, enabling both asset tracking and gateway inventory on heavy equipment.
Correct installation — including CAN profile selection, SAP onboarding, and ON!Track linking — is essential for complete and accurate data.
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