In construction, most of the cost is not measured in kilometers. An excavator that stays on the same site all day will not travel a single meter, yet it burns fuel and operating hours that someone has to account for. When machines are spread across several sites, and some of them are rented, the question of who did what and for how long becomes a question answered from memory. PratiMe changes that by recording every machine's operating hours, consumption and position automatically.
The device is installed even on machines with no electronics at all, because engine operation can be read independently of factory systems. That means older machinery does not stay off the record, which matters in practice, since it is precisely on older machines that the most is usually lost. The solution adapts to the type of machinery, so the same logic covers both an excavator and a forklift.
Machine operating hours, not kilometers traveled
For working machines, what matters is engine operation, not mileage. The system records when the engine started, how long it ran in place, and how long the machine was moving. From this you get the real number of working hours per machine and per day, used both for billing the investor and for planning service.
From the engine operation data you get:
- real operating hours per machine and per day
- the ratio of idling time to moving time
- a basis for billing the investor
- service reminders based on hours reached, not on a calendar date
Fuel poured on site
On a construction site, fuel is most often delivered by tanker truck or in canisters, with no receipt from a pump and no trace at all of how much actually ended up in which machine. This is the place where losses go unnoticed longest. A probe in the tank shows every refill and every sudden drop in level, with the time and place.
What this gives you:
- a record of every refill per machine
- detection of siphoning outside working hours
- consumption per operating hour, comparable between machines
- a comparison of the delivered quantity against the amount actually poured in
Protecting machines outside working hours
A construction site is unprotected overnight and on weekends, and the machines are valuable and slow. A geozone around the site and an alarm on movement outside working hours notify you right away, not when it is noticed in the morning that a machine is missing. The same data later also serves as a movement trail for the police and insurance.
You get a notification when:
- a machine leaves the site geozone
- the engine starts outside working hours
- a machine is moved onto a tow truck
- the fuel level suddenly drops while the machine is idle
Billing by construction site and by project
When a machine was on three construction sites during the month, the cost needs to be split. Since the system knows where the machine was and how long it worked there, hours and fuel are allocated by location on their own. This removes most of the work around monthly billing and disputes about whose cost it is.
In the report you see:
- operating hours per machine and per construction site
- fuel consumption per location
- the machine's arrival and departure times
- a comparison of planned versus achieved per project
Frequently asked questions
Can the device be installed on an older machine without electronics?
Yes. Engine operation is read independently of factory systems, so older machinery enters the operating-hours and consumption record just like newer machines.
How are the operating hours of a machine that does not move measured?
Engine operation is tracked, not mileage. The system separates time spent idling in place from time spent moving, which for excavators and loaders is the only sensible way to calculate hours.
Can the cost be split by construction site?
Yes. Since the system records where the machine was and how long it worked there, hours and fuel are allocated by location without manual record-keeping.
What happens if someone moves the machine at night?
If the machine leaves the construction site geozone or the engine starts outside working hours, a notification arrives immediately, and the movement trail remains recorded.
