Matrack Asset Trackers Review

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Matrack Incorporated was founded in early 2008. It is one of the leading providers of GPS Fleet and Asset Tracking solutions, both for individuals and businesses. The company is headquartered in San Francisco Bay area. It is present in three continents, providing global reach to its customers.

The company offers 3 variants of vehicle and asset trackers: MA Asset Classic – MA1080; Standard MA-HW Classic XT 2169; MA-HW Silver XT 4569.

The features, specifications, and price vary as per model.

In this article we will be reviewing the MA-HW Silver XT 4569 as it is claimed to have more features than the other two models and make comparisons wherever possible. The XT 4569 also works as a telematics system and comes with additional fail-safe features. The hardware can be set to update every 12 hours or once each minute.

 

Matrack Pricing

The monthly pricing plans for the asset trackers by Matrack are as below:

MA 1080: $7 (available on request, applicable on purchase of 50 devices or more).

XT 2169: $12.95

XT 4569: $12.95

The XT 4569 hardware is priced at $125. The website usually has discounts on the hardware and one can get the hardware for $100. The device comes with 1 year warranty.

Score: C

 

Design

The XT 4569 is quite compact when compared to the other two models standing at 30.5 x 68.6 x 104.1 mm. It features an 8-pin circular bayone harness connector. It comes with optional 2 digital inputs and 2 ADC inputs. The device’s operating temperature ranges from 22 °F to 158 °F (-30 °C to 70 °C). The XT 4569 has a tracking sensitivity of -165 dBm. The device is tamperproof, waterproof, and weather proof.

Matrack design - best trailer gps tracker

The device has 2 LED lights. Blue represents Cellular, and green represents GPS.

 

LED

DESCRIPTION

STATUS

Cellular (Blue)

Searching for cellular network

LED off

Cellular carrier lock

Fast blinking every second

GPS (Green)

Searching for satellite

Solid

GPS lock

Blinking

 

Score: B-

 

Matrack Asset Tracker Installation

Matrack asset tracker Installation

The sales package includes a mounting kit. The kit includes only screws for installation. Other accessories like the 3M weld tape and mounting magnets are optional. The company has provided some guidelines for installation. It advices to avoid installing the device under the hood or in an enclosed space surrounded by metals. The tracker requires adequate access to GPS signals. To facilitate so, it is advised to install this device in a position that provides this access. The device can be mounted anywhere on the trailer. However, it must have access to the open sky.

For normal installation, the user will have to connect all three wires shown in the image above. This is also the default mode of the device and all features will be available.

For trailers, RVs or assets without ignition wires, the user should connect only the red and black wires during installation. Here, the tracker is powered by the battery and updates are made based on movement of vehicle. Please note, in this case, notifications for ignition off/on and engine status reports are not available.

Score: B+

 

Battery

The XT 4569 has a 1 Ah Li-Ion internal battery. The internal battery in this device is connected to specialized motion sensor. This sensor captures tracking information and sends the updates to the user/fleet manager in case of power failure. This backup system helps the tracker to function without power source for two weeks.

Score: A-

 

Matrack GPS Aggressive Tracking Mode

The aggressive tracking mode is essentially a theft-prevention/recovery feature.  If an asset or trailer is stolen, the fleet manager can activate this feature. It increases the frequency of tracking updates. The company (Matrack) then would be able to track the trailer and help the fleet manager to recover the trailer.

Score: B

 

Matrack GPS Tracking Geofence

Geofence technology helps the user to determine virtual boundaries. When this boundary is violated by trailer/asset/person, an alert is issued. Matrack GPS tracking offers users to lay down geofence around a designated asset. When the asset crosses the geofence, the user will be alerted. In addition to this, aggressive tracking mode will be activated. A user can create up to 10 geofences in one account.

Score: C

 

Reports and Alerts

Matrack asset tracker reports and alerts

The real time data captured by the tracker can be found in Matrack’s tracking and report system. The reports contain information related to location details (latitude and longitude), engine on/off reports, street address, speed, mileage, and direction.

Vehicles involved in intrastate hauls requires IFTA tax reports. These reports are calculated based on the number of miles driven through each state relative to fuel purchased in each state. Matrack calculates and provides IFTA reports, so that fleet managers/drivers don’t have to.

Alerts for vehicle maintenance can also be set in the Matrack system.

The alerts can be customized as per the fleet’s requirement. Parameters can be set for events like speeding, ignition on/off, tow alerts, battery status, etc.

Reports and alerts are received over SMS and emails. The user will receive 2 updates in a day.

Note: The data is stored for one year.

Score: B

 

Dispatch Manager System

Matrack offers a portal for fleet managers to streamline working operation of the business. The deliveries can be mapped out directly on to the tracking system. The tasks can be organized on priority basis, map out the most optimal route for a haul, delegate tasks to different drivers, etc.

Score: B+

 

Matrack Trailer Tracker Communication

The device supports 4LTE connectivity with a 3G fallback in absence of network.

Score: C

 

Along with the other features discussed above, Matrack also provides their clients with tracking link to track their deliveries in transit. The company has also partnered with Blink Roadside Assistance. It provides the user with heavy discounts on responsive roadside emergency services. Both of these can be availed by getting in touch with the company.

 

Pros

  1. Suited for heavy industrial usage – hardware is weatherproof, waterproof, and tamperproof.
  2. Long battery back up of one month.
  3. Compact design.
  4. Unlike other models by Matrack, the XT 4569 is suitable for vehicles without ignition wires – ‘virtual ignition’ helps easy installation.
  5. 4LTE connectivity with 3G fall back.
  6. The original sales package comes with screws. However, one can also get a package with 3M weld tape or mounting magnets to suit their requirement.
  7. Apart from the real-time tracking reports, the XT 4569 offers reports like IFTA fuel reports, maintenance reports, etc.
  8. The alerts can be customized as per the fleet manager’s requirement.
  9. Discounts for roadside emergency services owing to partnership with Blink.
  10. The dispatch manager system helps fleet manager to prioritize and delegate tasks in addition to mapping out the most efficient and fuel-saving route for a trip.

 

Cons

  1. A user can only create up to 10 geofences under one account. This is quite restrictive for fleets of larger size.
  2. The device has to be placed in a way that it has access to open sky. Though not a huge problem, but it definitely reduces the installation area options.
  3. The installation location makes the device prone to theft.

 

Overall Matrack Asset Trackers Review

The XT 4569 is pricier than the other options provided by the company. However, this model provides the fleet manager with added features to manage the fleet better. The partnership with Blink roadside emergency services is a great add-on, especially when insurance premiums for trucking is steep. Unlike other models by Matrack, it can also be installed in vehicles/trailers without ignition wires. As good as the features might sound, the absence of companion app may be an inconvenience.  If you are looking for a reasonably priced tracking system for a medium-sized fleet, XT 4569 might be the model to consider amongst the models offered by Matrack. 

Overall Rating