Choosing the right Forklift Tracking System can be overwhelming with multiple Real-Time Location System (RTLS) technologies like Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), RFID, and GPS available. Each offers unique advantages for tracking forklift utilization, operator performance, and overall warehouse efficiency.
But which system is the best fit for your facility? Let’s dive into everything you need to know about forklift tracking, why it’s essential, and how to choose the right technology.
What is Forklift Tracking
Forklift tracking is a real-time monitoring system that helps warehouses, manufacturing plants, and distribution centers track, analyze, and optimize forklift operations. Using hardware sensors, location tracking technologies, and data analytics, businesses can gain visibility into forklift movement, utilization, and safety.
How Forklift Tracking Helps Businesses:
- Locate forklifts instantly to reduce search time.
- Improve safety by preventing collisions with real-time alerts.
- Analyze fleet efficiency to optimize productivity.
- Reduce operational costs through data-driven decision-making.
Why is Forklift Tracking Essential for Modern Warehouses & Manufacturing?
With rising supply chain demands and increasing safety regulations, forklift tracking is a critical tool for modern industrial operations. Here’s why:
1. Increases Productivity & Reduces Downtime
Challenge: Forklifts often spend time idling, waiting, or taking inefficient routes.
Solution: Forklift tracking helps businesses identify inefficiencies, optimize workflows, and automate processes for faster operations.
Example: A warehouse with 20 forklifts reduced idle time by 30%, saving hundreds of hours annually.
2. Enhances Safety & Prevents Accidents
Challenge: Forklifts are involved in 11% of warehouse accidents.
Solution: Forklift tracking enables:
- Collision avoidance by alerting operators to nearby obstacles.
- Geofencing alerts to prevent unauthorized entry into restricted zones.
- Real-time monitoring of speed, proximity, and operator behavior.
Example: A manufacturing facility reduced near-miss incidents by 50% within six months using forklift tracking.
Implementing advanced forklift telematics and RTLS systems can significantly reduce near-miss incidents by providing real-time alerts on proximity risks and monitoring operator behavior to ensure safe driving practices.
3. Optimizes Fleet & Inventory Management
Challenge: Some forklifts are overused, while others remain idle.
Solution: Tracking provides insights into:
- Fleet utilization – identifying underutilized forklifts.
- Predictive maintenance – scheduling repairs before breakdowns.
- Efficient inventory movement – reducing loading/unloading delays.
Effective forklift fleet tracking enables businesses to monitor equipment usage, leading to improved productivity and cost savings.
Example: A logistics center cut forklift-related inventory delays by 40% after integrating RTLS-based tracking. For a real-world application of RTLS in warehouse operations, check out this case study on forklift tracking in a warehouse, which showcases how businesses have improved efficiency with real-time tracking.
4. Ensures Compliance & Automated Reporting
Challenge: Imbalanced forklift usage leads to inefficiencies—some forklifts experience excessive wear and tear, while others remain underutilized.
Solution: Forklift tracking provides actionable insights by:
- Optimizing fleet utilization—ensuring even workload distribution to extend vehicle lifespan.
- Enabling predictive maintenance—scheduling proactive repairs to prevent unexpected breakdowns.
- Enhancing inventory flow—reducing delays in loading, unloading, and material handling.
Example: A logistics center improved fleet efficiency and cut forklift-related inventory delays by 40% after deploying RTLS-based tracking.
How to Choose the Best RTLS Technology for Forklift Tracking
Selecting the appropriate forklift tracking software is crucial for optimizing operations and ensuring safety compliance. However, the effectiveness of the software depends on the underlying RTLS technology used for real-time positioning. Factors such as required accuracy, facility layout, and integration needs determine the choice of technology. RTLS options like Ultra-Wideband (UWB), BLE, RFID, and Wi-Fi offer varying levels of precision, range, and cost-effectiveness.
- Infrastructure-Based RTLS (UWB, BLE)
Infrastructure-based RTLS offers a comprehensive “indoor GPS on steroids,” providing sub-meter accuracy and sub-second updates. These systems, typically powered by Ultra-Wideband (UWB) or BLE, are ideal for complex facilities requiring constant visibility into forklift locations. With its high precision, UWB supports critical safety applications, such as collision alerts at blind corners and near-miss tracking, which can’t be achieved with less granular systems like RFID.
Advantages
God’s Eye View: The facility-wide grid of sensors offers unmatched visibility, enabling real-time tracking and alerting for both people and vehicles, even in blind spots.
Multi-Use Capability: This investment can power multiple tracking use-cases, from forklift and pedestrian tracking to WIP (Work-In-Progress) and inventory monitoring.
Advanced Analytics & Digital Twin Potential: By generating high-fidelity data, infrastructure-based RTLS enables predictive models and Digital Twin simulations, providing valuable insights for safety and productivity improvements.
Considerations
While initial infrastructure costs can be significant, combining multiple RTLS use cases (e.g., inventory, people, and asset tracking) under one system can enhance ROI. LocaXion can assist with a business case and ROI calculation for your facility.
- Non-Infrastructure Ranging Systems (TWR)
Non-infrastructure, Two-Way Ranging (TWR) systems are simpler, line-of-sight solutions that require fewer components, making them easier to deploy. By using a combination of sensors placed on forklifts and fixed reference points, these systems offer basic location awareness and proximity alerts for safety.
Advantages
Lower Setup Costs: Ideal for facilities looking to avoid high upfront infrastructure costs.
Effective for Open Layouts: Works well in open layouts where visibility isn’t obstructed by corners or walls.
Limitations
Non-infrastructure TWR systems are less suitable for environments with blind turns or obstructions, as they cannot track around corners. For facilities with heavy foot traffic or complex layouts, infrastructure-based RTLS or vision solutions may be more appropriate.
- Vision-Based Tracking (Camera or LIDAR)
Vision-based RTLS, using AI-powered cameras or LIDAR, enables shape and object detection for advanced safety applications, such as collision warnings and pedestrian detection. Vision systems excel in identifying specific objects and can provide accurate distance measurements and alerts in real-time, especially when paired with SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology.
Advantages
Instant Safety Alerts: Cameras can detect pedestrians and other vehicles to alert operators of potential collisions.
Enhanced Environmental Awareness: Vision systems “see” object types, making them ideal for more advanced, context-aware safety applications.
Considerations
These systems may be affected by environmental conditions like dust, lighting, or obstruction. Vision-based tracking also requires significant processing power, often necessitating on-board or cloud-based AI for effective real-time analysis.
- Indoor-Outdoor Hybrid Tracking
Some facilities require seamless forklift tracking both inside and outside. Hybrid solutions, combining UWB/BLE for indoors and GPS/RTK for outdoor areas, provide comprehensive coverage across varied environments. For outdoor zones, LoRaWAN, GPS, or RTK can extend coverage for activities like yard management and raw material handling, though typically with lower accuracy compared to indoor systems.
Advantages
End-to-End Coverage: Seamlessly track assets between indoor and outdoor spaces, ideal for large facilities or those with extended yard operations.
Flexible Technology Mix: Use the best-suited technology for each environment to balance cost, accuracy, and operational needs.
Limitations
Outdoor tracking systems may have lower accuracy (within a few meters) and slower update rates compared to indoor RTLS. RTK offers higher accuracy but at a higher cost, while LoRaWAN is a cost-effective solution for general location monitoring with lower precision.
- Evaluate the pros and cons of UWB, BLE, TWR, LiDAR, and hybrid solutions to select the ideal technology for your needs. The right choice will enhance real-time visibility, anti-collision alerts, and fleet optimization. Partnering with an expert can ensure a solution tailored to meet your operational requirements.
Must-Have Features of an Advanced Forklift Tracking System
With the right RTLS technology in place, the next step is to ensure your forklift tracking system has the essential features that provide value. Let’s look at the top 3 features that will make your tracking system truly effective.
- Compatibility with OSHA checklists and access control to ensure compliance.
- Real-time visibility with alerts for unauthorized entry, speed, and route deviations.
- Robust data integration with WMS, MES, and telematics for end-to-end visibility.
Essential Questions to Select the Best Forklift Tracking RTLS System
Now that you understand the key features to look for, the next step is to ask the right questions to ensure the system fits both your immediate needs and long-term vision:
- What Are Your Primary Objectives? Are you focused on safety, productivity, or both? Identifying your main goals helps you target essential features and ROI.
- Is Forklift Tracking Just the Start? Consider if this system is part of a broader Smart Factory plan. Does your organization envision expanded tracking for other assets, zones, and applications?
- What is the Facility Environment Like? Consider conditions unique to your site, like dust, lighting, or noise. For harsher environments, technologies like UWB or hybrid solutions may be preferable over BLE or vision-based systems.
- What Are Your Scalability Requirements? As your facility grows, will the RTLS need to scale with it? Prioritize solutions that support easy expansion without substantial cost or downtime.
- How Important Is System Integration? For cohesive, data-rich operations, an effective RTLS system should integrate with your existing WMS, MES, telematics, and safety systems. Consider your current IT setup and whether the RTLS can connect with it seamlessly.
Get Started with Expert Forklift Tracking Solutions
With 15+ years of RTLS expertise, we’ve partnered with Top 3 RTLS and Digital Twin providers to build vendor-neutral solutions starting from design and deployment, to change management.
LocaXion’s RTLS practitioners have deployed over 100+ RTLS projects in Manufacturing and Warehousing. With our 15+ years of RTLS expertise we design scalable solutions that meet your current forklift safety, efficiency, and fleet performance needs, and scale for future use-cases.
