Summary
Runtime Hours by TGI Connect, a satellite-based engine monitoring system designed for remote assets outside cellular range. By connecting a solar-powered SmartOne Solar device directly to an equipment’s switched voltage input, it tracks exact start and stop times via the Globalstar network rather than relying on motion or vibration estimates. The data syncs to TGI’s portal, app, or third-party systems to help fleet managers automate hour-based maintenance, track asset utilization, monitor idle time, and streamline billing across industries like construction, oil and gas, forestry, and rental equipment.
Why Does Runtime Reporting Matter?
Some of your most valuable assets are the ones you cannot easily access.
A generator on a lease road. An excavator at a remote construction site. A skidder in a cut block. Reading an hour meter on equipment in these locations can require a truck, a driver, and hours of travel. As a result, runtime often gets estimated rather than measured.
That can lead to maintenance based on the calendar instead of actual usage, missed service intervals, unnecessary servicing, and equipment failures in hard-to-reach locations.
Automate Engine Operating Hours with TGI Connect
An external input cable connects the TGI Connect SmartOne Solar device to a switched voltage source on the equipment. When the engine starts or stops, the device records the change. At a configurable interval—from hourly to once every 24 hours—it also reports accumulated runtime hours.
The data appears in TGI’s My Connect Manager portal alongside location and motion information and is available in the asset detail view of the TGI Mobile App. Runtime data can also be accessed through the API and integrated with your maintenance or asset management systems.
Existing device functions, including motion reporting and scheduled updates, continue to operate normally.
Why Satellite Connectivity Matters
Engine-hour monitoring is not new, and cellular solutions can work well for equipment that remains in areas with dependable cellular service.
The limitation is connectivity.
Equipment often operates in places where cellular networks are limited or unavailable—remote well sites, mine roads, farms, forestry operations, and early-stage construction sites. Even where cellular coverage is generally strong, it can vary by location, carrier, terrain, and site conditions.
Satellite connectivity provides an independent communication path that does not depend on nearby cellular towers. That means runtime data can continue to be reported across a much wider operating area, providing a more consistent source of equipment information wherever the asset is working.
Runtime Hours operates over the Globalstar satellite network. Whether a machine is 200 kilometres from the nearest cellular tower or parked outside your office, it can report on the same configured schedule when it has the required satellite visibility.
The SmartOne Solar device is also solar-powered, helping eliminate routine charging or battery service for equipment that may sit unused between jobs.
Accurate by Design
Some runtime systems estimate engine activity using vibration or movement. That can create false readings—for example, when equipment is being transported on a trailer.
Runtime Hours uses a switched voltage input connected to the equipment, so runtime is recorded when the engine is operating.
That creates a more reliable record for maintenance, utilization analysis, billing, warranty documentation, and equipment resale.
What Runtime Data Lets You Do
Service based on actual hours.
Most engine maintenance schedules are based on operating hours. Without reliable hour data, service intervals are often estimated from dates, increasing the risk of servicing too early—or too late. Automated runtime reporting provides the information needed to trigger maintenance alerts before service intervals are missed.
Measure utilization.
Two identical machines can have very different workloads. Runtime data shows which assets are working and which are sitting idle, helping inform redeployment, rental-versus-purchase decisions, and fleet replacement planning.
Bill accurately.
For businesses that charge by equipment hours, runtime data provides a consistent record that can support billing and revenue reporting.
Identify unnecessary idle time.
Combining engine runtime with SmartOne motion data can identify equipment that is running without moving—helping uncover avoidable fuel consumption and operating costs.
Identify unauthorized use.
Alerts can be configured when equipment runs outside defined working hours or within or outside designated landmarks or geofences.
Rules, Alerts, and Reports.
My Connect Manager provides configurable rules, alerts, and reports to help turn runtime data into action.
Maintenance reminders.
Alert when an asset reaches a defined service interval. Administrative users can reset reminders.
Milestone alerts.
Receive notifications when an asset reaches a specified number of operating hours.
Timer-based alerts.
Identify equipment that has been on or off for more or fewer than a defined number of hours over a specified period.
Event-based alerts.
Trigger a notification when equipment has operated for a defined number of hours since startup.
Time-of-day and landmark alerts.
Flag equipment operating outside approved hours or within or outside designated locations.
Who Benefits?
Runtime Hours is particularly useful for operations with hour-based maintenance schedules, remote equipment, or assets that spend significant time outside cellular coverage.
Refrigerated transport: Monitor reefer runtime and compressor operating hours even when trailers are stationary.
Construction: Track excavators, loaders, generators, compressors, and other equipment moving between sites.
Oil and gas: Monitor remote pumps, generators, and other equipment where site visits are costly.
Forestry and mining: Track equipment operating in remote areas where cellular coverage may be limited.
Agriculture: Monitor tractors, combines, irrigation pumps, and other equipment operating across large areas.
Equipment rental: Use runtime data to support both maintenance scheduling and hourly billing.
Utilities and municipalities: Confirm operation of standby generators and other critical equipment.
Material handling, landscaping, snow removal, waste, marine, and port operations: Track seasonal and multi-shift equipment where operating hours accumulate quickly.
Four questions can help determine whether Runtime Hours is a fit:
- Does the asset have a switched voltage source between 5 and 48 VDC?
- Is maintenance scheduled by operating hours?
- Does the asset operate where cellular coverage may be unreliable or spend long periods idle?
- Can the equipment accommodate a wired installation?
When the answer is yes, Runtime Hours can provide a practical way to automate engine-hour
About TGI Connect
Welcome to TGI Connect, the trusted leader in trailer tracking and asset management solutions for the transportation and logistics industry, in business since 1992. We specialize in trailer tracking, helping fleets maximize efficiency, visibility, and cost savings with our cutting-edge satellite tracking technology.
Our extended coverage footprint and state-of-the-art satellite connectivity ensure real-time trailer tracking, automated reporting, and seamless data integration, reducing downtime and boosting revenue opportunities. Backed by a dedicated customer service team, we provide proactive account management and a proven track record of reliability, trust, and customer satisfaction.
Partner with TGI Connect to optimize your trailer fleet operations, enhance trailer utilization, and stay ahead in today’s competitive transportation industry. For more information visit www.tgi-connect.com.
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