Thwarting Theft With Trimble L2P (Locate 2 Protect)

Over the past 18 months I’ve noticed an increase in survey equipment theft from our Georgia customers, the most in my 8+ years with Duncan-Parnell. The theft occurrences have been almost equal: ½ stolen through vehicle break-ins; ½ stolen from work site while in operation. Needless to say, this thievery costs the Land Surveyor out-of-pocket $, increased insurance premiums and, most of all, time.

Trimble, being the Global Positioning System pioneer, has recently developed the L2P (Locate 2 Protect) device; a battery powered chip that utilizes GPS, A-GPS, and GSM technology offered as a standalone or embedded product. The embedded product is currently installed on all Trimble S5, S7, and S9 total stations, and can be retrofitted by one of Duncan-Parnell’s Service Centers on the S3, S6, S8, and VX total stations. The embedded product recharges off the total station battery. To activate, the end user subscribes to a 12 month data plan that currently cost just $294, per device. The cost covers a 4MB wireless data plan managed by Trimble. Once L2P is activated, the user realizes the following all through his/her web browser:

• Where the instrument is now, inside or outside
• Where has the instrument been, inside or outside
• When did instrument arrive & leave the job site
• Has it been dropped/bumped/absorbed shock, via G-Force alert
• Is the end user in trouble via text messaging
• Is it being taken away, via Geo Fence alerts
• How fast is the vehicle that’s transporting the unit travelling via velocity data from GPS

The standalone device comes in three flavors (cost/ordering details vary):

• L2P Compact for battery powered equipment like mowers, skid steers, ATVS, etc.
• L2P Portable for non-powered assets like flatbed or enclosed trailers, storage containers, waste bins
• L2P Lone Worker for tracking employees, lone workers, law enforcement/emergency workers

I anticipate that Trimble, being a technology leader, will eventually introduce L2P (or derivative) to its other positioning products. Embedding this technology in its total stations was a “no brainer” for Trimble, since that is the Land Surveyor’s solve-all tool. Another “no brainer” is you, the practitioner, protecting the tool that makes you $ by investing .01% more the total station cost by purchasing L2P.

-Mark Russell, Geospatial Solutions