GPS Tracking Device Evaluation Identifies Three Top Choices

Dec 18, 2023

An evaluation of GPS tracking devices conducted in rural Saskatchewan has shown not all are created equal.In an effort to improve transport biosecurity Guelph based Farm Health Guardian in cooperation with the Saskatchewan Pork Development Board and the Canadian Agri-food Automation and Intelligence Network conducted a pilot project under which the performance of various GPS tracking devices was assessed under real world conditions in rural Saskatchewan.

Farm Health Guardian CEO Rob Hannam says the devices were installed in the trucks that regularly move pigs to and from the farms that volunteered to be part of the study and three of the technologies emerged as winners.

Quote-Rob Hannam-Farm Health Guardian:

There's one device we call Passport L.It's a GPS powered brake light that replaces the light in the back of any livestock trailer or feed truck.It's a four-inch light and it just works fantastic.That was one of the winners and we would call that a powered GPS device because the power comes from the lighting system of the truck so it's always got power.

As soon as you apply the brakes on your trailer it's recharging the battery inside that light an so we get really good signals no matter where the truck is so that works great.The second technology we looked at was battery powered.Not all vehicles have a four-inch brake light.Let's say manure haulers for example.
Those trucks or wagons might have something different and so we have a battery powered device as well.

That particular device is actually manufactured by Blackberry and of course they're well known for data security and for reliability and so that one was also one of the winners.The third device is one for passenger vehicles, so pickup trucks, cars, vans and it plugs in right underneath the steering wheel, where you'd have the diagnostics that your mechanic can plug into to check and see if the car is working.That same port can be used for GPS transmission.Our Passport A device plugs right under the steering wheel and again it's powered so it works quite well.

Hannam notes the full report is accessible as a fee download through his company's web site at farmhealthhguardian.com.

Source : Farmscape.ca

Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.