Trailer data collection device: Trailer Box

• Trailer rental companies often wonder how the rented trailer has been used
• Logistics Companies want to track the location, condition, and utilization of their trailers
• Freight Companies benefit from monitoring the temperature, movement, and status of their cargo
• Agricultural Businesses want to ensure that goods are delivered in optimal conditions
• Cold Chain Providers want to monitor the temperature of trailers in real time and ensure products are transported within required conditions

The solution is simple: Squarell’s Trailer Box collects data from all kind of trailer sources, but it also generates a lot of interesting information itself.

Trailer Box: trailer data collection device

Often, the cargo in the trailer is more valuable than the entire truck. Normally however, information is only collected from the trailer when it is connected to a truck. If the trailer is disconnected and parked in a parking lot, you are missing actual data.

The Trailer Box, our trailer data collection device, can gather information (if generated by the trailer) about the cargo weight, vehicle weight, weight on a specific axle, the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), the mileage, the tire pressure system, data from the braking system (maintenance), GPS/GNSS data (in case of theft or fleet management), theft during parking, chassis data (axle counts, axle positions), air pressure information (tires, suspension and brakes), road behaviour (brake and tire usage) and the cooling unit.

Truck trailer combination

The Trailer Box can recognise a truck if a Squarell Bluetooth beacon is mounted on the truck. This helps prevent the wrong trailer from being coupled, along with all the associated risks and consequences.

Battery

The Trailer Box includes 1 battery pack, as standard, to send a ‘heart beat’ in disconnected status, e.g. in a car park, to indicate where it is or to report that the trailer is moving e.g. when stealing the load.

A second battery pack is optional.

Benefits of the Trailer Box

Brand independent trailer monitoring system
Versatile solution to watch over your trailer and cargo
Quick installation due to the short power extension cable
Non-intrusive CAN reader guarantees an point to point CAN bus
Compact GPS/GNSS data with high location accuracy on the map
Bluetooth receiver for identifying the truck beacon and TPMS
G-force sensor for safety information and Event Data Recorder
4G GPRS modem with 2G fall back with MQTT protocol
3 similar connectors for connecting different data networks like;

– CAN (to connect to T-CAN)
– RS232 (to connect to the cooling unit)
– 1-wire (to connect to temperature sensors)
– SFD (for example to connect the Power Output Module)
– 1 analog input (to connect to door contacts)

One (or two) battery packs for location heart beat & tamper warning
LED panel with button activated LEDs for:
– Power
– Modem connection
– Software
– Bluetooth status
Rugged waterproof IP67 and UL94-VO box and connectors
The USB port and SIM card can be reached through waterproof caps

Trailer Box subscription and available Apps

The Trailer Box with ISO11992 cable is available by subscription.

We offer six apps in two variants: T1 is designed for 95% of trailers used as single trailers, while users with a ‘road train’ can also receive data from the additional trailers via the T2-T5 apps.

The parameters are, of course, only available if they are generated by the trailer.

An additional App is the Usage App, which generates data about road conditions and driver behaviour.

Available Apps:

The Trailer Chassis Data T1
Trailer Chassis Data T2-T5
Trailer Brake Data T1
Trailer Brake Data T2-T5
Trailer Cargo Data T1
Trailer Cargo Data T2-T5
Trailer Diagnose Data T1
Trailer Diagnose Data T2-T5
Trailer Drive Data T1
Trailer Drive Data T2-T5
Trailer TPMS T1
Trailer TPMS T2-T5

Trailer ID App

Installation of the Trailer Box

According to the standard, no other CAN devices may be connected to the ISO11992 CAN bus connection between the truck and the trailer (point-to-point).

Halfway, along our power cable, there is a branch where all wires continue uninterrupted. This branch provides the power supply for the Trailer Box and the CAN wires leading to electrically isolated CAN sensors, ensuring compliance with the standard.

Checkerbox

The Squarell Checkerbox can independently communicate with an unconnected trailer over the ISO11992 CAN bus and request data. The Checkerbox has a battery to power the trailer.

The Checkerbox detects the trailer brand and requests specific data for that brand, which is sent from Squarell’s server. Via a Bluetooth connection, the box transmits the VIN number and mileage to a device such as a phone.

A Trailer Box listens in and stores all data in its memory, ensuring that this information is also available for transmission to the home base.

Additional developments

The basic version of the Trailer Box communicates with the trailer’s ISO11992 CAN bus.
The Trailer Box is already equipped with three 10-pin connectors to which other trailer signals can be connected. The following applications are planned for development:

The CAN bus can be used to connect to the T-CAN bus of the braking system.
The RS232 connection can be used for communication with the cooling unit.
The 1-wire can be used for temperature sensors or an identification puck.
The Special Function Device (SFD) port can be used to connect Squarell SFD devices.
An analog input can be used to measure voltage, as well as, for example, to monitor a door contact.

In an app, the three signals from the G-force sensor are transmitted to the home base. These parameters provide valuable information about the trailer’s usage, such as poor road conditions, sharp turns, or trailer bouncing. Additionally, an app can display parameters related to the driver’s driving behavior.

An app will also include the functionality of our Event Data Recorder to register any ‘events’.

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