Low-cost Sensor Solution for Performance Monitoring of Construction Vehicles Using Location and Vibration Data

While modern construction vehicles often come equipped with proprietary telematic systems, a substantial portion of the global construction fleet consists of older machines that lack any form of digital monitoring. The exact share is unknown, but in many companies, legacy equipment still plays a critical role in daily operations. This gap limits the ability to track performance, optimize usage, or assess environmental impact. In response, this study presents a proof of concept for a low-cost, low-maintenance, plug-and-play solution designed to monitor the operational behaviour of such vehicles. The system combines a modular hardware unit with integrated Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and accelerometers to capture data such as location, motion patterns, activity cycles, and engine RPM. All processing is performed locally on an edge device, eliminating the need for centralized computation or cloud connectivity. The goal is to provide a scalable and accessible tool for construction companies to better understand and manage their fleets, with future potential to link activity data to fuel consumption and emissions.