01
Where your attachments go missing.
Most attachments are not stolen. They go missing in four ordinary moments, and each one looks harmless on the day.
- 1At dispatch
The attachment leaves with the machine, on nobody's list.
The excavator is on the contract. The bucket and the breaker that went with it are in the driver's head.
Out: 1 machine, 3 attachments, 1 listed - 2On site
Kit moves between sites without passing the yard.
A foreman lends the plate compactor to the next site. The register still says site one, and the yard rents one in.
Register: site A. Reality: site B - 3At off-hire
The machine comes back. Nobody checks what came with it.
The low loader drops off at 17:00. The check-in is a signature, and the missing bucket is noticed when the next customer asks for it.
Back: 9 of 12 - 4At the count
The register is true once a year.
The weekend count finds what is gone, months after the contract that lost it was invoiced and closed.
Count: 3 not found
Tracking closes each of these moments without a form: tags on the assets, read by the phones your staff already carry.
02
Four ways to track attachments.
Telematics sits on the machine, not on what is attached to it. Most fleets add a tag to every attachment and keep telematics for the powered machines.
QR or barcode plate
Cost per asset: lowest- What it tells you
- Where it was last scanned, and by whom
- What you need
- A scan at every move
- Best for
- Small fleets with a strict check-out routine
Bluetooth tag (BLE)
Cost per asset: low- What it tells you
- Which zone of the yard or which site it is in
- What you need
- Staff phones, or gateways at gates and bays
- Best for
- Attachments, small kit and unpowered equipment
GPS or 4G tracker
Cost per asset: medium, plus a subscription- What it tells you
- Its position on the road or on site, live
- What you need
- A tracker with a battery or a power feed
- Best for
- Trailers, generators and high-value machines
Machine telematics
Cost per asset: highest- What it tells you
- Position, engine hours and fuel of a powered machine
- What you need
- A unit fitted by the manufacturer or a dealer
- Best for
- Powered machines only, not what is attached to them
Costs are relative. Ask every vendor for the full cost per asset, with gateways, subscriptions and contract length included.
03
What good attachment tracking software does.
Use this list to compare vendors. Each line is something a buyer can test in a demo.
HirroSitesGate4YardLiveStill out4- SiteOutBackOpen
- Site Noordkaai1293
- Depot Mechelen871
- Roadworks N16550
3 attachments from Site Noordkaai did not come back with the machines.
Off-hire was 4 days ago- 01Keeps attachments linked to their machine.The bucket that left with the excavator is known, so it is billed and expected back.
- 02Places every asset in a named zone.Row B or the wash bay, not a dot that says last seen nearby.
- 03Works without wiring the yard.Staff phones do the reading. Gateways are added where they pay off.
- 04Logs stages by itself.Returned, washed, checked and ready, with a gateway at the gate, wash bay or workshop.
- 05Connects to your ERP.SAP, Odoo, Microsoft Dynamics and others through a connector, the API or an export.
- 06Lets you decide what phones report.Tag sightings only, or the phone's own location too.
04 Hirro
Written by Hirro.
Hirro keeps a living inventory of every machine, attachment and piece of small kit, from the yard to the site. The numbers below come from our field test on a Belgian rental and crane yard, 16 to 23 October 2026.
05
Questions buyers ask.
What is attachment tracking?
It is the record of which attachment is where and which machine it left with. A tag on each bucket, breaker or grapple is heard by phones or gateways, and the software links the attachment to its machine, contract and zone.
How do you track excavator buckets and breakers?
Fix a Bluetooth tag to each attachment. Staff phones and gateways at the gate hear the tag, so the register shows which zone or site the attachment is in and what it left with.
Can I track attachments that have no power?
Yes. A Bluetooth tag runs on its own battery for years and needs no power from the attachment. Staff phones and gateways at gates or bays hear it.
Does machine telematics cover attachments?
No. Telematics reports the powered machine. A bucket that is swapped on site or left behind is invisible to it, which is why attachments need their own tag.
