Ford trucks keep track of your gear for you

Say you're a mobile professional like a construction contractor, location photographer, or a field engineer. Getting to your job site is only half the trouble; keeping track of your gear is another problem altogether.

Sure, if you travel with just a laptop and a cell phone, ensuring that you keep tabs on your stuff may not be such a big deal (though I know a few people that might disagree with that), but what if you've got a monster truckload of equipment to deal with? How do you make sure it all leaves the job site with you when it's time to head home?

Ford has come up with one solution, which leverages RFID technology to help solve just such a problem.

Called Tool Link, the new option uses the car's onboard computer (with display built right in the dashboard) to create an inventory of everything that's supposed to be on the truck when it's not being actively used and you leave the job site. Ford provides 50 RFID tags which you apply to your tools or other equipment. RFID scanners integrated into the vehicle detect when each item has been properly replaced on the truck, updating the database on the car's computer appropriately. At a glance, the driver can then check the status of all the equipment without having to scour through a detailed inventory and can quickly see if an item has been left behind.

The system costs $1,120 installed as an option on Ford trucks. As Gearlog notes, that may sound expensive, but it's a drop in the bucket -- and a sensible insurance policy -- if you're hauling $30,000 of gear around with you and tend toward the absentminded or leaving in a hurry.

I have to add: It's also nice to hear of a use for RFID that isn't a downright scary invasion of privacy. Kudos to Ford for pioneering such a setup, especially in the face of horrible economic times.

More info and commentary on Tool Link is available here.