It may be a tossup as to what's worse: Tool theft or tool misplacement?

Either way, techs and operators sometimes waste valuable time searching jobites, equipment cabs, trucks, trailers, and conex boxes for the piece they need. If they have to call someone to bring a replacement, that's even more precious time.

Enter two well-known companies, telematics provider Trackunit and tool maker DeWalt.

The companies have entered a strategic partnership to deliver tool location intelligence across construction jobsites.

Trackunit's fleet tracking for smaller, unpowered assets

DeWalt's Tool Connect technology will integrate with the Trackunit Network, the world's largest Bluetooth network in construction. Contractors will now be able to locate DeWalt tools through equipment that’s already connected on site. 

For large contractors managing tens of thousands of tools across multiple sites, knowing whether the right tools are available for today's work one of their most pressing operational challenges. 

Theft is still a big problem

Construction equipment theft compounds the problem. It costs the U.S. industry between $300 million and $1 billion each year, according to the National Equipment Register and National Insurance Crime Bureau. The same study found that recovery rates remain low, often under 25%, and in some cases below 7%, leaving most stolen assets unrecovered.

Keep track of small tools like Bechtel does

Through the partnership, tool location data surfaces through Trackunit, giving site managers a single consolidated view across their operations.

“The network is the largest challenge in deploying tool tracking at scale," says Eric Loeliger, group product manager at DeWalt. "This partnership turns the infrastructure contractors already have into a detection network for their DeWalt tools, with significantly less effort."

Video: Go inside a high-tech conex box

The location intelligence is live upon installation.

The partnership launches with an initial phase focused on tool location across contractor operations worldwide. Both companies are building toward deeper data capability as the DeWalt Tool Connect platform expands.