Engine hours is a simple counter that records total time an engine has been running. For construction plant like excavators and generators, engine hours is the standard measure for service intervals – not mileage, because these machines often work intensively in a small area without covering much distance.
GPS trackers read engine hours from the vehicle’s CAN Bus or via a direct ignition input. This data is used for two purposes:
- Scheduled maintenance – service alerts trigger at set hour intervals (e.g. every 250 hours), regardless of calendar time
- Utilisation reporting – shows what percentage of available working time a piece of plant was actually running
- Idle time separation – total engine hours vs moving time reveals how much fuel is being burned with no productive output
- Equipment hire billing – some hire agreements charge by engine hours rather than daily rate