Location of Things (LoT) is the practical glue that turns billions of passive data points into timely and actionable location intelligence. The term “Location of Things” refers to the way connected devices monitor and communicate their geographic location, embedding location and movement-based data into the broader IoT (Internet of Things) ecosystem. By linking “people, places, and things,” organizations gain a richer layer of insight. It is not just about what happens, but where it happens, enabling more accurate forecasting, risk assessment, and decision-making.
In sectors such as transportation and logistics, LoT is being used to model geospatial risks (such as flooding), optimize store/inventory location and supply-chain, and improve network coverage and services. The global location of things market stood at $50.87 billion in 2023, and the transportation and logistics segment held the largest revenue share of around 25%. The segment is also expected to register the fastest growth. The technology offers real-time delivery updates, proactive notifications, and estimated arrival times, which enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.
What Location of Things Actually Means for Logistics Teams
LoT is the set of technologies and platforms that detect and attach precise location for things that matter to a company. That includes:
- Hardware & connectivity: GPS trackers, BLE tags, RFID, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), LoRaWAN gateways, and cellular IoT modems.
- Software & maps: Location platforms and map-matching engines that convert raw coordinates into business context.
- Analytics & control planes: Event rules, geofences, predictive ETA, and feeds into TMS/WMS/ERP systems for automated decisions.
Applications of Location of Things in Transportation & Logistics
- End-to-end shipment visibility: Real-time location data removes blind spots in transit lanes and enables proactive interventions. This reduces detention, demurrage and late-delivery penalties while improving on-time performance. In its 2025 supply-chain communications, Maersk highlighted real-time visibility and “eliminating blind spots” as major efficiency levers. Similarly, according to Inpixon’s RTLS solution, its platform provides real-time tracking across land, sea, and air shipments. Using rugged GPS tags and cloud-based RTLS, they integrate location data into a dashboard that feeds into SCM or TMS systems, allowing operations teams to take action immediately on delays or deviations.
- Yard and dock management: Tagging trailers, containers and forklifts with RTLS/UWB or BLE lets yard teams find the right unit instantly and sequence dock moves to reduce dwell and driver waiting time. This is a direct cut to operating cost and improved throughput. Reduced yard dwell time means lower detention costs, higher throughput, better resource utilization, and therefore lower per-unit operating cost for terminal or depot businesses.
- Asset health & utilization: Tracking cold-chain units, chassis and high-value equipment to measure utilization, and scheduling maintenance can stop loss/theft faster. Logistics providers bundle location telemetry with sensor data (temperature, shock) to protect margins in regulated freight. DHL and other logistics players now foreground real-time parcel/shipment tracking in their service offers.
- First/last-mile optimization: Using live location plus map-grade traffic and ETA models reduces failed deliveries and customer support costs. Map and traffic indices remain central planning inputs as congestion patterns shift year-to-year. TomTom’s 2025 traffic index underscores why location and traffic intelligence are crucial for delivery planning. The study states, around 76% cities saw their overall average speed decrease in 2024, compared to the previous year. It highlights the importance of LoT technologies in the sector.
Final Thoughts
The business value lies in reducing uncertainty. Through geospatial intelligence, organizations can identify patterns, anticipate outcomes, and thereby minimize risk. As devices become smaller and more pervasive, the scale and granularity of location data increase, making Location of Things a growing market and strategic asset.
