Understanding the Asset Utilization Report
Overview
The Asset Utilization Report shows how effectively your fleet is being used. It combines telematics data from GPS trackers with manual hour meter readings to calculate utilization rates, idle metrics, fuel consumption, and alert statuses for each piece of equipment.
This guide explains every metric on the report, including the exact formulas and business rules behind the calculations.
Core Formula: Utilization Rate
The utilization rate measures what percentage of an asset's target operating hours were actually used during the selected date range.
Formula:
Utilization Rate (%) = (Total Operating Hours / Available Hours) x 100
Where:
- Total Operating Hours = Sum of all engine-on hours recorded by telematics for the date range
- Available Hours = (Weekly Utilization Target / 7) x Total Days in Range
Example: An excavator has a weekly target of 50 hours. Over a 14-day report period:
- Available Hours = (50 / 7) x 14 = 100 hours
- Actual Operating Hours = 72 hours
- Utilization Rate = (72 / 100) x 100 = 72%
Important: Calendar Days, Not Workdays
The utilization rate denominator includes all calendar days in the selected range, including weekends and holidays. This means a 7-day range always uses 7 days in the calculation, regardless of your organization's configured days off.
Note: Organization days off are used separately for the Under Utilized alert calculation, but not for the utilization rate itself.
Weekly Utilization Target
Each piece of equipment has a Weekly Utilization Target (measured in hours per 7-day week). This is the denominator baseline for all utilization calculations.
- Default: Set automatically based on the asset type (e.g., excavators might default to 50 hrs/week, generators to 168 hrs/week)
- Override: Can be customized per individual asset by an administrator
- Location: Visible on the report as the "Utilization Target" column
Report Metrics — Full Data Dictionary
Utilization Metrics
| Metric | Definition | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Utilization Rate (%) | Percentage of available hours that were used | (Operating Hours / Available Hours) x 100 |
| Utilization Target | The equipment's weekly target hours (per 7-day week) | Set per asset type or overridden per asset |
| Available Hours | Maximum possible hours based on the target and date range | (Weekly Target / 7) x Days in Range |
| Utilization Rate Without Idling (%) | Utilization calculated using only productive (non-idle) hours, with the target adjusted by the excessive idling threshold | (Operating Hours - Idle Hours) / (Adjusted Target / 7 x Days) x 100 |
Hours Metrics
| Metric | Definition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Hours | Total hours the equipment engine was running (includes idle time) | Telematics (GPS tracker) |
| Idle Hours | Hours the engine was running but the equipment was not moving or performing work | Telematics (GPS tracker) |
| Working Hours | Productive hours where the equipment was actively in use | Operating Hours minus Idle Hours |
| Reported Hours | Hours manually entered by operators or managers (e.g., from paper hour meter readings) | Manual entry in CLUE |
Idle Metrics
| Metric | Definition | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Idle Rate (%) | Percentage of operating time spent idling | (Idle Hours / Operating Hours) x 100 |
| Idle Fuel Used | Fuel consumed while the equipment was idling | From telematics data |
| Wasted Cost in Idling | Estimated dollar cost of fuel burned during idle time | Idle Fuel Used x Fuel Cost per Unit |
Fuel & Emissions Metrics
| Metric | Definition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel Used | Total fuel consumed during the period (gallons or liters based on org settings) | Telematics (GPS tracker) |
| Fuel Efficiency | Average fuel consumption per operating hour | Fuel Used / Operating Hours |
| CO2 Emissions | Estimated carbon dioxide emissions | Calculated from fuel consumption |
Alert Statuses
The report flags equipment with potential issues. Alerts are evaluated based on configurable thresholds that your CLUE administrator can adjust.
| Alert | What It Means | Trigger Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Not Working | Equipment recorded zero operating hours for the entire report period | Operating Hours = 0 |
| Under Utilized | Equipment is being used significantly below its target | Utilization Rate below the configured threshold (default: 40%) |
| Excessive Idle Rate | Too much engine-on time is spent idling | Idle Rate above the configured threshold (typically 15-25%) |
| Operating Hours Under Utilized | Daily average operating hours are below the minimum threshold | Average daily hours below configured minimum (default: 8 hrs) |
| Reported More | Manually reported hours exceed the telematics operating hours | Reported Hours significantly greater than Operating Hours |
| Reported Less | Manually reported hours are lower than the telematics operating hours | Reported Hours significantly less than Operating Hours |
| Missing Report | Expected manual hour reports were not submitted | No reported hours when reporting is expected |
| No Alerts | All metrics are within normal ranges | None of the above conditions are met |
Data Sources
The Asset Utilization Report combines data from two sources:
1. Telematics (Automatic)
Operating hours, idle hours, fuel consumption, and location data are collected automatically from connected GPS trackers and telematics providers (such as Samsara, Azuga, John Deere, CAT, and others). This data is aggregated daily.
2. Manual Readings
Operators and managers can manually enter hour meter readings directly in CLUE. These appear as "Reported Hours" on the report and are compared against telematics data to flag discrepancies (Reported More / Reported Less alerts).
Multi-Project Equipment
When an asset works on multiple projects in a single day, operating hours are capped at 24 hours per day to prevent double-counting of overlapping time across projects.
Configurable Thresholds
Your CLUE administrator can adjust alert thresholds at the organization level:
| Setting | What It Controls | Typical Default |
|---|---|---|
| Under Utilized Threshold | Minimum utilization rate before an alert triggers | 40% |
| Daily Under Utilized Threshold | Minimum daily operating hours before an alert triggers | 8 hours |
| Excessive Idle Rate Threshold | Maximum idle rate before an alert triggers | 15-25% |
Users can also set personal threshold overrides in their preferences, which only affect their own view of the report.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is my utilization rate low even though the equipment ran every workday?
A: The utilization rate uses all calendar days (including weekends) in the denominator. If your weekly target is 50 hours and you only run the equipment on weekdays, the calculation still divides by 7 days. This is by design to show true fleet capacity usage.
Q: What is the difference between Operating Hours and Working Hours?
A: Operating Hours include all time the engine was running, including idle time. Working Hours subtract idle time, showing only the hours where the equipment was actively performing work.
Q: Where does the utilization target come from?
A: Each asset type has a default weekly target. Administrators can override this per individual asset. The target represents the expected operating hours per 7-day week.
Q: Can I change the alert thresholds?
A: Yes. Organization administrators can adjust thresholds in Company Settings. Individual users can also set personal overrides that only affect their own report view.
Q: How is Reported Hours different from Operating Hours?
A: Operating Hours come automatically from the GPS tracker/telematics device. Reported Hours are manually entered by your team (e.g., from reading the hour meter on the machine). The report compares both and flags significant discrepancies.
Need Help?
If you have questions about your utilization data or need help configuring thresholds, contact us at support@getclue.com.
