DSLGoAndTrack

How it works

How Disposable Package Trackers Work

A step-by-step walk through what happens inside a single-use tracking device — from the moment you pull the activation tab to the last data point after delivery.

The seven-step lifecycle

Answer. A disposable tracker moves through activation, attachment, dispatch, detection, transmission, monitoring, and completion — all inside a single shipment. It is not recovered.

How a disposable package tracker moves through one shipment
01ActivatePull-tab or peel.02AttachTo parcel / carton / pallet.03DispatchShipment enters the lane.04DetectPosition + sensors sample.05TransmitVia BLE gateway or cellular.06MonitorLive view + exception alerts.07CompleteEnd-of-journey; dispose responsibly.NO HARDWARE RECOVERY LOOP · NO RECHARGE · NO REVERSE LOGISTICS

Inside the label

A disposable smart label is a thin sandwich of an adhesive substrate, a printed antenna, a low-power microcontroller with a radio module, and a non-replaceable battery. On cellular / GNSS variants, an additional GNSS receiver and condition sensors are included.

Disposable smart label — anatomy
MCUBATTERYPULL01 · BLE / cellular antennaCopper trace embedded in the label substrate.02 · MCU + radioLocation, sensor sampling, and reporting logic.03 · Non-replaceable batterySized for one shipment lifecycle.04 · Pull-tab activationPeel/cut to activate at dispatch.— adhesive-backed substrate · apply directly to parcel, carton or pallet —

Step-by-step in detail

01

Activate

Pulling the activation tab breaks the circuit gap, powers the MCU, and starts the reporting schedule configured for the shipment. No pairing or firmware setup on the shipper's floor.
02

Attach

The label is applied directly to the parcel, carton, tote, or pallet. The peel-and-stick backing does not require a housing.
03

Dispatch

The shipment enters the lane. The device is already sampling — no dispatch-site infrastructure is required.
04

Detect

On BLE labels, the radio advertises on a schedule and is seen by any nearby gateway. On cellular / GNSS labels, position is fixed from satellites and augmented from cell/Wi-Fi where useful. Condition sensors sample at the same time.
05

Transmit

BLE devices push data through the gateway that saw them; cellular devices open a data session directly to the network. Both terminate at the GoAndTrack platform.
06

Monitor

Operations sees live location, dwell, condition exceptions, and lane-level analytics — the shipper can act on exceptions long before delivery.
07

Complete + dispose

At end-of-journey the device is not recovered. Disposal follows the applicable e-waste and battery-waste route for the specific device.

Reporting behaviour

Answer. Reporting cadence is a trade-off between visibility and battery. Every additional position or sensor sample costs energy, so devices are configured against the shipment profile — long slow lanes report less frequently, sensitive short lanes report often.

  • Motion-aware sampling: report more often when moving, less when dwelling.
  • Exception-triggered sampling: a shock, temperature excursion, or geofence event forces an immediate report.
  • Scheduled reporting: fixed intervals — the simplest baseline.

Data delivered

The platform receives, at minimum: device ID, timestamp, position, and battery. Devices with sensors add temperature, humidity, shock, ambient light, and door / seal events. GoAndTrack exposes this as live views, lane analytics, geofence alerts, exception queues, and webhook / API feeds into TMS, WMS, and ERP systems.

Last reviewedFebruary 2026

Technical basisManufacturer specifications for the deployed BLE and cellular/GNSS label classes and direct deployment experience across UK/EU logistics lanes.

Related

Continue exploring

Disposable Package Tracker — complete category guideGPS vs BLE vs Cellular — technology comparisonBluetooth Smart Labels — BLE technology in detailDisposable GPS Tracker — GNSS-class devices

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