February 7, 2008 (Computerworld)

For all those construction workers, plumbers and engineers who are tired of arriving at job sites without the tools they need, Ford Motor Co. has come up with a way to keep track of them -- radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.

Ford announced this week that it has teamed up with ThingMagic LLC, a developer of RFID technology, and industrial power-tool manufacturer DeWalt to embed RFID technology in its pickup trucks and vans. The technology is set to tag and track tools, construction equipment and materials, as well as to make sure everything that needs to be in a vehicle is there.

"We talked to contractors and skilled tradespeople, who told us how often they get to a job site and realize they don't have the tool they need for the job, or they leave the site and don't have the tool with them," said Bill Frykman, product and business development manager at Ford. "It's about making sure you have the right tool at the right time."

That's an excelent idea.