Cat VisionLink
Working time %
78.9%
Working ÷ (working + all idle)
Fleet field guide / 003
Utilization,
decoded.
Cat, Komatsu, John Deere and CASE each define working and idle time their own way. Here is every definition on one page, and a lab to see what it does to your numbers.
VisionLink
Working time % = working ÷ (working + all idle) × 100. Long, medium and short idle % use the same denominator.
Komtrax
Working utilisation = working hours ÷ (working hours + idle hours).
JDLink / Operations Center
Utilization is shown as three states: working, transport (disengaged and moving) and idle.
SiteWatch
Reports idle time vs. operation and machine utilization by location. We found no published ratio formula.
Three buckets
Every brand sorts engine-on time into some mix of working, travel and idle.
Different lines
Where travel lands, and how long an idle must last to count, varies by brand.
One standard
ISO 15143-3 (AEMP 2.0) lets you pull raw hours and apply a single rule fleet-wide.
Utilization lab
One shift.
Four answers.
Build a sample shift. Each card applies that brand's published definition to the same minutes, so you can see why a mixed fleet's dashboards rarely agree. Illustrative only; your portal's settings and machine data decide the real number.
Engine-on time
7h 55m
Idle events (engine on, not moving)
- <3m
- 4m
- 3–6m
- 9m
- 6–9m
- 8m
- >9m
- 79m
Komatsu Komtrax
Working utilisation
78.9%
Actual working hrs ÷ (working + idle)
John Deere JDLink
Working state share
69.5%
Working ÷ (working + transport + idle)
CASE SiteWatch
Operation vs idle
6h 15m / 1h 40m
operation / idle
Reported as split; no published ratio
Normalized (AEMP idle %) — idle hours ÷ total meter hours21.1%
Side by side / Reviewed October 30, 2026
Every definition. One table.
| Term | VisionLink | Komtrax | JDLink / Operations Center | SiteWatch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working | Working time: total duration the asset was working. Runtime is total running duration. | Actual working hours = engine on-time less idle time. Komtrax also reports travel, digging, swing and attachment hours by model. | Working: work function engaged (Deere's published example uses PTO engaged). | Machine run time and operation time reported per machine and by location. |
| Idle | Idle with no movement, banded: productive (<3 min), short (3–6), medium (6–9), long (>9). | Engine on with the machine not working. Some site dashboards apply an idle threshold (documented default: 1 minute). | Idle: work function disengaged and stationary (zero GPS speed). | Engine idle time reported against operation; travel time reported separately. |
| Utilization | Working time % = working ÷ (working + all idle) × 100. Long, medium and short idle % use the same denominator. | Working utilisation = working hours ÷ (working hours + idle hours). | Utilization is shown as three states: working, transport (disengaged and moving) and idle. | Reports idle time vs. operation and machine utilization by location. We found no published ratio formula. |
| Watch for | Productive idle (<3 min) is counted in total idle but not shown as its own value on Site Summary. | Service meter hours include idle; actual working hours do not. Know which one a report uses. | Transport is its own state, so travel does not count as working. Published definition is from Deere's JDLink equipment documentation; confirm state logic for your construction models. | Ask your CASE dealer how SiteWatch classifies idle before comparing it to other brands. |
Cat
VisionLink
- Working
- Working time: total duration the asset was working. Runtime is total running duration.
- Idle
- Idle with no movement, banded: productive (<3 min), short (3–6), medium (6–9), long (>9).
- Utilization
- Working time % = working ÷ (working + all idle) × 100. Long, medium and short idle % use the same denominator.
Komatsu
Komtrax
- Working
- Actual working hours = engine on-time less idle time. Komtrax also reports travel, digging, swing and attachment hours by model.
- Idle
- Engine on with the machine not working. Some site dashboards apply an idle threshold (documented default: 1 minute).
- Utilization
- Working utilisation = working hours ÷ (working hours + idle hours).
John Deere
JDLink / Operations Center
- Working
- Working: work function engaged (Deere's published example uses PTO engaged).
- Idle
- Idle: work function disengaged and stationary (zero GPS speed).
- Utilization
- Utilization is shown as three states: working, transport (disengaged and moving) and idle.
CASE
SiteWatch
- Working
- Machine run time and operation time reported per machine and by location.
- Idle
- Engine idle time reported against operation; travel time reported separately.
- Utilization
- Reports idle time vs. operation and machine utilization by location. We found no published ratio formula.
Common questions
Why do two brands show different utilization for the same day?
Each OEM draws the line between working, travel and idle differently. Cat and Komatsu count movement as working, John Deere separates transport, and Cat further splits idle by event length. Same minutes, different denominators.
Is idle time the same as non-utilized time?
No. Short idles between truck loads are often part of the job. Cat calls idle under three minutes productive idle for this reason. Long idle is usually the actionable number.
What is the most neutral way to compare a mixed fleet?
Pull hours from each OEM through the ISO 15143-3 (AEMP 2.0) telematics standard and apply one definition across every machine. AEMP's idle metric is hours reported at idle divided by total meter hours.
Are the lab numbers official?
No. The lab applies each brand's published definition to sample minutes you enter. Thresholds, machine models and portal settings can change the real figure, so verify against your own OEM portal.
One definition across every brand.
goAardvark brings mixed-fleet hours into one place.