GPS technology has become almost ubiquitous in modern life. Most of us use it every day without a second thought. But do you really understand it?
Table of Contents
What is Gps Tracking?
GPS, which stands for Global Positioning System. The system involves a network of satellites orbiting the Earth and devices that can help determine an object or a person’s location. Initially developed in the 1960s for military application, GPS technology eventually became available for public use in 1983, and advances and use cases have increased over the decades. These days, GPS has a range of uses, from military exercises across the globe, to directions that help drivers find their way.
What Does a Gps Tracker Do?
GPS tracking requires a tracking device to be installed in a vehicle, on an asset, or to be worn by a person. The device then provides information about its exact location and subsequent movements, enabling tracking in real-time. A GPS tracking device can be used by fleet managers to locate where a truck or asset is on its route, report on traffic conditions, and monitor how long each vehicle spends at a jobsite.
Two Types of Gps Systems:
There are a few ways a GPS tracking system can work.
1. Commercial GPS devices are often used to record the location of vehicles during their journeys. Some systems will store information within the GPS system itself, and this is called passive tracking.
2. Passive GPS tracking monitors location and stores data on trips based on specific events. This type of system can log data on where the devices have been in the past 12 hours. It stores the data internally or on a memory card, which is then downloaded to a computer to be analysed later.
Benefits of Gps Tracking:
Reduce Operating Costs
No matter if you are reducing fuel costs by sending your drivers on more efficient routes or making better dispatching decisions, GPS tracking devices can help you make cost-saving decisions based on data in real-time. By giving you increased insight and visibility into your fleet’s operations, GPS tracking provides more data about your fleet vehicles, so your decisions can be more strategic and impactful to your business and its bottom line.
Optimize Routes
A GPS tracking system lets you optimize your fleet’s routes. You can easily locate your drivers and determine which is closest to a particular job. You can send the closest driver and reroute the rest of your vehicles if needed. This saves you time and money, while keeping your customers happy.
Improve Security
Installing a GPS vehicle tracker on your fleet vehicles and assets helps increase fleet security. If a vehicle or asset is stolen or lost, a GPS tracker can help you find and recover your stolen or lost vehicle or asset faster. You can even set a geofence around vehicles and assets that alert you when they leave the pre-designated area or are used off-hours.
Improve Asset Utilization
A GPS tracking telematics solution can give you insight into real arrival and departure times, stop durations, travel time from one job to another, and when your drivers are inactive.
This information can tell you if jobs are being completed in the allotted time, if there are delays – and why, if detours are taken for personal errands, and when delays occur due to a driver becoming lost. You’ll know if drivers are not being utilized even if they have hours available, and you can make decisions based on real-time insights to improve overall fleet utilization.
Asset Tracking
GPS fleet tracking software works for all assets, not just vehicles. If you have expensive mobile equipment, such as generators and trailers, you can monitor their movements. This empowers you to know if they are on the jobsites where they are needed, and not sitting idly and unused. You’ll know they are secure and accounted for.
Improve Fleet Safety
Improving fleet safety saves you money and improves your company’s image. Now, GPS fleet tracking solutions can alert you when your drivers are speeding, making unscheduled stops, harsh braking, or suddenly accelerating. These actions not only waste gas and increase your fuel costs, but they can also be dangerous. By monitoring these events, you can help your drivers develop better, safer driving habits.
Best GPS Tracking System for Small Business:
1. Rhino Fleet Tracking delivers affordable fleet tracking devices and services in order to assist businesses in increasing revenue. Their fleet and asset tracking solution provides real-time fleet tracking and gives businesses the ability to easily monitor vehicles and equipment. It also makes it possible for drivers, managers, and staff to improve their communication and, in turn, increase profits while maintaining a high level of security.
Key Features:
- Make deliveries within an allotted time
- Track your fleet and drivers using a computer screen, tablet, or smartphone
- Detailed field reporting
- Measures and reports on stop times
- Fleet tracker dashboard shows fleet data in a single location
2. One Step GPS offers affordable GPS fleet tracker for a fleet of any size. Track vehicles and see the travel history, receive alerts for bad driving habits, and more with One Step GPS Fleet Tracking.
Key Features:
- See vehicles turn-by-turn
- Alerts for speeding, fast acceleration, sharp braking, engine idling, after-hours driving, and more
- Works on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon
- 100% web-based fleet tracker solution with no software downloads required
- Vehicle maintenance alerts based on days or miles driven
3. ClearPathGPS gives businesses a GPS fleet tracker with full control. This easy-to-use web-based software includes free mobile apps for iOS and Android devices and includes full-service installation and onsite support. Businesses love ClearPathGPS because it requires no contracts.
Key Features:
- 30-second updates with Verizon reliability
- Flexible hardware purchase options
- Professionally installed and fully warrantied
- Suspend service any time
- Increase productivity, reduce your risk, control labor expenses, and track maintenance
4. GPS Insight offers GPS fleet tracking and E-Log solutions that provide powerful fleet intelligence for businesses. GPS Insight is available for small businesses as well as mid-size companies to enterprises. When you choose the GPS Insight Tracking Solution, you will appreciate the software’s benefits and features that solve your costly business challenges.
Key Features:
- Real-time fleet visibility
- Control idling, speeding, unauthorized use, and maintenance schedules
- Increase overall efficiency and productivity
- Automate electronic reporting to eliminate time-consuming paperwork
- Improve response times, give better ETAs, and prove job completion to enhance customer service
- Ensure quick theft recovery by knowing when vehicles or assets are being stolen
5. ManagerPlus maintenance software is easy to use and helps companies manage assets and increase their ROI while reducing costs of operation. Their fleet maintenance programs enable you to manage your fleet and equipment more effectively by handling an unlimited number of preventive maintenance schedules for every vehicle in your fleet.
Key Features:
- Monitor and track maintenance for vehicles and their subsystems
- Detect early signs of equipment and vehicle fatigue
- Monitors performance based on fuel and/or oil consumption
- Spot potential issues before they become serious problems
- Automatically creates work orders for preventive fleet maintenance and documents activities to help you analyse trends and detect a pattern of problems
- Monitor maintenance by odometer, hours, days, calendar dates, days of the week, or tire depth
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free GPS tracker?
The Google map is a free GPS tracking app that saves time and money on routing plans. And with the real-time location tracking feature, users can know precisely the location of others on the map.
What are the 3 types of GPS?
The types of GPS systems include:
- A-GPS. Assisted GPS (A-GPS)
- S-GPS.
- D-GPS.
- Non-differential GPS.
- Mapping and non-mapping GPS.
What are the 5 GPS applications?
There are five main uses of GPS:
- Location — Determining a position.
- Navigation — Getting from one location to another.
- Tracking — Monitoring object or personal movement.
- Mapping — Creating maps of the world.
- Timing — Making it possible to take precise time measurements.
Who uses GPS tracking?
The three main industrial uses of GPS include precision agriculture, automotive and defense. In each example, GPS solves a positioning problem.
Does GPS tracker need power?
Like hardwired systems, Plug and Play GPS trackers get their power from your vehicle’s electrical system, so they don’t require batteries either. But there’s no need for professional installation.
How long does the battery last in a GPS tracking device?
Depending on your using conditions, your GPS Tracker’s battery will last between 7 days and 3 months between charges. between 7 days and 3 months.
Conclusion
GPS tracking software is a complex monitoring system, designed to collect vehicle and mobile phone location data and visualize it on map. Tracking device usage becomes very simple and convenient, all records are available in real time, data is saved to database and can be accessed any time in the future.
