Optimizing Fleet Operations Through GPS Tracking

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) was originally developed by the US Armed Forces to help with naval and overland navigation. GPS uses a constellation of satellites to beam down encoded time signatures to receivers on the surface. By tracking the delay between when the time code says the signal was sent and when it actually arrived, GPS uses Einstein's theory of relativity and four signals (three if altitude is known) to provide accurate tracking down to about two meters. GPS technology has been moving into the commercial sphere from the military since the 1990s.

GPS fleet tracking systems are used in public transportation, most notably school buses in Kansas City and New York City. These systems allow school districts to know exactly where each bus is, thus improving the safety of their passengers. On flex routes, GPS gives drivers some leeway in adjusting their course to avoid traffic congestion. The secondary benefit is that it allows the school districts in question to better assess idle times, better routing algorithms and fuel efficiency. School officials and parents have a peace of mind knowing that the school buses are monitored constantly.

In April 2007, a private taxi company launched a fleet of 150 GPS-enabled metered taxis (or Meru taxis) in Mumbai, India. Customers will be able to call for a taxi at to pick up at a preferred location and book in advance on the phone or internet. If a customer accidentally left any personal item in a taxi, this GPS technology can track to the specific taxi quickly and easily. All collected Meru taxi fares are transmitted back to the control centre and monitored to ensure that customers are charged appropriately. The company plans to increase the fleet to 1,000 taxis by year end.

In the commercial sector, GPS is used for tracking delivery trucks and trucks used by contractors going to job sites. This allows real time monitoring of what trucks are en route and better tracking of actual mileage used (versus what's billed for). This also increases fleet wide fuel economy, and allows employers to check the actual hours driven by drivers in a day for mileage bonuses and "drive time" pay. H.A. Sun Heating and Cooling Inc. of Bloomfield, Mich. is an example of a company that installed GPS fleet tracking system in every of its truck. The company is able to access real time information that leads to savings in manpower costs (from people claiming they were on a shift for 8 hours, when the GPS showed that they'd only driven for seven and a half), reduced fuel costs and increased productivity and efficient truck routing. For this company, the GPS paid for itself in 30 days.

GPS fleet tracking system has been proven to increase efficiency and productivity in all types of businesses that own fleet of vehicles. In addition to cost and time savings, customer satisfaction is significantly improved through better responsiveness.

GPS fleet tracking can improve many aspects of a business processes. It is the ultimate business solution to keep track of your fleets, drivers, customers and cargo. Check out our daily updated resources on GPS vehicle tracking systems at http://www.gpstrackingsys.com

GPS Tracking - 3 Effective Uses To Consider

Some of the available GPS tracking software packages today enable the user to interact with the tracked unit in a number of ways. Thus, the communication goes both ways so that from a base station, the user can check the status of its target object and send new instructions to it like remote commands if necessary.

One of the most well-known and widely used applications in the field of global positioning is the GPS tracking. In the first place, a GPS tracking system uses GPS to identify the location of a person, vehicle and pet. It also records the position at regular intervals in order to create a track file or log of activities. The recorded information can then be stored within the GPS tracking unit, or it may be transmitted to a central location or internet connection computer. This transfer can be done through the use of a cellular modem, two-way radio, or satellite.

A GPS tracking system actually has a number of uses. In this article I will discuss mainly three of the well-known uses of this GPS application.

1. As mentioned earlier, a GPS tracking system is used to track pets. Well, this idea is relatively new, so there are not a lot of choices and the technology can be pricey. But, I have a few samples of GPS tracking devices used to track pets:

? GPS Pet Tracker X5000 by Micro Tech ? This device is now marketed to the owners of dogs and cats, not only in the US but in many other parts of the world. According to its proponents, this unit sends its location information over the GSM cellular network and will send SMS messages to three phone numbers at intervals of two to 120 minutes. Also, the user can call the tracker to obtain the information.

? Pointer Dog-GPS by Pointer Positioning Solutions ? This device is made primarily for hunting. It consists of two devices, the sender and the hunter?s map. The Sender is placed on the dog?s harness, while the hunter?s map is for the dog owner. The hunter?s map has a GPS so the hunter can see his or her position on the map screen, as well as the position of the dog. The hunter can even listen to what?s going on at the dog?s location.

2. Today, a number of GPS tracking systems intended for most mammals and larger birds are highly available. Perhaps the reason for this development is that wildlife researchers need to determine the travel patterns of the wild animals as this is very critical to study and preservation. Well, some of the available system intended for this purpose have two-way communication which permits the user to gather information on demand or re-program the device while it is still on the animal.

3. Most GPS tracking systems function by creating a geofence around a company?s assets like construction equipment. The systems can be activated over the telephone or by computer. When the asset travels outside the perimeter, an alarm is then immediately sent to a dispatch center. The police are then notified and able to track down the missing equipment, often within an hour.

In today?s advanced technological world, GPS tracking is fast becoming a staple in society. It is but another high potential growth area for GPS applications. Perhaps this is because there are so many uses for these devices. In fact, with ever smaller dimensions and weights coupled with the availability of solar cell power, these GPS tracking systems can be used in growing number of cases.

Dean Shainin is a successful Webmaster and publisher of http://gps.deans-knowledgebase.com a site designed to provide current information, resources, tips, services and state of the art products related to GPS tracking systems. For more articles, and valuable resources for getting discounts, visit his site at: discount GPS tracker

I Second that Motion with GPS Tracking

If you own a company that utilizes private vehicles, delivery trucks, even whole fleets, then you need to think about GPS tracking. One of the simplest reasons for using GPS tracking systems is that it is a sure fire way to keep track of travel records for tax purposes. But that is just the frosting on the cake. By using a GPS tracking system, you have a quick and easy way to keep tabs on the location of your company vehicles at any given time. So, if one of your drivers happens to run into some trouble while out on the highway, you have at your fingertips the means to locate him instantly and send the necessary help he or she may need.

A GPS tracking system can record location data at ten, twenty, thirty or sixty-second intervals, while the vehicle is in motion. You can set your GPS tracking system at any of these speeds depending upon what the vehicle is being used for. For example, if you have a truck that is used to make numerous, short deliveries, you would want to set the GPS tracking system for ten or twenty seconds. The tracking detail will give you just the amount of information you need. However, if you don't need quite that much information, and want to set the tracking speed at thirty or sixty seconds, you will still be capable of maintaining the accurate information you need, while extending the battery life of your GPS tracking system.

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7 Ways to Use a GPS Vehicle Tracking System

Have you ever thought about installing a GPS vehicle tracking system? Although you may have seen the commercials and have some knowledge of how the system operates, you may still have questions as to how the GPS actually works and how it can serve your personal needs.

1- The most obvious reason to have a GPS vehicle tracking system is in a situation where your car is stolen. If you ever become a victim of vehicle theft and are lucky enough to have a GPS system installed all you will need to do is to inform your GPS carrier of the theft. They can track the cars??? exact location and its speed, when the vehicle has been located, they will call police to recover it for you.

2- If you happen to be traveling in your car and it begins to show signs of a mechanical issue, or perhaps it completely breaks down and leaves you stranded in the middle of nowhere, you will have the peace of mind of knowing that you only have to push a button and help will be summoned. Most systems will have this particular button labeled as a ???communication??? button.

3- Perhaps one of the most important and emotional reasons to have a GPS vehicle tracking system installed in your car is the ???panic??? button. This button is to be used in cases of emergency. This can include everything from a fender bender to a carjacking, what ever the reason, when this button is pushed an operator at the GPS carrier can immediately listen to what is happening. If it is safe, and there is no robbery taking place, they will talk to you and help to asses the situation. If, however, they determine that it would be detrimental to speak to you, they will contact the authorities for you.

4- If you happen to be directionally challenged, you have the capability to press the communication button. This will put you in contact with someone who can give you directions that will lead you to your exact destination. In fact, a GPS vehicle tracking system is great for many of life???s little mishaps.

5- For instance, if you, or your children, lock you out of your car, it can easily be unlocked by phoning into the call center of the service you choose. This is also a very handy feature if you tend to lose your car in a crowded parking lot, they will find it for you and send the lights flashing and the horn honking for you. Maybe the best thing about being able to call for help in these types of situations is that you don???t have to actually see the grins on the faces of the people you are speaking with.

6- For many parents, this device can give them peace of mind. It gives them the ability to call and check upon the exact whereabouts of a car that is being driven by a child without directly interfering with their plans.

7- The advantages of having a GPS vehicle tracking system installed are numerous, but beware of what you are paying for before you sign on the dotted line. Find out exactly what options your plan covers and what the monthly service fee is. Make sure also, that your system is being installed by someone who is licensed to do so.

Read more articles about gps tracking and gps tracking vehicles on Peter Wallander websites.

Vehicle Tracking Systems, Worth the While?

 

Tracking systems are used for many reasons. A courier can determine where, and how fast, one of their vehicles is going at any time. Thieves can be followed right to their doorsteps. They can even remember mileage records and such, and remind you when go in for a service.

Most Vehicle tracking systems use GPS, or Global positioning system, to record their exact position, speed and direction at regular intermissions. A network of satellites in medium earth orbit gathers such data. This system is used for other applications, such as navigation, map making and land surveying. It was originally created by the US department of defence, who developed it to attain a precise time reference for earthquake study, and for synchronizing telecommunication systems.

Some advantages of fitting ones vehicle with a satellite tracking system would display as follows. One can get a 30 percent discount on vehicle insurance when fitted. Companies can catch out employees who are using company time to satisfy their personal needs during valuable company paid hours, or those dragging their feet for unwarranted extra overtime pay. Company managers of service and delivery organizations can respond to an order or call-out promptly by sending the nearest available vehicle to the area of the call, they can also gratify customers by providing a very accurate estimated time of arrival on deliveries and service. All employee or driver records like his or her exact routes can be charted and kept for the appropriate time – no employee can lie about their whereabouts.

For the benefit of a company dispatcher, asset data can be freely monitored and managed over the very simple and user friendly system of a computer application. Upon feedback from those who have bought vehicle tracking system installations, reports tell a 6 to 12 month return on investment, from the increased efficiency of production and reduced costs. Of course, one should never leave out of their memory the obvious drastic recoup of costs one would experience in the successful recovery of ones stolen asset or vehicle via the highly sophisticated system or network of satellites that circulate the outer atmosphere of the planet, coupled with the unit installed on the vehicle.

Navigation is made into child’s play when one utilizes a satellite navigation device to aid them in finding accurate guidance to the sometimes near-impossible task of getting from their original position to the desired destination they require. A Nuvi, for example, which is a small (as small as a box of twenty cigarettes) gadget with an easy to use touch screen graphical user interface, will display a map of the immediate area, provided it has the data stored in its memory, and obligingly guide it’s owner via voice suggestions concisely and directly to their targeted destination. It can store up to any number of maps and geographically useful items of information, within the capacity of its probably large digital memory, making it indispensable to any person who happens to need to negotiate difficult traffic situations or perhaps cut a living in the regular transportation of goods or what have you to destinations of irregular situation.

These to name a few, are some of the great benefits of investing in the brilliant service of a GPS tracking system.

Phil Smulian is a reviewer for supplier of a vehicle tracker, who will help you with real time vehicle tracking, Tracetec.