Fleet GPS Tracking - What It Can Do For Your Business

Are you a freight broker? If you are, it is your job and your responsibly to ensure that your client?s goods are transported from one location to the next, safely. When it comes to running a freight broker business, like all other businesses, you are taking a gamble on the truck drivers or transporters that you hire. That is why you may want to think about protecting yourself, your business, and, in some cases, your truck drivers or transporters. You can do this with fleet GPS tracking.

Fleet GPS tracking involves putting a small device into each of your trucks. Of course, this will require the cooperation of any truck drivers, especially if they own their own trucks, but, in most cases, you will find that most are more than happy to do so. As previously stated above, fleet GPS tracking can also help the truck drivers or transporters that you employ. One of the reasons for that is because you know where they are at all times.

Fleet GPS tracking is made possible thanks to the Global Positioning System. This system is what makes it possible to track anything with a GPS tracking system, including a fleet of your trucks. When it comes to safety, a fleet GPS tracking system can not only help your business, but your truck drivers or transporters as well. For instance, should one of your drivers veer off the road unseen, you could be able to tell exactly where they are and when the vehicle?s last movements were. This would not only allow you to recover your client?s merchandise quicker, but it would also allow you to seek help for one of your drivers if they were injured.

As a freight broker, you likely already know that many transportation vehicles are the targets of theft. Many times, the merchandise being transported from one location to another is valuable and that is what tends to make it a prime target for thieves. The thing with these types of thefts is that they often take the whole vehicle, like in a hijacking, and then unload the merchandise elsewhere. If this were to ever happen to you and one of your trucks, fleet GPS tracking would enable to you to not only know where your truck has been, but where it is at the current time. Fleet GPS tracking could assist authorities with recovering the property you, your company, and your driver was transporting.

As you can see, fleet GPS tracking can actually play an important part in your business. Although you may never need to use fleet GPS tracking, why take the chance of not having it. With the ability to help your truck drivers in the event of an emergency and the ability to track thieves, fleet GPS tracking equipment and software is more than worth the already affordable costs.

Quentin Chamberlain is a writer for RM Tracking . com where you can find accurate information about Fleet GPS Tracking and other related information.

GPS Vehicle Tracking Systems: Do I Need One?

GPS vehicle tracking systems are more affordable and more popular than ever before, but do you need one? Take this short quiz and keep track of your 'yes' answers. I'll help you total your score and decide after you finish.

Step One: Take Quiz

1. Do I use vehicles in my business? Yes/No

(The definition of 'vehicles' includes heavy, medium and light-duty vehicles, construction equipment (dozers, graders, backhoes, etc), cars, motorcycles, RV's, pick-up trucks, vans, tractor trailers, buses, trailers, dump trucks, snow plows, limousines, taxis, etc.)

2. Have any of my vehicles been stolen in the past? Yes/No

3. I'd like to know what is going on and where my employees/vehicles are during the day: Yes/No

4. I'd like to reduce my fuel expenses and know if any of my vehicles are wasting gas: Yes/No

5. Being able to give my customers accurate and precise arrival/delivery estimates is important to me: Yes/No

6. It is important to know if any of my vehicles are used after hours or on weekends for non-business purposes: Yes/No

7. I'd like save up to 30% on my vehicle insurance: Yes/No

8. It is important to know if my employees are speeding or otherwise abusing my vehicles: Yes/No

9. If any of my employees are using my vehicles to 'moonlight' or do work without my knowledge, I'd want to know: Yes/No

10. Knowing about mechanical problems before they become expensive to fix is important: Yes/No

11. If any of my vehicles are ever stolen, I'd like to locate them within minutes: Yes/No

12. I'd like to have vehicle use data to compare with overtime requests as a way to guard against errors and fraud: Yes/No

13. I'd like a reminder when it is time to do routine maintenance on my vehicles: Yes/No

14. Occasionally, customers question when we were at their location, having the exact date and time recorded in our tracking system would really help in those cases: Yes/No

15. I'd like to help my employees be more productive by seeing where they go each day: Yes/No

Step Two: Total Your 'Yes' Answers

Add up your 'yes' answers.

* Fewer than 7 'yes' answers:Thanks for taking the quiz, you don't appear to want/need a vehicle tracking system.

* 7 to 11 'yes' answers: Thanks for taking the quiz. You could greatly benefit from a vehicle tracking system.

* More than 11 'yes' answers: Thanks for taking the quiz. You need a vehicle tracking system.

By the way, every question above (except question 1 & 2) is answered by using GPS vehicle tracking systems.

Step Three: Cost vs. Gain

The average business owner recoups their investment in GPS vehicle tracking systems within 6 - 12 months after purchase. Of course, your ROI may vary. Recovering one stolen vehicle may pay for your entire tracking system.

Vehicle tracking helps you reduce operating costs and boosts productivity.

Tracking systems reduce vehicle costs by putting a spotlight on speeding employees, who waste fuel, cause excessive engine wear and drive up insurance rates. Vehicle tracking systems will also remind you when it's time for preventive maintenance, like oil changes, helping you keep your vehicles on the road and making you money.

GPS vehicle tracking systems improve productivity by:

* documenting long lunch hours,

* exposing unauthorized breaks,

* comparing driver overtime requests with system reports of driver activity,

* highlighting unauthorized vehicle use after hours and on weekends,

* eliminating driver logs.

Many insurance companies offer discounts of up to 30% for vehicles protected with tracking systems.

Step Four: Due Diligence

GPS vehicle tracking systems are outstanding tools for vehicle and fleet management, but you need to find the right system for you. Take a look at the different types of GPS vehicle tracking systems.

Check a company's hardware and software, as well as their monthly data access plan. You'll also need to decide whether to buy or lease your GPS tracking system.

Good luck.

Ken Sink, owner of My Vehicle WatchDog, is a veteran with 20+ years of transportation experience, including fleet management of over 800 vehicles. Visit http://www.MyVehicleWatchDog.Info for more information about GPS vehicle tracking systems from Fleet Management Solutions, Networkfleet and Sprint/Nextel. Submit your info for a quick, no-obligation system quote. Quantity discounts for volume purchases

The Military and GPS Tracking

GPS tracking is one of the most interesting technological advances of our time. GPS stands for Global Positioning System, and is used just for that. GPS can be used to find anyone with a tracker anywhere in the world. This is because the whole system makes use of the satellites that occupy the space above the earth. With special signals, and a little triangulation, GPS tracking can help anyone figure out where they are and plan out where they should go next.

GPS tracking began as a project especially for the United States military. In the 1980s, the system was being developed so that the military would have better capabilities on the ground to keep on target. It could also be used to help find lost soldiers and to more quickly locate the wounded. GPS provided a powerful tool for the United States and its allies. And it is still used by the military today.

Even though civilians could use GPS tracking in the late 1980s and 1990s, it was not the same system that the military used. The GPS used by civilians was less accurate and quick. The military scrambled its signals so that only it had access to the highly precise GPS calculations used in operations. This is why GPS was slow to catch on among "regular" folks. However, that all changed in 2000.

In the year 2000, at the turn of the century and the millennium, then-president Bill Clinton ordered the military to stop scrambling its GPS tracking signals. This did not mean that all of a sudden civilians could access battle plans and find out where troops were. What it did mean was that anyone with the right equipment (which is sold just about everywhere and fairly easy to get) could have access to the military's system. This allowed anyone, individuals and businesses, to make use of the extremely accurate military system.

Since GPS tracking has been open to everyone, the marketplace has responded by making all sorts of consumer goods that allow people to find out where they are, and even track their kids and spouses. These is because the technology is so advanced that anything can be used for GPS tracking -- even a cell phone. This article is about: GPS Tracking

To learn more about Spy and Surveillance Products visit http://www.spyassociates.com Read other related articles at http://spyassociates.blogspot.com/

Vehicle Tracking Solutions

SupaTrak is a simple to use, low cost tracking solution which is easy to install and scaleable to any size of organisation. Starting at only 0.69 per vehicle per day, SupaTrak is the most cost effective telematics solution available in the market place today. With 60 second updates as standard your fleet is visible on our web based mapping solution with no hidden costs. Options to upgrade to integrated CANbus and the CMS Mobile Worker application ensures your investment in SupaTrak is future proof and will adapt as your business requirements change.

Companies large and small have seen immediate cost savings from the introduction of SupaTrak and include Royal Mail and Christian Salvesen. Using the very latest technology to provide market leading products and services, SupaTrak is easily upgradeable to interface with back office data feeds, mobile worker systems and seamless integration to satellite navigation.

SupaTrak provides the following list of impressive features as standard:

 No hidden costs - monthly price quoted includes all hardware, installation, network charges and lifetime warranty of hardware
 60 second GPS updates as standard
 Covert vehicle installation as standard
 Web browser mapping via any internet connection
 Unlimited user access to mapping
 Training and 24/7/365 telephone support
 Comprehensive reporting including start/stop and historic snail trail
 Market leading black box GPS/GPRS modem
 Combined GSM/GPS antenna
 All vehicles/units visible on mapping at all times

Further options available

 CANbus integration providing driver style and vehicle management reports
 Trailer tracking
 Cold chain supply temperature monitoring
 CMS Mobile Worker integration
 Back office data feeds to link location and job information
 Connection to PDA for Satellite Navigation
 European mapping

David is a well known author who writes for http://www.supatrak.com

Tracking Success With A Goal Tracking Chart

Creating a goal tracking chart is as simple as drawing a basic grid or table. Create as many vertical columns as you have goals to include, and include a horizontal row for every sub-goal or milestone you wish to divide your goals into, plus one row on top for your "Finish By" date and one row below for your goal heading or title. [Hint: Creating a goal tracking chart poster-sized on inexpensive and brightly colored poster board ensures visibility and accountability!]

Complete and use your chart according to the instructions below:

1. Place the name of one goal, or a major section of a larger project goal, in the row of boxes at the bottom of the chart.

2. In the row of boxes at the top of each chart, in the appropriate column above each goal or goal section, place the deadline for that goal, if applicable.

3. Break down each goal or goal section into individual steps that make sense for each one (pound loss intervals for a weight loss goal, steps for completing and sending off a college application, action steps that make up a project phase, etc). Fill in the boxes in each column between the goal title and the finish date with stages involved in meeting that goal, starting with the first step in the lower-most square, just above the goal heading or title, and working your way up to the deadline. Use as many or as few boxes as you need.

4. Cross out, color in or place a sticker, etc., in each goal-step box as you complete that step. By placing several related goals on one chart, you can track whether or not one goal is getting the lion's share of your attention, and you can eliminate worry over forgetting about less vital, but still important, goals in the flurry of day-to-day life.

Large projects can easily be managed using the goal tracking chart by grouping all of the goals specific to each phase of the project together on seperate charts. This way, you can ensure that all project goals are met in a timely manner, and the project as a whole is completed smoothly and efficiently, with no forgotten stepping-stones or bottlenecks.

Soni Pitts is the Chief Visionary Butt-Kicker of SoniPitts.Com. She specializes in helping others reclaim "soul proprietorship" in their lives and to begin living the life their Creator always intended for them.

She is the author of the free e-book "50 Ways To Reach Your Goals" and over 100 self-help and inspirational articles, as well as other products and resources designed to facilitate this process of personal growth and spiritual development.