Vehicle tracking uses technology to locate the whereabouts of a vehicle extremely accurately. A vehicle tracking system takes things a stage further by supplying the vehicle location instantly.
The technology involved in vehicle tracking is packed into one electronic device. Inside you’ll find a GPS receiver, wireless modem, control board and possibly a battery too. The unit works as follows. The GPS receiver is the source of the location information. The control board detects “events” within the vehicle – ignition for example. Information is then transferred over the GSM wireless network back to database servers. This information is then stored until requested. It can be accessed in one of two ways – over the Internet or with a dedicated piece of software.
Thanks to the sophistication of the device, the vehicle tracking system feeds back a great deal of useful information. Of course, vehicle location is included as part of this data. That’s a given, but also details of breaks on route as well as speed and distance travelled.
With additions and enhancements, vehicle tracking can be made even more sophisticated again. Display historical trail or “breadcrumb” trail. An organisation might want to designate a no go zone and be informed of alerts if a vehicle enters or leaves such a zone. Companies will want to identify excessive idling on journeys and take action if required.
Better fleet management is the main reason for implementing these systems. Not in a big brother sinister sort of way. Bad fleet practice can be wasteful and damage the environment. Tracking data can help companies manage their fleets more effectively and correct any problems arising from poor or inefficient driving. With sensible, considered application, tracking in this way can a huge positive impact for the good of all road users, society and the environment.
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