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GPS Tracking Devices For Individuals

Keeping track of our marriages can cover a multitude of sins. There are a million of our possessions including our pets and children that we’d love to know where they are and what they’re up to and in today’s chaotic modern world. GPS tracking system allow you to be in touch with your life and assets.

Car tracking
The most obvious and commonly used GPS tracking device is the one installed into a car. These are, nowdays in many instances, fitted during the cars manufacture. However, should you need an updated, more responsive model it is quite easy to fit and change systems.

GPS tracking in cars is useful for a number of reasons. It acts as a burglar alarm and it is able to warn you if your car is moved without authorization, this can be either a short distance much like a traditional car alarm or within a predetermined geo-tagged zone such as your garden, street or car park. Geo-tagging is also useful for business vehicles that are not meant to leave a particular area, like for instance a supermarket compound or building site.

Tracking lost and found
Vehicles fitted with GPS tracking are also less likely to remain lost on a journey, linking to an online mapping service means you will always be able to find where you are or if someone else borrows your car you are able to find them too. This is perfect for finding your vehicle in a crowded car park after two weeks in the sun or if someone else parks it up for you to collect later.

These days you are also able to purchase smaller GPS tracking systems that can be fitted to pets, given to children or confused older relatives. All three categories are apt to go wandering off to explore the world in their own way and leave worried owners or relatives panicking. A mini GPS tracking device will mean you will never need to worry for too long if the dog goes running off or granny decides to take a midnight stroll.

Tracking assets
Asset tracking is another popular personal use for GPS systems. These compact units can be fixed to valuable items, whether they are stored at home or while they’re in transit to enable you to keep an eye on them when you’re not around. Logging on to a mapping service you are able to keep up in real time with your valuable delivery or make sure your expensive family heirlooms are safe and sound.

Today’s GPS systems are very accurate, durable and easy to use; technology has made them affordable for everyone, meaning you can keep contact with your car, kids and precious possessions even when you are not around.

Source by Alex Hunt

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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.

Source by Ken Sink

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Curious and Unconventional Applications of GPS Tracking Systems

Companies like ours sell GPS vehicle tracker systems to, well, track personal cars and fleet vehicles. However, people are inventive, and it’s not surprising to discover them using GPS tracking systems in creative and unusual ways.

GPS riding art
Michael “Wally” Wallace is a middle school science teacher. His hobby is using GPS vehicle tracking to transform maps of the city into art. The city streets of Baltimore is his canvas, his mountain bike and GPS technology are his brushes, and Google Maps is his template.

Think of his art as a giant Etch-A-Sketch as Wally bicycles up and down streets “drawing” objects such as a boot, a gun and a hammer. Lately he’s discovered into more complex “drawings” such as the Jellyfish Invasion and Tee It golfer.

His art can only be seen from a bird’s-eye view, of course, but fortunately that’s no problem with a GPS system. Wally’s vehicle tracker continuously sends location location data to a satellite, which relays it to a GPS server that stores and records the data. The route data is then superimposed on Google Maps to reveal his “drawing.”

Wally’s art has been featured in various media around the world. You can see a showcase of his work by visiting his online gallery at WallGPX.com.

Who knows? It may lead you to digitally sketching your own masterpieces.

Like finding a GPS in a haystack
Each month the county Sheriff’s Department in Tillman County, Oklahoma was receiving calls from farmers complaining their hay bales were stolen.

Stealing hay is no minor problem in the county. Extreme drought has forced farmers to use more hay than normal, driving up prices and making hay very attractive to thieves. Another plus for thieves: hay is impossible to trace. Well, almost impossible.

When one farmer complained that more than 30 bales of his hay were stolen, Sheriff Whittington swung into action. He planned a portable GPS vehicle tracker in one of the farmer’s bales and waited for the thieves to strike again. They did.

Using a satellite tracking system, the sheriff was able to follow a dot representing the thieves’ truck on his smartphone. When he dropped the thieves over, they naturally claimed the hay was their; they were on their way to feed their cattle. When the sheriff showed them the GPS hidden in a bale, they asked if they could simply return the hay and forget the whole incident.

They went to jail.

Since then hay thefts have dropped dramatically in Tillman County, Oklahoma.

Solving a mystery of the seas
Manta rays are facing extinction. These graceful 25-foot fish are one of the ocean’s largest and least-known species. Almost nothing is known about their movements, their habits or their ecological needs. Answers to these questions are urgently needed because manta rays are now listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Manta rays have the highest brain-to-body ratio of all rays and sharks. And because they do not have dangerous stingers like stingrays, they’re harmless to humans.
Unfortunately, humans are not harmless to manta rays. They chop the rays for shark chum, use them for traditional Chinese medicine and run over them with ships. If marine biologists were hopped to improve the long-term survival of manta rays, they desperately needed more data.

Initial data came via GPS trackers, which scientists placed on six manta rays and monitored them for 64 days before the units fell off. Results of the tracking program were published in a study by scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Mexican government and the University of Exeter. Among their findings they discovered manta rays:

– Traveled almost 700 miles during the two months they were tracked.

– Preferred warm water less than 50 meters deep.

– Swam most of their time in coastal waters with plentiful zooplankton and fish eggs.

– Spent 90% of their time swimming in major shipping routes, leaving them vulnerable to being hit by ships.

This is only a beginning. There’s still a lot to learn about these gentle giants. It’s hoped satellite tracking technology will be one of the key components for understanding manta ray movements and the dangers that threaten their existence.

Source by George Karonis

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Heavy Vehicle Safety With GPS Tracking Solutions

When you think of dangerous work, what comes to your mind?

The defense force, firefighters and police might be at the top of your list, but what about heavy vehicle drivers?

In Australia, around 80 workers are killed each year while working in or around a high-heavy vehicle (Safe work Australia Chair).

Speeding and fatigue play a significant part in these deaths.

Here, having the proper fleet management systems in place is essential for managing vehicle and driver safety.

When heavy vehicles are involved in a crash, the severity of it is often a lot more serious because their vehicle mass elevates the crashforced involved.

Here, GPS tracking provides the transport industry effective solutions to manage drivers and the chain of responsibility to ensure safety on the road. Here’s how:

1. Safety before a shift starts:
Mitigate risks with early detection, most GPS tracking solutions provide fit for duty declarations and pre-departure checks which take drivers through a set of customisable safety criteria before starting a shift.

If any issues are detected an alert is immediately sent to a supervisor by email or SMS and the driver will not be able to start the shift before the issue is addressed.

2. Reduce speeding:
Speed ​​is the leading contributing factor to heavy vehicle accidents. Loaded trailers take 20-40% farther than cars to stop, even further when the roads are wet and slippery (Transport for NSW).

The only way to mitigate the risk of speeding is to monitor drivers and prevent it from happening.

GPS tracking provides automated speed detection solutions across all speed zones, managers can be alerted:
– When a driver is speeding;
– Where a driver is speeding; and
– Why it happened.

With two-way communication managers, can provide drivers live feedback on their driving performance so they can make corrections in real-time and increase safety on the road.

GPS tracking and Fleet telematics provide safe driving solutions and reliable tools to detect speeding and identify the causes, managers can implement safe driving policies and train drivers to avoid speeding.

3. Fatigue Management:
Driver fatigue is unstoppable. Affecting anyone, at any time. Unfortunately, no matter how experienced the driver is, no amount of skill can defeat the biological need for sleep.

The truck driving industry denies the natural sleep pattern, with many long-haul drives going well into the hours of the night and through to the morning. Here, effective management of fatigue is crucial to the safety of heavy vehicle drivers.

GPS tracking provides a chain of responsibility systems which have control measures to address fatigue, including electronic log books, automated break alerts and recording driving hours.

Overall, GPS tracking and Fleet telematics solutions provide seamless and efficient communication between managers and drivers; instantaneous information is received via mobile devices and in-vehicle display unit so managers have an unprecedented level of knowledge of their operations.

Help your business grow and expand by maintaining a safe work environment, it will increase efficiency and most importantly, it will ensure your drivers get home safely.

Source by Georgia Campbell

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Take 10 Minutes to Get Started With GPS Tracker

GPS which is normally known as Global Positioning System enables anyone to find the vehicle location at a current place. A GPS tracker will likewise help you to recognize any indirect driving like speeding and wrong way driving and will help you to do it correctly. A GPS tracker gives you the advantage to keep up your personal bearings and also yourself in a safe position. They are broadly used as a part of both business and personal works.

Here is why you be using a GPS Tracker when you travel

– Productivity – Time is always important, to be on schedule for any meetings with your customers or to catch your next flight. GPS Tracking devices gives you the privilege to do it smoothly when you are new to a place. So while making arrangements for any business or going to a new place for travel, it is constantly best to use a GPS tracker to reach your destination at the quickest possible time.

– Situation Control – With the use of a GPS tracker in business trucking  organizations and various delivery companies like pizzas, couriers, etc can guarantee that the vehicles reach the customer’s doorsteps safely and on-time without having to receive a negative review for the company.

– Flexible Planning – GPS trackers are one of the fundamental devices for pre-arranging events before taking up the trek. Proper arranging is the best for business people and different workers who lend to go to new places everyday. Having used  the GPS tracker in the vehicle guarantees to offer the safe and bother free travel even in a new destination.

One main CON

There is only one main disadvantage of having a GPS Tracker, is that driving in urban areas can be difficult particularly where GPS network coverage is low.

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How Can You Benefit From Owning A Child GPS Tracker?

Every parent dreads the moment their child faces an emergency. Whether it is at school or at home, you want to provide safety for your child at all times. A child gps tracker has become a necessary device in the world we live in today.

Kidnappings, missing persons, the statistics don’t show good reading. Over 80% of missing persons are juvenile (under the age of 18) in the US alone. When your child goes to school, you want to know they are safe. That’s where a real time child gps tracker comes into play.

Buying a gps tracking device that provides real time, live data is essential. You want to know instantly if your child is in trouble or faces any other kind of emergency.

A device currently popular on the market is the amber alert gps child tracker. The name amber alert is a warning system issued in the US and in certain other countries when a child goes missing. The alert system came about after Amber Hagerman, a 9 year old was abducted and murdered in Texas in 1996.

The amber alert child gps tracker has useful features specifically designed to track and monitor a child’s location. The following is a summary of the features you will find in this gps tracker.

  • You have a 24 hour battery life which is good for 2 school days before recharge
  • There is something called safety zone alerts that lets you know when your child is out of a predefined zone, i.e. somewhere they shouldn’t be
  • A panic button is located on the device. Once pushed an emergency notification is instantly sent to you either on your computer or phone. This feature is priceless, you know immediately if your child is in any danger. Law enforcement will always tell you, time is critical in any child abduction case.
  • You can also use the device to track your teenager, especially whilst they are driving. The amber alert child gps tracker lets you know the speed the device is travelling at.
  • For smaller children the tracker also provides temperature information, so you know whether your child is comfortable in the temperature they are in. This is useful when your child is sitting in cars on warm days.
  • The tracking device can be connected directly to a mobile cellphone. You can view the gps tracking data directly on the phone.

As with any gadget you buy, there is a cost involved. With this particular gps tracker you will be required to pay activation fees. But considering the amount of benefits of owning a child gps tracker, I certainly think the price is worth the investment.

Source by Antony Rivera

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Choosing A GPS Tracking System For Your Next Camping, Hiking Or Backpacking Adventure

The basic intention of a GPS tracking system is to allow the user to fix his or her location at any time. That is achieved by reading the screen on a hand-held unit that picks up a signal from a series of satellites in geosynchronous orbit around the Earth.

There are in fact various different styles of Global Positioning System units. One style is optimized for use at sea on a vessel, others function better in vehicles, and still others are ideal for use when hiking. Some fundamentals apply to each style, however.

The user must have to be capable of operating the controls and interpreting the display without being knowledgeable in electrical engineering. Many are not much more than electronic maps, various models will simply be static (they only store pre-loaded charts); others are capable of downloading fresh charts via wireless or through a Laptop / Internet connection. Some will certainly offer cryptic longitude and latitude readings, calling for you to interpret the location by using a map.

Garman GPS is the market leader of these tracking systems, but they are not the only maker. Lowrance, Magellan and various other manufacturers make great models, as well. With such an assortment of models and manufacturers to select from, what should you be looking for? Of course, the answer will depend on what you aspire to use the tracking unit for.

For a backpacking GPS device, long battery life is essential. Ploting a route through some wilderness areas is typically done in a reasonably casual way, unless you become lost. If that happens, you require the device to remain active for a long time.

A water-proof tracking unit is a near must, as swift, unforeseen changes in weather conditions are typical in camping regions. Rain can start and finish before you know it. You do not want your GPS unit to stop operating or become damaged when you’re finding the way back to the campsite. Always remember to inquire if the tracking device you’re debating is robust. It is not ideal if it can not hold up to the harshness of the outdoors.

The amount of maps and routes, as well as the quantity of coordinates or waypoints, which a system can hold differs by model. The higher the memory the model has (similar to your laptop), the more it can store.

Map capacity bought to be at least twenty, but fifty or more is desirable. Coordinate capacity is often a strong five hundred for many units, but given that each position is a coordinate, this can add up quickly. Here again, more is preferred, but you pay up for that.

The facility to align the maps you see in various compass directions is very useful. The directions (bearing) to your next coordinate is standard, but verify to be certain. Knowing where you’re at a given time is frequently almost worthless. Your objective is to move from one point to the next, not merely to identify which latitude and longitude you occupy.

Ergonomic elements are reasonably important. The ploting device bought to fit snugly in your hand and not be too large as to result in fatigue. It needs to be pocket-size, but light enough so not to cause irritation when it’s there.

Be geared up to pay a little extra to acquire the ideal GPS tracking system. It bought to last for several years as they’re already packed with features, so you should not need to replace it within a year with the latest unit.

Source by Darren Lintern

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The Technology Behind GPS Trackers

GPS tracking uses the global positioning system developed by the US Department of Defense for the US military, which has now been made available to the general public as a free service. GPS receivers allow people with the correct software to monitor the movement of people, vehicles and other assets. Personal tracking is often completed using cell phone coverage from handsets that is now often provided with personal tracking software.

The Global Positioning System was developed using a network of satellites orbiting the Earth every 12 hours and 24 satellites must be in operation at all times for GPS to work correctly. Three backup satellites circle the planet at all times to provide assistance in case of the failure of an active satellite. The basic concept of GPS positioning is a mathematical concept known as trilateration, which means three GPS satellites are needed to send signals to a receiver to gain an exact fix on the location of the receiver. Satellites require a certain amount of information to fix the position of a receiver, including the distance between the receiver and satellite.

Tracking via GPS needs an active signal sent from the GPS receiver to a database or monitoring station via a cellular telephone network. To track a person, package or vehicle from a remote location the person or organization wishing to complete the tracking must have access to a piece of software designed specifically for tracking. The receiver used must also be equipped with a built-in cellular modem that is used to transmit data on the location of the item being tracked. The inclusion of GPS hardware and software is now commonplace on mobile phones, which has made it easy for the tracking of people carrying a cell phone to be completed. During personal tracking, a signal is received from at least three satellites to determine the exact location of the hardware; the location is then transmitted in real-time to the software user over the network of a cellular network carrier.

GPS tracking is not currently possible without a piece of hardware placed in a location where it can receive signals at all times. In some cases, tracking is completed via a wireless telephone being programmed to receive SMS messages informing the telephone user of the location at specified times during the day and night. Computer software that is loaded with maps can also be used in order to allow tracking via the internet using software accessed via a personal computer.

Source by Terence Liew

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GPS Tracking: An Executive Summary-Who, What and Why

GPS vehicle tracking systems are a popular tool for business owners; Original equipment manufacturers from General Motors to Bobcat are including tracking systems in their vehicles. Here’s some background information to help you:

Who uses GPS tracking?

GPS tracking systems are used by businesses in the service, transportation and manufacturing industries. Businesses of all sizes, with fleets of 1 to thousands of vehicles, readily upon their tracking systems to add to their profitability.

Types of businesses using GPS tracking:

  • Contractors who provide HVAC, plumbing or electrical services
  • Limousine and taxi companies
  • Uniform / Linen Services
  • Food and Beverage Distributors
  • Street Sweepers
  • Pest Management Services
  • Snow Plow Services
  • Car Carriers
  • Landscaping and Irrigation contractors
  • Cable Company Contractors
  • Bulk and Route Delivery
  • Fuel / Oil Haulers
  • Hazmat and / or Chemical Haulers
  • Produce / Perishable Delivery
  • Utility companies
  • City, county and state motor pool fleets

What is it?

GPS tracking systems consist of a device installed in the vehicle, a central server and software for the owner to access the information.

All GPS tracking devices use data from the US Government’s constellation of Global Positioning System satellites to determine a vehicle’s location, speed and direction of travel.

The tracking device transmits data from GPS satellites overhead to a central computer server via either communications satellite or, more often, via the local cellular phone network. The vehicle data is updated every 2 – 15 minutes, depending upon the owner’s preferences and manufacturer’s settings.

The central server makes the tracking data available to the system owner through the Internet. The owner logs onto the tracking company’s secure web server and sees their vehicle data on a map and in text form. Some tracking companies make the data available for download, so the owner could archive it on their own computer.

Why do they use it?

Users of GPS tracking systems have many reasons why they’ve installed them:

  1. Tracking systems reduce vehicle costs by targeting speeding employees, who waste fuel, cause excess engine wear and extremely, drive up insurance rates.
  2. Using the system’s automatic mileage reminder reduces downtime and enhancements vehicle resale values ​​by encouraging scheduled, preventive maintenance. Your tracking system will remind you when it’s time to rotate tires, change oil or perform other scheduled maintenance.
  3. Many insurance companies offer discounts of up to 30% for vehicles protected with tracking systems.
  4. Productivity is improved by: a. documenting long lunch hours, b. exposing unauthorized breaks, c. comparing driver overtime requests with system reports of driver activity, d. logging personal vehicle use after hours or on weekends.
  5. GPS tracking systems improve customer service by showing you which employee is closest to the client who just called. WOW your customers – give them precise arrival or delivery estimates, based upon the actual location of your vehicles at the moment they call.
  6. Your system can tell you the exact time and date each employee reached each customer. If a customer questions when your employee arrived or left –prove it to them.
  7. Is one employee more productive than another? –Check the data. Is it time to add a vehicle? –Use your system and there’s no more guessing.
  8. Use your system to correlate overtime performed with your employees’ overtime requests. See who is putting in extra time.
  9. Never make another phone call to find out where your employees say they are.
  10. Simplify asset management by displaying everything on one computer screen. Make work easier for your dispatcher.
  11. Tracking systems work without any input from the driver. No driver logs needed.

Buyers of GPS vehicle tracking systems say they recover their investment in an average of six – 12 months, by both reducing expenses and improving productivity. While some users recoup their own investment at one time by recovering a stolen vehicle, most users are repaid more gradually.

Source by Ken Sink

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How Gps Vehicle Trackers Improve Navigation & Save Your Time

With more cars on the roads than ever before, managing your everyday commute can be quite a hassle without a GPS vehicle tracker giving you navigation tips and traffic information. What initially started as a safety feature has now become a necessity for vehicle owners, offering so many benefits in so many ways that people do not want to buy a car without a GPS tracker anymore. The tech does more than just give you a real-time update of your vehicle’s location – it can also help save a lot of your time that would otherwise be wasted on getting trapped in traffic jams on overcrowded streets. Wish to learn more about this amazing piece of tech can help you with your driving? Read this article and find out:

Route optimization

City roads are always overcrowded, especially during peak traffic hours when even the smallest of commutes can eat up a lot of your productive time. Issues such as constructions, accidents or special events like VIP movement also lead to roads getting cordoned off and traffic getting diverted. Without a GPS vehicle tracker giving you real time information about what lies ahead, you will never know to change your route before it is too late, and you are done in a traffic jam. The route optimization features of GPS trackers can help you avoid such scenarios and save a lot of time and frustration.

Vehicle maintenance

Many GPS vehicle trackers these days come equipped with telematics features including vehicle diagnostics, engine temperature indicators, fuel gauge, engine oil level displays and more. These are designed to give you a heads up about the health of your vehicle so that you can take necessary corrective action well in time and avoid troublesome and delay-causing consumptions breakdowns. The idea is to make your vehicle maintenance and performance more predictable so as to ensure that you are able to extract maximum utility from the machine, as and when you need it.

Better coordination

Whether you run a transportation enterprise with a fleet of different vehicles or have a car meant for family use, knowing where and how the machine is being used can give you better insight into managing the vehicle. Knowing the current location of your car can save a lot of your time that would otherwise have been wasted in making constant phone calls to drivers for coordinating rides.

Improved navigation

For car owners who love taking their vehicles out on exploratory rides, having a GPS tracker can be a major boon as it can give them real time data about their location, which will be extremely helpful in finding their bearings in case a driver is lost, and in charting out the further route to take. Improved navigation and location tracking can help prevent many unnecessary delays and ensure the driver gets to their destination using the best, safest and most time-saving road possible.

GPS vehicle trackers can really make your rides faster, safer and more hassle free. What do you think?

Source by Amrit Mirpuri