By Greg Bartlett

A business owner has a lot at stake in any large, expensive equipment that are needed to run his or her business. If any of this equipment should be stolen, it could create a great deal of difficulty for the owner, including a temporarily or permanently lost source of income and high costs in replacing equipment. An owner of a tow truck company knew these things and prepared in advance by having GPS units installed in his all three of his trucks. Just this last week, on August 15, 2009, this wise company owner had reason to rejoice in his investment.

GPS tracking has actually been around for nearly seventy years. Though rooted in the military, GPS has proven helpful to civilians since becoming available to the public in the 1980’s. Planning a business trip or family vacation is much less time consuming that it once was. This is true not only because the professional or the family member can simply enter the beginning point and destination and quickly arrive at a mapped route, but also because a driver can be accurately redirected at a moment’s notice, if ever he or she should get off route. GPS has simplified the art of traveling for many twenty-first-century folks; it has also changed the world of monitoring persons, animals, and objects. With GPS tracking, anything with a GPS receiver attached can be located within seconds. Military, professionals – of many different vocations, and civilians the world over have enjoyed the benefits of GPS tracking. GPS tracking has saved times, money, and lives.

This business owner’s vehicles were stolen by night about a week ago. He quickly received word, however, from an employee, that his vehicles were missing. Since the owner had GPS tracking devices installed into his tow trucks, his wife was able to quickly locate the vehicles using her mobile device. Employees were sent to investigate the two sites identified through the GPS tracking. One vehicle was found, abandoned. The second vehicle was spotted, but one of the thieves reached the truck before the employee. Having called the police, the employee followed the stolen truck, but the thief soon realized he was being followed, and that vehicle was abandoned as well. By studying the GPS tracking devices’ records, the police were able to later apprehend both criminals. GPS tracking was indeed an excellent investment that this tow truck company owner made, as it followed his vehicles where he could not.