Rocky Mountain Tracking » Business Tips

GPS Devices: A Tremendous Benefit to Commercial and Government Fleets

John Chapman — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:00:05 +0000

A fleet of cargo or freight trucks no doubt provides an incredible logistical challenge to a fleet manager. Managing so many vehicles, each with its own quirks, across a wide range of terrains and weather conditions, each load of cargo with its own difficulties involving fragility and weight… truly a truck fleet is a wonder of modern industry.

With that in mind, it is impressive that fleet managers could ever run their fleets before the introduction of GPS technology. With the accurate tracking provided to fleet managers using GPS devices installed on vehicles, keeping track of the fleet is easier than ever.

Fleet managers no longer need to pull his or her hair out because a truck has dropped off the grid. Mileage tracking is fast and accurate, preventing overtime and enabling super exact billing.

GPS Insight recently held a webinar to highlight the benefits of GPS Fleet Tracking. The free webinar from one of the world leaders in GPS fleet tracking was designed to showcase the cost savings and efficiency provided when GPS technology is integrated into a fleet.

The database-style functions of GPS Insight software were presented, displaying how customizable reporting can aid the administration of a government or commercial fleet. In addition, the software streamlines truck routing, provides custom alerts for a variety of situations, and features Garmin integration.

With a wide range of options available, every fleet manager should consider the advantages of making GPS systems a part of their commercial or government fleet. The GPS industry has a sweet spot for government and commercial applications. There is nothing any organization loves more than accurate reporting and tracking. When it comes to moving cargo across the country and beyond, GPS tracking is a no-brainer solution for the fleet manager that needs up-to-the-minute information on every last detail of the fleet.

GPS technology has truly changed the function and implementation of modern industry, especially when it comes to moving cargo. When goods and materials stop moving, their are serious consequences world-wide. Nothing helps move the fleet industry into the modern age like the integration of a solid GPS system.

Customs Bureau proposes RFID Technology in EU

Lynetta Bowen — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 16:00:35 +0000

GPS tracking has long been used for the purpose of tracking cargo shipments. By giving shippers the ability to monitor a cargo location at any point in its journey, tracking technology can save money, prevent theft and smuggling, and ensure timely delivery of cartons around the world. But despite their stellar track record, the devices may soon decline in use, at least among shippers in the European Union.
Customs Commissioner Rozzano Rufino B. Biazon has proposed that cheaper, less sophisticated radio frequency identification (RFID) technology be used alongside GPS systems in order to evaluate whether the costlier devices actually offer substantial benefit. RFID readers would be installed in ports and warehouses, while cargo shipments would be equipped with chips that could be scanned at each departure and arrival. This information would allow authorities to flag shipments if they took longer than expected to reach an intended destination and to investigate causes for delay.

The problem, in the minds of many industry leaders, is that RFID chips do not provide real-time location information. Unlike GPS devices, RFID technology can only supervise expected arrivals and departures, with no way to pinpoint locations in between. If a shipment is diverted, stolen, or lost, the recovery procedure becomes much more complicated without a real-time location to monitor.
The goal of the Customs Bureau is to increase the security and efficiency of shipping procedures while at the same time reducing costs. If the plan of the Customs Commissioner goes through, it will stipulate that RFID devices be used alongside current GPS technology in order to determine whether GPS tracking could be replaced while still maintaining the same level of security. As departments across the spectrum face budget cuts, Commisioner Biazon must find ways to perform the duties of the Customs Bureau at lower cost.
Proponents of GPS tracking, however, argue that this is one area which cannot afford the decrease in security that would accompany the RFID technology. The EU stands ready to provide logistical information regarding the use of GPS technology in order to demonstrate its benefits as compared to RFID chips and readers. The proposal is still in the information-gathering stage, and no final decisions have been made regarding which steps the Customs Bureau will take. Ultimately, GPS offers the ability to more closely monitor shipments in transit, an essential part of reducing theft and smuggling as shipments enter and leave EU nations.

Photo by Motiqua via Flickr Creative Commons

Australian Cab Found With GPS Help

Admin — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:19:25 +0000

As the benefits of GPS tracking for fleet management continue to prove valuable to a variety of industries, many taxi companies have begun implementing the devices to monitor their vehicles. By providing information such as mileage, gas usage, routes taken, and location, managers can both monitor employee usage of company vehicles and protect against theft. One especially poignant case occurred in Logan, Australia, a city near Brisbane, when a man apparently hijacked a taxi equipped with a GPS device.

While details of the incident remain vague, it is clear that the company was able to use information obtained from the car’s tracking unit to locate and direct police to the vehicle. Many managers use this information not only to monitor employee actions, but to promote fuel conservation, teach safe and environmentally friendly driving practices, and ensure that vehicles can be recovered in the case of theft.

Cab theft rarely takes the dramatic turn that the incident in Logan apparently did, but a reliable tracking unit can lead police to the stolen vehicle regardless of the circumstances. In the cab theft that took place in Logan, police were able to recover the vehicle and apprehend the suspect before any damage took place.

Article Written by Lynetta Bowen

$65,000 Excavator Stolen: GPS Brings It Back

Admin — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:20:27 +0000

Bob Chapman of Australia had the surprise of his life when he recently noticed his $65,000 excavator was missing from its usual spot in the backyard. The GPS tracking device he had purchased to protect his investment, placed on the excavator mere weeks prior to the theft, has certainly proven its worth.

It was so new, he almost didn’t remember the device was in place. “When I saw it missing, I panicked for a couple of seconds, not knowing which direction it would have been taken and with no idea what happened to it, before remembering the GPS device.”

He then ran to his computer and “there it was, this flashing dot travelling down the road.” He called police and was able to tell them exactly where the excavator was headed to within fifteen feet, leading them right to the thief’s doorstep 35km away from Chapman’s backyard.

He admits to enjoying the whole process of the chase, watching the dot progress and alerting the police each time he turned in a new direction. “I knew we had him! I almost wish it lasted a bit longer because it was a bit of a rush.”

After this whole experience, it is safe to say Bob Chapman is thankful he took the advice of a crime prevention team he had hired by placing this tracking device. The thief: not so thankful. He is due in court to answer to the theft charge.

Article Written by Khristen Foss

GPS + Summer Business = The Perfect Mix

Admin — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 16:00:04 +0000

Consider the benefits of GPS tracking for the summer business owners who work while teachers are on vacation. This kind of summer business is a way of life for Americans. Whether it’s that old-fashioned Puritan work ethic or just a love for fun in the sun, we like to get out and do things. Despite the heat, we still find plenty to enjoy in the great outdoors and plenty of opportunities for earning extra cash.

A GPS tracker is a piece of technology with a million potential uses to save a business owner money, energy, time, and stress. These devices are tiny and can fit nearly anything – a vehicle, a child’s wrist, a box of valuables. Once activated, they send signals to satellites, and the owner just needs to access the Internet and see where the device is.
Here are just a few ideas for using GPS for your summer business. If you have equipment such as a lawnmower or other landscaping equipment or an ice cream truck, you may worry about it being stolen. You have a lot of money invested in each vehicle, and they are essential for running your business. A GPS tracker, carefully hidden, can be activated if the vehicle goes missing, and police can easily trace your stolen property and recover it.
If you live in a tourist town and spend your summer days as a tour guide, you can use GPS trackers for several purposes. If you’re at all worried about keeping your group together, you can give each person a tracker so that you can make sure no one gets lost. You can place trackers in special locations and let your group do the exploring to find them. Combining trackers and navigators can lead to a host of other creative ideas.
Finally, when considering summer businesses, we can’t forget the traditional lemonade stand. Maybe your child is just begging to try one, but you have some reservations. You may not have time to stay with them and supervise, but you may not feel safe leaving them to work the stand alone for awhile. A GPS tracking band can give you peace of mind that your child is staying safely where he belongs. You can even set your account to alert you by text message if your child leaves a certain area. So you can let your kid learn the joys of entrepreneurship and independence, while being securely guarded.

Article Written by Kadence Vyra

Four Easy Steps to Business Risk Prevention

Admin — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:42:49 +0000

One of the greatest uses for GPS tracking is theft prevention. Before GPS, if something was stolen, the unfortunate odds were that you wouldn’t get it back. Often the stolen items had already disappeared on the black market, never to be seen again. This was true for everything from jewelry to cars. But GPS has changed the scene, and even owners of the smallest businesses can reap the benefits of a GPS investment.

GPS trackers have a lot of different uses, but for the moment let’s focus on one – protecting yourself against the theft of your vehicle.

Step One: Purchase a unit and subscribe to an account with a tracking company.

Step two: Install the unit on the vehicle, preferably in a less-obvious location.

Step three: Set up your account with the necessary information and features. These may involve inclusion zones, so that you get an immediate alert if the vehicle leaves a certain area. An alternative is to keep the device inactive until you realize your vehicle is missing, saving battery life.

Step four: Get to the real work of running your business; you don’t need to waste time worrying about guarding your vehicle every second of the day and night. Step five: If your vehicle goes AWOL, start tracking! Just get online, log in to your account, and follow the thief’s every stop and turn. Alert the police, and they can help you recover your vehicle very quickly.

One particular group that is benefiting from this use of GPS is food cart owners. These are the people who set up trailers in parks and other public places, sometimes closed-in trailers and other times smaller stands with bright umbrellas to shade them, and sell everything from hot dogs to salads.

They might not always be able to stay with their trailer every minute of the day, especially if they represent a one- or two-man staff. They also, if the park allows, may leave their food cart overnight, saving the fuel it takes to haul it back and forth each day.

A GPS tracker can be a huge benefit to this type of business. With GPS tracking, food cart owners can recover a stolen trailer within a matter of hours. It doesn’t cost much to get a unit, and it’s a great way to protect a big biggest business investment.

Article Written by Kadence Vyra

Fleet Tracking Helps Small Businesses

Admin — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:00:09 +0000

It is an unfortunate fact that many small businesses are struggling to stay afloat in this troubled economy. The businesses that will survive these turbulent times are the ones who are able to think of creative ways to cut costs. It is difficult enough to save money in an office or store setting, when your customers come to you, let alone when your business involves mobile employees, delivering goods or services to clients. The good news is, for those savvy enough to take advantage of it, GPS fleet tracking technology can significantly cut costs and help small businesses survive the recession.

Gas prices are on the rise all over the country. In many cities, gas is over $4 per gallon. This can present a serious problem for small businesses with mobile services. With gas prices this high, it is critical to minimize time spent on the road.

Even with as few as three or four vehicles to manage, planning optimal routes can be tricky, especially when you have last minute service calls and changes to consider. GPS fleet tracking can save you the time and headaches of fleet management, as most programs offer computerized route planning designed to save you and your employees time and gas.

Another common problem many businesses with small fleets face is employee generated time and mileage sheets. Hopefully, as an employer, you’ve hired honest, hard working employees. The fact is that your employees are likely struggling to make ends meet, and may report inaccurate times and mileage.

GPS fleet tracking systems are a great way to protect your business from fudged time sheets. You can track the actual routes and times your mobile fleet is in operation. Most modern GPS fleet tracking systems on the market come equipped with these features, providing a virtual time sheet.

Article Written by Marisa O’Connor

Spending Money to Make Money: Fleet Tracking

Admin — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 10:32:07 +0000

In an ever-changing global economy, transportation companies work hard to maintain their profit margins. By cutting costs and minimizing expenditures, they are able to employ hundreds – even thousands – of hard working drivers. However, the newest trend in transportation technology has piqued the interest of company management and motivated them to consider an investment: fleet tracking. In the long term, these innovative devices are capable of saving transportation companies multiple thousands of dollars – and a lot of headaches.
Historically, one of the most challenging aspects of transportation services has been keeping track of the whereabouts of individual drivers in the fleet. Whether due to standstill traffic or an unscheduled “detour,” truckers’ routes are often subject to a measure of ambiguity. In order to keep all aspects of the company operating on the same timetable, some method for keeping track of driver coordinates is a critical aspect of operating the fleet.

Occasionally, fleets experience routing errors. Two drivers are accidentally assigned the same route or the course is incorrectly charted. GPS tracking makes it possible for companies to maintain constant supervision of every vehicle in their fleet so that problems are caught quickly and remedied immediately. If a driver gets lost or ends up in traffic, help is only a phone call and a few GPS coordinates away. Additionally, drivers who choose to make unscheduled stops will be quickly found out.

The fewer errors which occur in the daily activities of a fleet, the greater its efficiency will become. As efficiency within a company increases, so do its profit margins. The less time that is wasted on the road, the more money the company will save on expenditures like gas, truck repair, and distorted salaries. Critical dollars can be spent where they are most needed, taking stress off of penny-pinching management. The benefits of GPS technology in fleet application thus not only include greater efficiency and economy, but also lessened anxiety.

Companies which employ fleets of vehicles understand the value of a system which can indicate the location of every vehicle at the touch of a button. The opportunities are endless when you consider the convenience of fleet tracking. For fleets which are ready to save both time and money, these small yet powerful devices are nothing less than miraculous.

Article Written By Janice Grover

Can GPS Lower Your Car Insurance Rates?

Admin — Fri, 06 May 2011 15:00:05 +0000

Car insurance rates can vary drastically, depending on state laws; year, make, model, and features of the car; age and sex of the driver; and insurance company. The best way to get the lowest rate is to hunker down and really research the options. Different features on the car have affected insurance rates for some time. When shopping for insurance, your agent will likely ask you if there is a sun or moon roof on the car, if there are passenger airbags, or if your seats are automatic. GPS tracking systems are one of the newer features added to the list of factors that affect insurance premiums.

It is common knowledge that teenage drivers have higher insurance premiums because they are less experienced, and perceived as less careful drivers. Statistics tend to correspond with this stereotype, and so insurance companies protect their liabilities by charging more for teen car insurance. There is good news for responsible teen drivers who can’t afford insurance rates based on assumptions of their driving skills. There are a number of insurance companies willing to collect individual data about drivers, using GPS tracking systems.

The very act of installing a GPS tracking system already gives insurance companies a reason to lower rates. It shows that the driver is willing to prove to the insurer that he or she follows traffic laws and drives cautiously. Anyone can claim that they are safe drivers and declare victimhood of unfair stereotypes. Willingness to be monitored shows an understanding of the risk the insurance company is taking on.

Again, thorough research is your best friend when looking into the best auto insurance policy. Many of the policies that offer GPS tracking as an option, will also use the data collected to raise insurance rates if the data shows unsafe driving habits. Read the policy and ask questions to find out the details of the plan, so you can better avoid the types of driving behaviors that send alerts to your insurance company. Let us know what you think. Is providing insurance companies with tracking data a good way to save on premiums or will increased visibility lead to higher rates for most people?

Article Written by Marisa O’Connor

When is GPS Vehicle Tracking Legal?

Admin — Tue, 03 May 2011 12:18:41 +0000

GPS tracking technology is incredibly advanced. It’s not exactly something that the founding fathers of the US could have foreseen when constructing the constitution. Nevertheless, the legality of vehicle tracking with GPS is a highly controversial issue that today’s courts are faced with.

Complaints range from citizen-to-citizen tracking, employer-to-employee tracking, and even police-to-citizen tracking. Because this is new territory, the rules are being formed with each case, regarding what constitutes legal versus illegal vehicle tracking.

Starting off with the obvious, it is completely legal for any citizen to track his or her own property. If a husband logs on to spy on his wife’s movement around town, it may not be sign of a healthy relationship, but it is legal. The same is true for parents tracking their teenager’s car. The parents may not be very popular with their child for doing so, but it is legal nonetheless.

It is illegal, however, for a neighbor to covertly attach a GPS tracking device to another neighbors vehicle. This is considered a violation of privacy and harassment.

Another common form of GPS tracking is called fleet tracking, which is when an employer attaches tracking devices to their vehicles. This is perfectly legal, as long as the employees understand that they are being monitored. The vehicles are considered the employer’s property, and so he or she can legally track and monitor their movement.

Some employees have been terminated as a direct result of fleet tracking, in incidents where employees are caught using the vehicles inappropriately. These employees often feel that the tracking is a violation of privacy, but courts have ruled that as long as the vehicle is employer-owned, it can be tracked.

The waters get even more murky when it comes to police tracking citizens vehicles. GPS tracking has become a hugely valuable means of investigating crimes, but the technology can be abused. The common consent around the legality of vehicle tracking as a means of surveillance, seem to follow the rules of other types of police searches. It is legal only when a warrant has been obtained, or there is probable cause.

Let us know what you think about the legality of vehicle tracking in the comments below!

Article Written by Marisa O’Connor