Rocky Mountain Tracking

By Greg Bartlett

Each year the United Kingdom has a celebrity bike ride to raise money for Sport Relief, which will build schools, shelters, and healthcare facilities for poor communities around the world. Donators of the Sport Relief Celebrity Million Pound Bike Ride can watch the long race from John o’Groats, Scotland, to Land’s End, England. How can they follow along as the various celebrities take their turn riding?

GPS Tracking & Cycling

By GPS tracking system, of course. The Sport Relief bike race will use real time tracking systems so that the movements of the riders can be followed on an internet map. The devices transmit signals regularly, which allows for an accurate route to be seen. A GPS tracking system not only records the location, but also the speed of the object or person it is tracking. Passive GPS tracking devices record this information as well, but they do not send out signals to a satellite. Instead, the tracker must be retrieved and then the information can be downloaded onto a computer for viewing. Although passive trackers can be very useful in a variety of circumstances, real time trackers are most helpful for races and other competitions, so that fans can watch the contest live on the internet. These tracking devices have been used in many different races like the Pure Michigan Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race.

By using real time GPS tracking systems, this bike race can be followed and enjoyed by millions of people around the world. Fans could feel like they were a part of the action throughout the race. The fact that the race could be tracked and viewed online grabs people’s attention which will help Sport Relief to raise their goal of one million pounds (around $1.5 million U.S. dollars) for their charity.

Real time GPS tracking systems are not only helpful for tracking races, but they can be used in a variety of other ways. These devices have become very popular for fleet management. Whether it’s taxi cabs or delivery trucks, a GPS tracking system will help keep tabs on all of the vehicles and make sure that they are used to their full potential. These tracking systems can also be used to protect vehicles from theft. Stolen vehicles can be easily recovered if they are protected with a vehicle tracking device. All the owner has to do is contact the police and give them the exact location of their vehicle. This helps the law enforcement officers out a great deal and ensures the speedy return of the stolen vehicle.

By DONNA SANTI / guest columnist

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-          Donna Santi is a creative writer for LandAirSea Systems, a Woodstock, IL-based manufacturer and distributor of expertly-engineered GPS tracking systems, software and accessories. For information about LandAirSea, visit www.landairsea.com. To contact the writer, email donna.santi@landairsea.com

Vehicle Tracking is finding great success in the business world. It might have even turned a corner, from being a benefit, to a necessity.

Globally, there is about $2.5 billion spent on GPS receivers and software, and by 2013, that spending will jump to about $13 billion annually, according to ABI Research in London, a marketing and consulting firm.

Now a new poll seems to back that bold prediction. A 2010 survey of transportation, service, utility and construction companies revealed that more than half of those businesses are now using GPS tracking systems; with the largest reported benefit being more efficient operations.

GPS Tracking and Business

The news should bring smiles to the faces of the many manufacturers and dealers of vehicle tracking technology. Also widely encouraging is the poll’s look at the future market: Among those companies who do not yet utilize GPS tracking systems, almost 90 percent of them said they were aware of the technology’s benefits and were considering investing in it.

One out of every two businesses is using GPS tracking in its fleet management department, and the majority of the others want it. What could be better news?

The survey was conducted by a vehicle tracking and fleet management organization in the United Kingdom. One hundred and fifty companies were surveyed with fleet management supervisors or top administrators being the respondents. The sizes of the companies’ fleets ranged from 10 vehicles, to more than 1,000; the average being less than 100 vehicles.

Fuel prices are creeping up once again, everyone’s looking for a greener way of living, and the economy is forcing many business people to make the most of the resources they have, or buckle under. GPS tracking system solutions help in all three areas.

Following is a breakdown of some of the survey responses.

What Current GPS Tracking Users Had To Say:

• 9 in 10 said they were satisfied with their choice of GPS tracking system.
• 8 of 10 said vehicle tracking helped them reduce operational costs.
• 6 of 10 said the tracking system increased productivity.
• 5 in 10 said employee performance improved.
• 5 in 10 said their tracking system resulted in better security.

What Those NOT Using Vehicle Tracking Are Saying:

• 6 of 10 thought GPS tracking would offer a good return on investment (ROI), meaning it is money well-spent.
• Four in 10 said vehicle tracking did not fit the needs of their particular business.
• Four in 10 perceived GPS tracking systems to be too cost-prohibitive to their budgets.

The surveyor conducts its poll every other year. The 2008 poll revealed that one in four businesses was using vehicle tracking technology. Theoretically, the number of GPS tracking users doubled in just two years.

Source: FleetDirectory.co.uk , CNNMoney.com

by James Neely, freelance writer: click | HERE | to check out GPS products from Rocky Mountain Tracking

Even though auto theft incidents have been dramatically cut in recent months, that is no reason to stop being vigilant about the possibility of it happening to you.  Consider that the most commonly stolen vehicle is the Toyota Camry.  That is not a luxury model by any stretch, and drives home the purpose for which Vehicle Tracking devices have been developed.

GPS & Auto Theft

Here are the best reasons to get a Vehicle Tracking device installed in your car or truck.

Safety

When you are driving and encounter a police vehicle, what is your automatic reaction?  Slow down and look at your speedometer.  This is because being in the presence of one who can enforce the laws makes you drive in a less conspicuous way.  The same is true of a GPS Tracking device.  It constantly monitors vehicle speed, direction, and location and delivers these in a report that can be used to enforced rules and laws on the part of parents to teens and parents to their parents.

Security

You should never travel in your vehicle to an unsafe location.  But, you never know where trouble might originate.  GPS Tracking devices provide a sense of security in that vehicle movements can be monitored in real-time with the proper device.  And, with geo-fencing, alerts can be generated if a vehicle breaks through established boundaries.

Sanity

Parents are constantly worried about their teens when they drive.  And for good reason.  Accidents for teen drivers are higher than any other driver group.  Parents need a GPS Tracking device that can give them some peace of mind about their teen drivers.

Savings

You can realize a savings on your insurance premiums by installing a GPS Tracking device.  Insurance companies embrace these devices as they help lower their risk.  These savings are shared with their clients.

Stability

Adding GPS Tracking devices to your vehicles gives stability to your family and the expectations that parents set forth.  It is one area in which monitoring can be a positive thing because adding them to all of your vehicles puts everyone under the same rules and guidelines.

GPS Tracking devices are more affordable than ever and you can find a model that fits your needs.  The cost can easily be made up in the insurance premium savings in just a few months.

So, what is keeping you from implementing one of these devices?  The sooner you do the better protected and prepared you will be.

By Greg Bartlett

Have you ever needed to stop by at a store for just a minute?  You know the item you need is on the shelf right by the door, and it’ll take you thirty seconds to run in there and check out.  Surely it’s not worth it to park what feels like a quarter mile away.  Or maybe all you need to do is pick up your kid, and you just need to go in the doors and catch his attention.  Circling the parking lot looking for a spot just isn’t appealing - it’ll only take a second to go inside, so it won’t hurt to leave the car running while you dash in?  Surely nothing will happen.

GPS Tracking & Auto Theft

Maybe, but maybe not.  It’s possible that some enterprising individual will seize the day - and your car, along with any valuables inside.  One man in Kansas recently had exactly that happen, but he was able to recover his vehicle through the use of GPS tracking.  If your car is stolen, whether from the curb or from a parking space, a GPS unit can help police track your vehicle, capture the thief, and recover your car.

Leaving your car running at the curb may not be the best way to avoid car theft, but a car can be stolen from a parking spot, too.  It could even be stolen from your driveway.  No matter where your car starts, the important thing for you is finding out where it goes.  A GPS tracking device will be able to tell you were your vehicle is in real time, including its speed and any stops it makes.

Once a car is stolen, recovery rates are not high.  The FBI Uniform Crime Report claims that only about 57% of stolen cars are recovered.  With GPS tracking, however, recovery rates can jump to 90%.  Since the tracking units are often small and can be easily hidden, thieves do not have the time to locate the device and get rid of it so that they can hide the car completely - at least, they don’t have time since the police and the owner will be tracking the car’s current location and the thieves won’t be able to just park somewhere and hunt for the device.

Wherever you leave your car, it’s important that it’ll be there when you get back.  Locks and alarm systems will help, but they can’t always protect your vehicle.  GPS tracking is a valuable aid to help you find and recover your car should it be stolen.

By Greg Bartlett

Alzheimer’s disease is a serious threat, with approximately 5.3 million Alzheimer’s patients in the US.  As the 7^th leading cause of death in the US, family members are no doubt concerned any time they discover that a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

GPS Tracking & Alzheimer's

Besides memory loss, impaired judgment, and personality changes, one of the most serious threats for Alzheimer’s patients is wandering.  The Alzheimer’s patient may get lost in his or her own neighborhood, becoming confused and disoriented no matter how many times he or she has been there before.  For every 10 people with Alzheimer’s, 6 will wander and 7 will wander repeatedly.  If the patient is not found within 24 hours, he or she will likely be injured or even die.

In Canada, two people have died within the past few months because of Alzheimer’s.  In the more recent instance, an 80-year-old woman went outside at night, apparently thinking she would get groceries, and ended up dying of hyperthermia.

GPS tracking devices can help save the life of your loved ones.  Many of these devices are small and can be put around the Alzheimer’s patient’s wrist or neck, or even in pieces of their clothing, such as their shoes.  The GPS tracking device will then monitor the individual, alerting you, a caregiver, or even a hospital and the police if the Alzheimer’s patient leaves predetermined boundaries or travels during certain hours.  If your grandmother, for instance, leaves your house during the middle of the night, you’ll find out immediately and can retrieve her before she, too, dies of hyperthermia.

With the ability to monitor the Alzheimer’s patient’s location in real time, a GPS tracking device can increase your loved one’s safety and your peace of mind.  Furthermore, it can even save money.  Search and rescue efforts by individuals and by the government can cost billions of dollars each year.  With GPS devices, the search time can be drastically reduced while the effectiveness is increased - after all, it’s hard to get much faster or more accurate than locating the individual in real time.

Family members whose loved one is suffering from Alzheimer’s are already going through enough while watching their family member slowly die.  They don’t need the added worry of the Alzheimer’s patient wandering off and possibly dying.  With a GPS tracking device, that concern can be removed, leaving the family free to enjoy the time left with their loved one.

By Greg Bartlett

Insecurity is the silent killer of all relationships.  It sneaks in and causes you to question your partner’s faithfulness.  It steals your trust in that person and leaves you with nothing but doubts.  There is a way to get rid of insecurity in a relationship.  GPS tracking is a discreet way to track the whereabouts of your significant other without their suspecting a thing.  You can find out where they go on a regular basis-along with other various details about their travel.  Partner or spouse tracking can give you the confidence of knowing exactly where your loved one is at all times; it brings back the trust and gives you peace of mind.

GPS Tracking & Spouses

You probably know that GPS stands for Global Positioning System, and it is a means of tracking something or someone.  It uses information received from satellites to record or send information.  Typically a GPS tracking unit is one of two types:  a data logger or a data pusher.  A data logger is a portable and discreet unit that is typically used in spouse tracking to locate a vehicle.  It is hidden on the vehicle, and it records all of the vehicle’s activity.  This activity would include route of travel, speed of travel, and any stops made.  Another type of GPS tracking unit is the data pusher.  A GPS unit is placed on the vehicle, and, instead of recording the data, it would periodically send, or “push” the data to a computer where it can be analyzed.  These are often used in spouse tracking as a means of surveillance.

One man who knows all too well the need for spouse tracking is Daniel Gomez, the lead detective of Gomez Detective Agency and former Dallas police officer.  His ample load of casework can be seen on TV on the show “Cheaters.”  He is to infidelity what a detective is to homicide.  One of the most common surveillance tools he uses is GPS tracking. Daniel Gomez frequently installs GPS tracking devices on the vehicles of his client’s choosing to help him gain important information about the chosen person’s travel habits and current whereabouts.  This information will either prove the existence of an affair or give the peace of mind that the suspected spouse was innocent.  Either way, if you or someone you know has nagging doubts about a spouse’s faithfulness, spouse tracking with GPS is just what you need.

By Greg Bartlett

Do you remember how you kept teasing your kids when they were little that you needed to keep them on a leash? Well, GPS technology has created personal tracking that will keep you up-to-date with their movements at any moment. There are a variety of options available for personal tracking and it can be used for a number of reasons.

GPS & Children

Trackmykids.com has created miniature GPS devices that can be attached to backpacks, belts, or coats to monitor your child’s whereabouts. If you want to know the path that they traveled to school, where they are at the current moment, or even whether they stayed within the boundaries that you gave them, this technology might work for you. This site is one of many that offers child tracking, allowing you to have a logon and password so that you are the only one who has access to that information.

GPS tracking is a technology that has been developed recently in science. Although there are many types of GPS tracking, the basics behind it are the same. There must be some sort of device that is connected the object in question. When the device is activated, it begins recording data or transmitting signals to satellites that are strategically located. These satellites reflect the signals to a central computer that records and analyzes the information. Technicians can then make this information available to the public as needed.

A recent event in news has caused a public outcry in regards to the extent that personal tracking has gone. Several schools across the USA have given their students new computers to assist them with schoolwork. The downside, as many have found out, is that the webcam on those computers has been taking pictures and videos of the students working at the computers, or even of other people that are in the room. While this may not sound bad, these cameras have caught some very compromising situations on tape and several school board officials have been questioned regarding the integrity of such a project.

Personal tracking may be the answer to maintaining the security and privacy of your children, but make sure that you consider all the side effects. These items are easily attained and you can even carry one on yourself so that others know your location in case of an emergency. Check out what GPS tracking can do for you.

By Greg Bartlett

The news seems full of reports of teen driving deaths, around 3,500 in 2008 alone, and many parents wonder how they can keep their own young drivers safe. Certainly, when teenagers are learning, the solution is easy. Parents can sit right next to their children and monitor their every move, telling them to slow down, stop at stoplights, and cautioning them against reckless driving. However, what do parents do once their children are fully trained and learn to drive by themselves?

Teen Drivers & GPS

Many families have started using vehicle tracking systems to solve this problem. These systems allow parents to see exactly where their child is and what their child is doing. If a teenager is going over 70 in a 45 zone, he may find his phone ringing with a lecture from his mom. If another teenager appears to be engaged in reckless driving and won’t answer her phone, parents can track where she is and find her. Although these situations may seem unnecessary and annoying, especially to the teenagers involved, many lives could be saved by using GPS tracking.

Guy Thompson of Lake Oswego, Oregon tracks his 16 year old driver, Maggie using a vehicle tracking device. At first, he admits, he checked on her regularly throughout the day, and Maggie confesses she didn’t like being on a leash. However, the pair says that after awhile, Thompson started checking only once a day, and she grew used to the vehicle tracking device, forgetting, at times, that it was even there. Of course, like any teenager, she wishes her parents didn’t use it in the first place, but she is willing to put up with the process and does acknowledge that it helped cultivate trust between her and her parents. Thompson, however, feels the device is fine. Although, he does add that it needs to be between parents and children.

Although many teenagers may feel these devices signify a lack of trust on their parents’ part, most parents view that miscommunication as a small price to pay for the safety and continued lives of their children. Granted, some children are trustworthy without GPS tracking. Still, many others need the accountability provided by such a device. Parents of teen drivers should seriously consider purchasing a vehicle tracking device, thus preventing their own children from being one of the next 3,500 deaths this year.

By Harriette Halepis

For months now, various states within the United States have been using GPS tracking systems to track the whereabouts of state vehicles and employees during business hours. Time and again, the data gathered from these tracking systems has shown that installing fleet tracking systems is a worthwhile investment. Not only are government and state employees spending less time slacking off on the job, but rescue and police vehicles are now able to reach emergency scenes faster than ever before.

Government Equipment & GPS Tracking

The news about the effectiveness of GPS trackers has begun to spread across the globe as various other countries look towards adopting GPS vehicle trackers. Fiji’s Transport Ministry has begun looking into GPS tracking devices as a way to “…crackdown on vehicle abuse.” The head of the Transport Ministry, Timoci Natuva, believes that GPS tracking devices could “…save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in the long term.”

Presently, the Transport Ministry is in the process of studying similar fleet tracking cases from around the world, but the outcome looks positive. If it can be proven that GPS trackers can save the Transport Ministry money, then they “would like to install the system because vehicle abuse is an ongoing issue that goes back to previous governments.”

The idea of installing GPS trackers on government vehicles has been met with some resistance (as it has all around the world), but the bottom line is that a simple fleet tracking system can save a government a great deal of time and money. Presently, the Transport Ministry in Fiji has not decided to install the GPS trackers, but it looks as though GPS-equipped government cars will quickly become a reality throughout Fiji.

As with Fiji, many other countries around the world are beginning to look towards GPS trackers as a way to keep tabs on government employees. Prior to the invention of the GPS tracker, governments had no way of making sure that employees were using state or government time wisely. While some view these trackers as virtual “watch dogs,” others believe that tracking government employees is a necessary way to find out how tax dollars are being spent.

All eyes will be on Fiji as the country decides whether or not to crack down on government vehicle abuse. If Fiji goes ahead with this GPS tracking system, there’s no doubt that various other countries around the globe will soon follow suit.

by James Neely, freelance writer: click | HERE | to check out GPS products from Rocky Mountain Tracking

Auto theft recovery efforts are aided by the use of GPS Tracking systems across the world.  Even in the UK, recovery efforts in 2009 surpassed £12 million.  We are talking about big dollars here in the United States as well.

GPS Tracking & Auto Theft

But, beyond big conglomerate numbers a GPS Tracking device can save you money.  Here’s how:

Lower Insurance Rates

Did you know that many insurance companies provide a discount on your monthly premiums if you have a GPS Tracking device installed and in operation on your vehicle?  It’s true and it makes sense because it lowers their risk and increases the chances of you getting your car back sooner if it becomes stolen.

These days, no one knows how much risk they are at and the best thing to do is to be ready for anything.  GPS Tracking provides you with a measure of security and peace of mind that you might not otherwise have.  Burying your head in the sand and pretending that you are not at risk is no longer an option.

Better Maintenance Monitoring

Everyone can watch their odometer and see when it is time to take their vehicle in for maintenance but, what about the terrain over which you drive your car or truck?  Simple monitoring of miles driven does not take that into consideration.  Watching your driving routes on a PC screen with your GPS Tracking unit will help in this effort.  Being mindful of the terrain and other elements in which you drive helps you better gauge the frequency of your maintenance intervals.

Watching Vehicle Usage

Do others in your family drive your vehicle?  If so, you can monitor their location, destination and speed.  This helps you curb destructive driving practices and enforces rules that you set forth about the use of your car or truck.  This is great for parents of teenage drivers.  It also provides a measure of security when teens venture out on their own.

You need to be ever vigilant in making sure that your vehicles can last as long as possible.  Economic conditions demand that cars are kept longer than they used to be.  Using the above three methods will help you in this effort.

Rocking Mountain Tracking has the best line-up of GPS Tracking devices to meet any need.  Take a look at their products and options for the best fit for your business.  You will find knowledgeable sales persons in helping you get the best unit to meet your requirements.