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Daily GPS News

Dispatching and Tracking a Police Force

May 22nd, 2010

By Greg Bartlett

Police departments can consist of just a few individuals up to thousands. Keeping track of each vehicle in the police force and where each officer is in relation to an emergency site can be difficult for any department, but especially for the bigger ones. Some police departments are turning to GPS fleet tracking to help monitor their vehicles and decrease response time.

Police & GPS Tracking

GPS fleet tracking is a good management tool which can help ensure that police officers are not misusing their vehicles, driving over the speed limit when not responding to a call, or claiming to be somewhere they’re not. The GPS units will inform the department about where the vehicle has been, what stops it’s made, and what speed it was going. In fact, a unit can even be set up to immediately alert the department if a specific speed is exceeded or if the car goes outside particular boundaries.

But the biggest benefit of GPS tracking for police departments is in dispatching. Dispatchers no longer have to wonder where each vehicle is or make hazy estimates; the GPS units will pinpoint the exact location of the vehicle. Dispatchers will be able to determine which vehicle is closest to the emergency and the GPS device can even help the driver find the fastest route to the site.

GPS fleet tracking units can be very beneficial for citizens by decreasing response time since the dispatcher can send the nearest vehicle, but it is also helpful for police officers. The department will be able to know exactly where an officer is and can send the closest backup in an emergency. In a high-speed chase or other situation where the police officer is busy but needs to keep the department and fellow officers advised as to his or her whereabouts, the GPS unit can do the tracking and location job for the officer. If backup is needed, other police officers will already be aware of the officer’s location and can immediately head out to help.

The GPS information can even be used for mapping purposes, noting where crimes most often occur and allowing department to be aware of which areas are most in need of patrol.

For police departments, GPS fleet tracking can be the answer to management and dispatching problems. By being aware of the location of each vehicle and being able to send the nearest vehicle to an emergency site, dispatchers can use GPS to provide a quicker response and thus, hopefully, decrease crime and increase safety.

Keeping Tabs on Malaysian Pizzas

May 19th, 2010

By Harriette Halepis

Source acquired via The Star, May 13, 2010, Malaysia – Domino’s Pizza lovers across North America have been tracking pizza deliveries for many months now, but this service has just reached Domino’s Pizza locations in Malaysia. Thanks to GPS tracking devices, Malaysian pizza lovers can now log onto the Domino’s website and track a pie up to the very moment that it is delivered.

GPS & Tracking Pizza

The “Great Pizza Service” will be the first of its kind in Malaysia. For many years now, various North American chains have been setting up shop in Malaysia, though none of these chains offer real-time GPS tracking technology. Customers will have the ability to find out when a pizza is being made, when a pizza has been put into the oven, and when a delivery person is expected to arrive on one’s doorstep.

This new technology has Domino’s enthusiasts throughout Malaysia filled with excitement and anticipation, though some worry that services such as the Great Pizza Service will turn Malaysian customers into demanding customers. While North Americans are used to instant gratification, this is a relatively new concept in Malaysia, and it’s one that not every Malaysian is crazy about. Further, some people worry that a system such as this one will place extra pressure upon chefs and delivery personnel.

Domino’s is confident that the GPS tracking service will be a big hit in Malaysia, since the service has worked rather well throughout North America. Not only will customers be able to order and track a pizza, but many people find the interaction between ordering food and watching that food go through the various stages of preparation entirely rewarding.

As far as competition goes, Domino’s is expecting sales to climb thanks to their new GPS/marketing tool. Then again, it may be only a matter of time before other North American chains in Malaysia pick up on this trend. The new Great Pizza Service is expected to reach Malaysian Domino’s locations within the near future.

GPS Tracking Aids in Fixing Rough Roads

April 18th, 2010

By Greg Bartlett

Gps devices have been used for everything from tracking stolen cell phones to monitoring earthquakes. And now they are being used to help fix potholes. In Omaha, Nebraska, the roads are apparently so rough that the mayor has implemented a new system that uses gps to make the neighborhood roads smoother for residents. Although city work crews have been responding to complaints about potholes, they are having a hard time finding all the rough spots. The Omaha mayor claims this new system will help the city workers be more successful in their attempts to keep the roads safe. The city is making gps devices available to neighborhood residents so that when they drive, they will be able to pinpoint the exact locations of the potholes. The city crews will use maps of neighborhoods and the pothole information provided by the gps tracking devices to fill in the holes more efficiently.

GPS Tracking & Potholes?

While this pothole patrol system is unique to Omaha, it illustrates the rapidly expanding use of gps systems. This space-based navigation system plays an important role in modern life. Gps devices are used in both the public and private domain. For example, many airlines now use gps devices for navigation and landing assistance. Scientists use gps devices to study and gather data. And many police and detective forces use gps to track criminals or stolen goods. In the private sector, many individuals have gps systems attached to their cars or cell phones. Others use gps devices to ensure the safety of a loved one.

Gps, short for global positioning system, was established in 1978 by the U.S. Department of Defense. Although it began with only one satellite, there are now 24 satellites that orbit the earth twice a day. These satellites send radio-wave signals back to receivers on the earth. Although gps devices can be affected by the atmosphere and other factors, they are extremely accurate, able to pinpoint the location of an object or person to within 15 meters.

Although it has only been available for public use for the past three decades, gps equipment plays a huge role in daily life today. Used for tracking criminals, finding stolen vehicles, and now helping to fix potholes, these reliable devices make daily life easier and provide solutions to many problems.

Tracking Your Company’s Fleet

March 24th, 2010

By Greg Bartlett

No matter how many vehicles are in your company’s fleet, it is challenging to keep track of all of them. You may have someone assigned to monitoring the fleet full-time, or you may require more than one person to track your company’s vehicles. If your employees are very organized, monitoring the fleet will be easier, but even still, it’s complicated and takes time.

GPS and Fleet Tracking

If your employees aren’t as organized or are overloaded with the effort of keeping track of where each vehicle is and what it is doing – and even if your employees are very organized and efficient – you should consider using GPS monitoring. GPS fleet tracking will find out for you where any vehicle is at any moment, where it has been, what stops have been made, and the driving speed.

A GPS device isn’t just another gadget; it’s a helpful management tool. With the advantages it offers, you can more efficiently and more accurately manage your fleet. For instance, if your drivers are using company vehicles for personal use, you’ll be able to catch the times when the vehicle is driven during off hours or when it makes unauthorized stops. If your driver is taking too long at stops, is wasting time, or is not taking the most efficient route, GPS monitoring can help to streamline the route, which will decrease fuel costs, increase efficiency, and decrease driving time – which will also help to increase customer satisfaction as you are better able to predict exactly when a company vehicle will arrive.

GPS monitoring also offers some other advantages, such as helping to recover vehicles if they are stolen. Since GPS tracking devices are small and can be easily hidden, car thieves are unlikely to be able to detect the devices before police track down the stolen vehicles. Furthermore, GPS devices can often be set up to monitor the vehicle’s mechanical condition, which will enable the company to address mechanical issues as quickly as possible and avoid the more costly repairs that will occur if serious issues are undetected.

Proper monitoring of your fleet demands that you know where each vehicle is and what it is doing. With GPS monitoring, you not only will know the location of vehicles, you’ll be able to decrease costs and increase efficiency, plus help to recover your company’s vehicles in the event of theft. Any company – no matter how organized its employees – can benefit from using GPS fleet tracking.

Shuttle with GPS Tracking Might Fix University’s Transportation Woes

March 22nd, 2010

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

Colleges and universities strive to make good first impressions, as many a prospective student has been swayed by the looks of a place. Youth and their families are usually attracted to schools that strike the right balance between progress and tradition. Modern technology is essential. Tree-lined quads and ivy-covered walls add to the charm.

GPS & University Transportation

While researching where they want to live and attend classes for the next four or more years, most teens will fail to ask an important question: Where will they park their cars?

Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas is trying to find a fair solution to the dilemma of concrete parking lot versus green space. With 8,000 students and 300 acres, space is at a premium and kids just have to get to class on time. The answer might be shuttle buses equipped with GPS tracking.

Administrators know that their fleet of buses offering free rides reduces students’ dependence on their autos. But the problem is the current bus system is overcrowded and inconsistent. When a shuttle is packed to capacity, students have to wait 10 to 20 minutes for the next pickup. That’s a poor excuse for tardiness, and it’s one being used too often in TCU classrooms.

So the student government, school administrators and campus police are working cooperatively to improve the fleet management system. A key step is to put real-time GPS tracking systems on the buses and allow students online access to the route through a special application on their laptops or smart phones.

Other planned improvements in the shuttle system:

Better lighted bus stops for safety.
Kiosks at the stops with LED displays of next-bus arrival times. The stop times will be based on “live” data (time, bus location, direction, speed) so they will be exact, rather than estimated.
Expanded coverage area and extended service into the evening.
Larger, more detailed maps posted in dormitories and public areas to encourage ridership.

The benefit to students is that they will know where their bus is and when it will arrive, leading to tighter schedules and increased personal safety. The tracking system will allow the university transportation department to monitor the bus schedule in real time and react quickly to traffic snarls and mechanical delays.

The GPS tracking system also records all travel data. Custom software allows administrators to analyze the data, recognize patterns, generate reports and adjust the shuttle schedule in response to ridership demands. Drivers can be monitored for safe driving habits, mechanics can keep up with their routine maintenance schedules, and buses can be watched for their energy efficiency.

TCU police chief Steve McGee has been talking to GPS tracking manufacturers in an attempt to find the best and most affordable vehicle tracking system for the school. Early cost estimates for the first year of the vehicle tracking system have ranged from $80,000 to $100,000.

TCU senior Ido Farhi said he was pleased with the proposed GPS tracking system and other shuttle improvements. But he pointed out that it would not solve the parking problem for students who commute to school, rather than live on or near campus.

Remedies being discussed are better policing of student parking lots, some sort of financial breaks for car poolers and shuttling from an off-campus, leased lot.

Texas Christian University is a private institution, founded in 1873.

Source: The Daily Skiff

GPS Fleet Tracking and Business Uses

March 10th, 2010

By Greg Bartlett

Business owners whose services include types of delivery using company vehicles should consider a GPS fleet tracking system. Whether you manage a pizza delivery business, a floral delivery business, or appliance delivery business, GPS fleet tracking devices can help you make sure you and your employees are making the most effective use of time and resources.

GPS Fleet Tracking

Any business that requires employees to be out from under the direct supervision of a manager may consider such an investment to be worthwhile. In most states, employee surveillance is considered to be illegal if the employee has not been informed, and many types of employee monitoring devices (hidden cameras, e-mail and internet monitoring, etc.) have at times been called into question.

GPS devices are not considered to be as invasive and have even been upheld as legitimate by legal authorities. The benefits of GPS navigation systems are clear for companies and small businesses where employee driving and delivery is necessary. Home repair businesses, home health care services, maid services, plumbers-many types of jobs require employee travel. Navigation devices can help companies cut costs by determining the most direct routes, safest routes, routes with only right turns, etc. GPS fleet tracking devices are just as beneficial for these companies and small businesses.

In an ideal world, every employee is honest and efficient with company time and resources. Sometimes, however, the temptation to stop on a personal errand on an official work delivery might be too great. Using the company car or gasoline for personal errands en route (or maybe a little more out of the way) can be a problem. GPS will help you keep your employees accountable and honest and will conserve your company’s valuable resources.

The way GPS tracking devices work is through a series of satellites orbiting in outer space. The satellites determine latitude and longitude of the individual or vehicle wearing the receiver. There are active systems that constantly download the location of the receiver to the internet or mobile device. There are passive systems that give a detailed log of where the receiver has been. Either system would be ideal for fleet tracking. If you can’t monitor the moment-by-moment activities of your employees, then the passive system will give you a recorded log for you to examine at your convenience. If you are the owner or manager of a business that requires employee travel, then consider an investment in a GPS fleet tracking system.

GPS Tracking Improves Snow Removal in Buffalo

February 17th, 2010

By Harriette Halepis

WKBW, February, 11, 2010, Buffalo, New York – When snow falls in any city, the first thing that city-dwellers want to know is: how quickly will snow be removed from city streets? In the past, this question was met with a bit of fumbling and a lot of guesses. This is no longer the case in Buffalo, New York, where more than 80 city snow removal trucks have been outfitted with GPS tracking technology.

Snow Removal & GPS Tracking

Salt trucks and snowplows alike are now equipped with GPS trackers that tell the Buffalo Public Works Department how much snow has been removed, what streets have been plowed, and whether or not streets have been salted. Steve Stepniak told WKBW news that the new GPS trackers give the city “…tracking ability, vehicle information ability, whether the plow is down up, spreading salt (WKBW).”

A federal grant paid for Buffalo’s $175,000 GPS tracking system. The system has already proved its worth, and the city believe that snow removal will be even more efficient next year. Stepniak promises citizens that they will “…see better services and more efficient services…when we miss a dead end we’ll know and we’ll be able to make adjustments, so you don’t see those chronic mistakes (WKBW).”

Not only are the GPS trackers ideal for tracking snow plows and salt trucks, trash trucks and street sweepers will also be outfitted with the trackers during the warmer months. This will help street crews to keep track of roads that have already been cleaned, while paying more attention to those roads that need cleaning. While the street sweepers and trash vehicles aren’t equipped with GPS trackers yet, Buffalo has applied for an additional federal grant.

The city of Buffalo hopes to place GPS trackers on nearly 545 different city vehicles within the near future. Other cities that have received a lot of snowfall in the past are currently looking towards Buffalo’s experimental GPS tracking program. So far, the program proves to be worth every penny, and residents of other cold climate cities can expect to see similar programs implemented within the next few years.

GPS tracking devices are really beginning to change the way that public employees and vehicles operate. From tracking the whereabouts of city employees to tracking the effectiveness of snow removal, GPS technology has made it possible to manage seemingly unmanageable public works departments across the nation.

GPS Monitoring Does the Job

February 16th, 2010

By Greg Bartlett

When you came into work this morning, your first task – after getting coffee – was to find out where your drivers are. You do that every morning, and every morning your assistant tells you the same thing. These drivers checked in with their location, these forgot, and these said they were somewhere but based on their schedule, they should be somewhere else.

GPS Monitoring & Fleet Vehicles

For a company whose primary purpose consists of getting vehicles to different places, whether for delivering goods or people, knowing where each driver and vehicle is located is vitally important. You need to know whether your driver will get to a stop on time, or if by taking too long at previous stops the driver will get there late and will disappoint the customer yet again. Furthermore, knowing the location of your vehicles means you can better manage company time, resources, and expenses.

Fortunately, GPS monitoring can keep track of your fleet for you. When you come in work in the morning, you can just check the computer and see exactly where your drivers are. For instance, you’ll know when a driver is late because he spent three hours at lunch the day before. Because it records any movement the vehicle makes, GPS tracking will also let you know if employees use company vehicles for personal usage. Some companies have found that their employees used company vehicles to take a boat to a lake or to play poker instead of mending roads.

GPS monitoring even has more advantages than just locating each of your vehicles and informing you about their location, speed, and any stops made. For instance, some GPS tracking systems allow the user to remotely lock the doors and shut off the car if it is stolen. One company was able to recover $300,000 worth in stolen vehicles in less than an hour because of the GPS monitoring devices they had installed in the vehicles. You will also be able to find out if your drivers accidentally missed a stop or if they are taking less efficient routes, which translate into wasted gas and time. GPS tracking has repeatedly saved companies money and time by helping them determine the best routes, which improves mileage, increases customer relations, and saves the company money.

Instead of guessing that your vehicles are in a particular spot, you can know exactly where they are and what stops they’ve made. Managing your fleet effectively is possible – and much easier – with GPS monitoring.

GPS Vehicle Tracking

February 14th, 2010

As businesses large and small prepare for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, many people are working behind the scenes to make sure the logistics for the games come together correctly. As athletes, fans, and truckloads of equipment prepare to converge on Vancouver, security measures will need to be heightened in order to ensure the safety and protection of all involved. For athletes, their equipment, and their vehicles, that means the implementation of GPS vehicle tracking to ensure that they reach their destination safely.

GPS & the Olympics

GPS vehicle tracking devices can be placed discreetly in a vehicle and once in place can provide accurate location information to those monitoring the devices, even if they’re hundreds of miles away. Signals sent at specified intervals from the transmitter allow each vehicle to be monitored continuously and enable immediate intervention if something goes amiss. Similar technology will be used for the Super Bowl this year as well. When high profile athletes and their entourages travel, they can be easily targeted for theft or other crimes. With GPS vehicle tracking, their safety can be assured at any point along their travel route, before problems arise.

While GPS vehicle tracking has gotten some high profile coverage this season, it is most often used to help businesses and individuals keep track of their fleet vehicles or personal automobiles. Some companies report significant savings by keeping an eye on routes that drivers take, how they conserve (or don’t conserve) fuel, and what their driving habits are. Companies with vehicles that tend to be targeted for theft such as construction companies with heavy equipment can protect their vehicle investment by placing a transmitter in each machine. Managers can also determine whether employees are wasting time on the job and whether they are using company vehicles for personal business, both of which can lead to significant monetary outlays. If a manager suspects that an employee is driving the company delivery truck over the weekend, he can use the vehicle tracking technology to verify his suspicions and stop the misuse before it costs the company too much.

GPS vehicle tracking can provide safety and cost savings solutions to any company that maintains vehicles. Although the up-front investment may seem significant, most businesses report that the system pays for itself within a matter of months by saving on fuel costs and man hours. In an economy where each business needs to invest each dollar wisely and reduce costs wherever possible, GPS vehicle tracking could be the decision that helps your company outlast the competition.

Driver Safety and GPS Tracking

February 8th, 2010

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

Fleet operations have the unenviable task of monitoring their drivers as they travel their daily routes. It is a necessary part of the operation to help insure that their drivers are using safe and responsible activities. A huge burden of liability rests on the companies who have many company-owned vehicles moving along the streets of most major cities and towns.

GPS & Safe Drivers

More of these businesses have turn to GPS Tracking systems to augment their driver safety policies. Here is how properly outfitted devices can help in this arena:

Awareness

This is true not only when the driver is on the road, where they need to be the most aware of their surroundings and the things happening in front of them, but when they are on their own time as well. Paying attention to details is always a good choice in remaining focused on any task. Driving a vehicle, especially a large delivery truck or even semi, requires a constant focus. But there are always too many distractions.

Responsibility

When a driver is part of an organization that values safety and responsibility, they feel like a part of something bigger than just making deliveries every day. This is what motivates people to become heroes when they assist others who are involved in traumatic situations. In fact, the training that they receive often kicks in without them thinking about it.

Safety Alignment

By emphasizing safety, it becomes a part of their everyday routine. From making sure that their vehicle is operating correctly, to driving with added ownership of their actions at the wheel they are immersed in safety activities.

Encourages Positive Behavior

When drivers value safety and responsibility, they make better decisions on the road. Knowing that lives are at stake helps a great deal, also.

A GPS Tracking device helps the driver realize that they are being monitored not only for business purposes, but to also ensure that rules of the road and laws are being obeyed at all times. This will help make sure that the incidents of moving violations are low while driving up customer satisfaction. Drivers will be more productive as well. This is a decision that you will not regret making for your business. Check out one of these systems today.

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.