Tracking with Global Positioning System (GPS) tools and systems is easier and more affordable then ever. Don’t stress wondering where is your teen driver? Where are those two company trucks that are running hours behind on deliveries? Where is your spouse, is it possible he/she could be cheating on you?
The Global Positioning Satellite Network has revolutionized the way we map out our car trips and can instantly plan routes to various destinations. New technology has taken that seemingly simple locator concept a step farther. Usually a GPS will let you know where you are in your vehicle, but now, specialized tracking GPS units can allow you to locate your vehicle when you’re not in it. And not just vehicles, but cargo and people can be tracked too!
Some uses for a good GPS tracker:
Asset Tracking
Teen/child Tracking
Fleet Management
CargoTracking
Track your (cheating?) Spouse
Keep an eye on elderly relatives
Employee Tracking
Executives and Couriers carrying valuable information or assets
Your primary use and where you need to locate your tracker will determine what kind of unit you buy. Will this be mainly for vehicles, or do you need it to track a person? Will this be a covert operation? Will you need a live tracker, or will a log of destinations traveled be enough? Live trackers will require an initialization fee, and a monthly data plan (much like a cell phone) based on length of contract, usage, etc.
Live Trackers: One of the best live GPS trackers is small and portable and can be used almost anywhere. Just like the unit seen on on the popular TV show CSI, it has a panic button which can send you an immediate text or email alert if the user pushes it. Rechargeable batteries can operate this unit for up to five days. It can be hidden inside a vehicle or it can be placed in a magnetic case where it can be snapped onto or under a car, truck, or piece of heavy equipment. After you sign up with a data plan, you can track your device on any PC with Internet access. One of the coolest features is a “virtual fence”, a perimeter that you can establish on the map, and when your tracker leaves this “fence line”, you are given an alert. No more employees taking your company vehicles out of the work area on personal business!
If you’re tracking a fleet of trucks, delivery vehicles, or need trackers for emergency response management, you might look at a fleet tracker unit. These are hardwired into the on board electrical system so there is no need to worry about batteries running out in the middle of a work day. When using GPS trackers to monitor work related assets, you will make up the small cost of the data service through fuel savings, less wasted employee time, (they know you’re watching them), and quicker routing and faster response times. You can also check with your insurance agent for some potential savings on your insurance premiums, (some policies will offer discounts for a variety of theft prevention and tracking devices.)
GPS Loggers If you don’t need the immediacy of a live “radar” image of your GPS tracker, you can always try out the new crop of GPS loggers. These units are also small, usually portable, and can be hidden easily. Rather than broadcast their position, they log and record data onto an internal memory chip. The unit can then be connected to a computer and the data read by a PC. The logged data will provide a detailed account of where the GPS unit has been and when. Loggers are great to verify compliance with established work place policies. Teens (and spouses) can be monitored if bad behavior is suspected.
Personal Trackers As more families are caring for elderly parents, some with issues of dementia or Alzheimer’s, they have turned to small GPS devices to serve as emergency locators. Personal GPS trackers can also be used on children or on risky outdoor adventures. This particular device is an incredible 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick! Being small in size doesn’t mean it lacks power. This tracking device is so powerful it doesn’t need a straight line-of-sight with an open sky to track, in fact, it can work indoors by using a combination of GPS technology and cellular signals. Perfect to put in a kid’s backpack, an expensive recreational trailer, or a suspected spouse’s purse or gym bag. Inexpensive data plans are available that are priced based on usage, and not on constant live data streams.
Traditional GPS (with built in tracker AND message system) If your budget allows, this is the coolest and most comprehensive GPS tool we’ve seen. It operates as a fully functional, installed GPS unit, but you are able to track its location on the internet. Your family never needs to know that you know exactly where they are. And to top it off, if you use it for business, deliveries, or dispatch purposes, you can send text messages directly to this unit, and they can respond. Reroute company vehicles, or an entire fleet without having to call them! Imagine how many devices this one unit can replace.
