Planet Technology

Most cars today come equipped with some sort of GPS tracking device. It is rare to find one that does not have one installed in it. GPS is very popular as a device for fleet management. Most people simply use it as a device for finding directions to new places. The GPS unit does this by using the vehicles coordinates compared with the new locations coordinates and mapping software that is preinstalled.

The Growing Use of GPS

A global positioning system has an incredible value not only to people, but also to communities and companies. Dakota County is a good example of a community using GPS to keep its citizens safe. They are implementing a new plan to use GPS to track the movements of some of their mentally disabled citizens.

Dakota County is implementing Project Lifesaver. This project entails the use of a fleet management tracking device placed inside a bracelet. Those citizens who suffer from various mental diseases like Alzheimer’s and autism will be able to wear the bracelet and be located at any time.

One company in the UK has found a unique way to make use of a GPS tracking system. They are using it to provide better food retail management. Restaurants, cafes, and fast food chains expect their suppliers to be early, or at least on time, for their deliveries. Late deliveries result in delayed service to the end customer, which will result in a loss of sales for the restaurant and for you.

In the UK, there is a crate rental company called PHS Teacrate that has recently installed fleet management devices in their delivery and collection vehicles. These GPS units will be used to track the drivers throughout the day and provide dispatchers and route managers with any needed information about the drivers whereabouts at any given time. This includes being able to provide a customer with an accurate expected delivery time or redirect the driver to another customer for a collection or delivery. Using these systems, PHS Teacrate has significantly reduced their mileage and response times, resulting in a larger profit margin for the company.

Towns in Mobile County are experiencing larger numbers of copper thefts within their school systems. Just last summer, 40 copper units were taken from five different schools. Officials feel that the problem will probably not improve, it will simply get worse. This is why the school boards are considering the idea of installing GPS tracking devices on their copper units so that the thieves can be tracked down and arrested and the copper recovered.

Most commercial units have a system of copper coils that is very heavy, weighing in at 50 to 70 pounds. The GPS devices will be installed right on the coil unit and the small size of the devices will make them virtually undetectable to anyone who does not know they are there.

There is a growing amount of optimism amongst companies that manufacture GPS systems and other fleet management devices. This optimism is fueled by the rising crime rates and the need for tracking both products and vehicles. Another boost to this optimism is the variety of uses different communities are finding for these devices. The popularity of the GPS units indicates that they will be a permanent fixture in most peoples lives in the future.