FAQ:
Vehicle Tracking:
Vehicle tracking is a technology that allows you to see your vehicles locations on a computer screen along with information on where they have been, what time they were turned ON/OFF, how fast they are going and a host of other features. This is made available by using a combination of GPS (Global Positioning System) technology, the mobile phone network, the internet, digital mapping and specialised tracking software.
The US Government is kind enough to allow us to use their GPS satellites that orbit the Earth. Each of these satellites is transmitting information to Earth which we can pick up with a GPS receiver (see diagram). With information from at least three satellites in the sky the GPS receiver can calculate its position on the surface of the earth to 5 – 20 feet. The receiver needs a direct line of sight with the satellite which is why GPS typically doesn’t work indoors and accuracy suffers slightly in built up areas where tall buildings along narrow streets impair the receivers’ view of the sky.
Once the receiver has calculated its position in latitude and longitude this information is stored in the vehicle tracking system located within the vehicle. The vehicle tracking system is also recording other information such as when the ignition is turned ON/OFF and in some cases when other events take place such as PTO ON/OFF. Every few minutes the tracking system sends the location and event information back to a remote server at a secure location using the mobile phone network. Your computers then access this information via the internet and it is overlaid on a digital map of the area allowing you to see where the vehicle is now at street level accuracy. Contradictory to popular expectation you do not see a flashing red dot moving along the street like in the movies.
Before the mobile phone network was well established the only way to get real-time information back to the remote server was to send it via the satellites, which was the equivalent to have a tracking system and satellite phone in each vehicle which made the technology very expensive. Now, with mobile phone towers so prolific, it is far more cost effective to get the information from the vehicle to your computer, which is why there has been a large price drop in recent years and a corresponding surge in demand. The GPS industry has built up to meet the demand as business owners nationwide began to realise the benefits of making their fleets more efficient and more productive.
Because GSM is the European standard and is being used in many other countries. Even more, it's very reliable and has a very high coverage rate compared to other communication networks.
A: The GPS satellite system covers the whole world. There are more then 170 countries with GSM coverage worldwide. More about the coverage you will found at http://www.gsmworld.com
The VTU only uses SMS and GSM data. It takes only a very short period of time to send a SMS data package, and it only needs a very weak GSM signal (field strenght). However, transmission of a data message using the GSM modem call is still the cheapest solution at this moment.
The memory of the VTU stores all the messages, and sends a message immediately when it's in reach of a GSM bas station.
A: GPS was developed by the U.S. military to enable accurate navigation. 24 satellites have been placed in orbit some 20.000 km from the earth's centre. GPS satellites are continuously transmitting a radio message containing information including when the data was sent, which satellite sent it and the current reliability of the system. More about that topic at link GPS tracking.
When the GPS antenna doesn't have a clear sight off the sky, and therefore cannot see the satellites. For instance if the car is in a deep underground garage or under a metal roof. More about that at link GPS antenna installation.
A: No, the VTU can still send a message by GSM, and transmit the latest known position (for instance the entrance of the garage).
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Dispatch and allocate new jobs to the nearest vehicles – if your business involves dealing with jobs that come in during the day, such as a courier who needs to pick up a parcel of a plumber that has to deal with a leak, knowing where the nearest vehicle is can save fuel and time. With the price of fuel as high as it is, saving one litre is likely to pay for the tracking system for the day and saving time allows for either an increase in productivity or a reduction in wages.
Provide transparency to your team's whereabouts – time theft is one of the greatest costs to British industry. Knowing where your mobile workforce is, what time they start and finish work and managing their breaks on the road can have a significant impact on your bottom line. While paying the same wages many companies see a significant increase in productivity that often coincides with the installation of the tracking system.
Improved health and safety – knowing the location of a workers vehicle can be of significant benefit if that person were to require immediate attention. Panic buttons can be fitted to vehicles that when pressed alert the office or a designated mobile phone of the emergency and the exact location of the vehicle.
Good workers can be rewarded - People that work hard don't like the idea of a slack colleague earning just as much as them while putting in less time and effort. It discourages your good workers from working hard. With evidence you can reward the people that are working harder and are more likely to keep them motivated.
Control and reduce your overtime costs – one of the greatest returns you may get on your vehicle tracking investment would be a reduction in overtime. Many companies see a significant drop in overtime claims by employees after the installation of the tracking system, often with a corresponding increase in productivity.
Confirm ETA's and offer enhanced customer service – a lot of the incoming and outgoing phone calls in an office are between you, your customer and your driver/worker trying to establish when they will arrive on-site. With the vehicle location at your finger tips you can answer the customers query within seconds, providing a superior customer service and saving yourself time and money on calls to your driver and then back to the customer.
Increase your teams efficiency – having visibility of your workforce allows you to allocate jobs more efficiently, minimising the risk of them being paid wages whilst not actively working on a job that is providing an income for the business. Using vehicle tracking systems you can see how much time your driver/worker is spending in transit versus on-site. If you’re an engineering company you want your workers on-site for the greatest possible portion of the time, but if you’re a courier you want the driver spending as little time on-site as possible with the largest amount of pick-ups and drop-offs. A good tracking system will allow you to measure what proportion of time people are spending driving versus stopped.
Improve your route planning – vehicle tracking can be used to analyse the routes taken by drivers and highlight areas of improvement. The main benefits of this are savings in fuel and time. With the price of fuel as high as it is, saving one litre is likely to pay for the vehicle tracking system for the day and saving time allows for either an increase in productivity or a reduction in wages.
Improve your customer invoices and response to disputes – if a customer raises concerns about an invoice relating to time on-site you can provide evidence easily as to how long your vehicle was on their premises and how many miles and how long it took to get there. This can save you money in unnecessary credits and give your customers confidence that you are not overcharging them. BE AWARE – this is a double-edged sword – if you are overcharging your customers
Reducing the average speed of your vehicles - as an example, if you get your vehicles to slow down and stay within the speed limits, this relates directly into fuel consumption, maintenance and accidents that could save up to 20% on your monthly running costs. The additional benefit of reducing speed is that your drivers may well keep their licenses for a while longer! And you can reduce your insurance liability. You may find that servicing and maintenance costs will reduce, however this will only be evident over time. It might take a year for you to really see the difference on your bottom-line, but it has to come if you are driving fewer miles and at the legal speed limits.
Lower insurance premiums - contact your insurance provider and request a discount when you can show them your vehicles are now driving slower, driving fewer miles and you are reducing the risk of accidents. You will also be able to see the location of your vehicle if it is stolen. If the insurance company will not give you a reduction, shop around. There are insurance companies that will offer a discount, once you can show an improvement.