We have a variety of different situations in which you might want to use the VTS systems:

First you own a fleet of vehicles that need to be managed. By using the VTS system you can find its real location to help customers more easily. It doesn’t matter if you are delivering something or going in for a pickup you will be able to send the closest vehicle to the job and get it done without worrying about costs related to mobile phones or dispatch errors.

You can track any asset that your company owns whether that is a vehicle, supplies, or something else. You will be able to make sure those assets don’t stop at an unscheduled spot.

Companies that do repair or maintenance will also be able to track their employee’s time on a job. For example say employee X filed a log for 40 hours at location Z, but you use the tracker system and find they only spent 20 hours at that location working, and the other 20 hours were spent at location A, which had nothing to do with business.

For employees who work in the field with sales, GPS or other tracking systems can be very helpful. These employees may be sent to a new area to do sales, but if they don’t know how to get there or home again it can waste a lot of time. VTS offers directions and itineraries to make sure employees are as productive as possible and to reduce drive time.
Are you a hauling company? Perhaps you have trailers that get switched from truck to truck or even from dock to truck. The VTS options allow you to track the trailers movements so you know where the load is at all times, the equipment is safe, and the time of delivery.

There are two types of vehicle tracking you might want to consider. You have AVL or Automatic Vehicle location and Events Activated Tracking System or EATS. AVL is when fleet management sets up the programme to transmit information at certain intervals about the vehicles. It will also state when the truck is running or not. E.A.T.S is a little more involved.

This second system will be used to help offer driver security. In other words if a thief tries to steal the vehicle the VTS system will automatically start. It usually has a motion sensor. The company monitoring the signals will then be notified that the vehicle is on the move and that it may not be at the driver’s hands.

There are a couple of options that offer the two combined technologies into one device. Most fleets tend to like the options to be separate though.

AVL is usually for fleets and fleet management. For example if a truck breaks down on the road the driver can use the system to call for help. This allows the truck and driver to get moved easily and back on the road after repairs. The dispatcher doesn’t even have to find out where the driver is by telephone as the signal will transmit the location. Mobile information and satellite navigation are offered to the driver to make their job easier than it has been in the past. This means a fleet company can save money.

We’ve already mentioned that you can track your teenager to find out where they are. Your child will also be safe if they have had a wreck or use all the gas. They can call you if they don’t know where they are and you can find them immediately. Some GPS devices will also track speeds or make sure that the vehicle can’t go above a certain speed.

GPS systems like the Spy Matrix offer real time tracking. This means that you can look at the screen and watch your car as it is moving on the road. The history will also be recorded for you to look at later. We may talk mostly about teenagers using your car and being able to track them, but there is much more to the GPS system. Just because you want to make sure your teen is where they say they are is not a bad thing. You get peace of mind and they get to feel independent. You can also track other family members who might drive your car. You never have to worry with GPS in your vehicle.

These systems are still going to use the GPS technology. The manufacturers of these systems will have to change a few things in order to meet the insurance demands though. For example the devices will need to be hidden in a secure location and they will need a secondary battery supply to thwart even the best of thieves. Volvo and BMW are two companies that are having a hard time updating their system because they already offer a product with decent software, but the hardware won’t support new software.

SBD announced their findings regarding their recent study. They determined that some of the companies in the UK and Europe have different standards, which will make the transition a difficult one to meet the new standards. The vehicle tracking options may all be able to receive the telematics portion of the technology, but there may still be a delay in 2009.

Tracker is one of the most notable companies right now with vehicle tracking options. They offer SVT and have done so since 1990. They built a system based on radio frequencies rather than GPS to help police recover stolen vehicles. The catch is police cars needed to be fitted with special equipment.

Insurance companies have also found Thatcham to be a decent system with their Cat 5 released in 2004. The system calls for all employees to be screened and monitor vehicles. Whenever they receive an alert they are to notify the police. Unfortunately the Cat 5 will need a lot of improvements in order to make it ready for 2009 at the new needs the insurance companies are requiring. They don’t yet have the GPS standards needed. The company is working on fixing these issues to get their systems online.

Belgium, The Netherlands, and Norway have already posted insurance standards requiring changes to systems. All high valued cars will be required to have the technology because they are considered a higher risk target. France and Italy has also released some standards for changes.

Most vehicle tracking systems are purchased as aftermarket technology rather than from the dealer, but more and more car companies are starting to offer dealer products and sales have increased. Marketing is considered responsible for this change in sales. The drawback is that the systems can be rather expensive from the dealers and many people don’t want to have to pay that high price.

SBD stated that SVT is not the top choice when it comes to insurance companies. However, they may change their mind if the systems are more of a standalone option not requiring a service provider.

The first method of tracking your fleet is by hiring a company. There are several companies like Neil Howard Telecoms, Quartix, Foretrack and others that are able to track your vehicles. They have the staff that will sit at computers to find out just where your trucks are and help you with dispatch needs. Most of these companies work with the GPS vehicle tracking systems. It is the easiest method to pinpoint a truck and their number on the system.

Even you can track your own vehicles if you don’t want to pay for a service. For example, if you have small business where you don’t have enough money to hire a vehicle tracking company you can log in online to a satellite and find your trucks. The thing is, as long as you have an internet connection you can track your fleet from anywhere at any time. For example, say you are on vacation and you pop into a coffee shop that has internet. You could log on right there and see where your trucks are to make sure they are doing what is supposed to be done.

The mobile tracking systems will also work on your phone. So it doesn’t matter where you are as long as you know the pass code to log in. You will need to also have the truck numbers or codes in order to track them with success regarding who is driving the vehicles.

You also have a third option in vehicle tracking systems for knowing where your fleet is. This second type of system has the tracking as well as navigation and roadside assistance. It is an option to use if your fleet is going to be driving into small towns and back roads in which they may get lost. It helps you track them and get them driving directions when needed.

Vehicle tracking systems on fleets is very important. At any one moment you are able to pinpoint exactly where your fleet drivers are and when they might be finished with their latest run. Car hauling is another great use for the vehicle tracking systems. For example, if you have a truck on the road and need to have them make a pick up you could find out which truck is closer and then call them for the pick- up. Whether you track them or hire a company to track your fleet for 57p a day the options are quite endless on what the vehicle tracking systems can do.

This early system has been improved to where there are now two types of vehicle tracking systems. The radio frequency vehicle tracking system is more expensive due to the technology behind it. These systems are typically called “On Star” in the US. The point of the system is if the vehicle is stolen or in an accident the emergency staff will be able to find it. For example, if you are in an accident in which your vehicle hits a tree the emergency staff are alerted and dispatched to your location, without you having to be conscious. The downside to this type of technology is when the vehicle is stolen. There are not very many police vehicles equipped to track the system and recover the car.

The second option you have in vehicle tracking systems is the GPS. The GPS system is the most common. It is also the cheapest. There is a little black box that installs on the undercarriage of most vehicles. The vehicle will send out a GPS signal, which you can track as a vehicle number. Anytime the vehicle is stolen you can then sign on to a computer to track it. Of course there are typically companies that actually do this, but you could track your own vehicle as well.

The point is, vehicle tracking systems have been around for a while and they are being improved to make them more cost effective. It is not a matter of whether a vehicle tracking system is right for your car, it is whether you want to protect your vehicle. By having a vehicle tracking system you have protection against most theft. Vehicle tracking systems are considered an added benefit on your insurance as well. Most insurance companies will offer you a break on your premiums when you have a vehicle tracking system.

They are not that expensive to install or purchase. Most can be found for around 60 pounds and be a service to you. This is especially true if you save more than 60 pounds a year on your insurance just for installing a lifetime guaranteed system.

A vehicle tracking system is definitely right for your vehicle for several reasons. This is why fleet companies have been using the systems for many years. The fact that it is available for personal vehicles now makes it even more beneficial.

FleetMatics vehicle tracking systems already included features that make consumers happy because of the ease of use and in depth reporting functions. With the new release FleetMatics is offering several key features that will make it easier to control the vehicle tracking systems and get the information needed.

What is even better about the upgrades is that the software is being delivered by a remote system through FleetMatics at no charge. They are just sending out the new updates to ensure that all consumers have what they need. Their previous release of software and tool has always been easy, cost effective, and offers more control to the vehicle tracking systems. This one according to the CEO of Fleetmatics will be the same in offering the best.

Fleet owners will be able to use the software to help monitor and track vehicles online with GPS from any location as long as the software is installed. With a direct input into the system it makes lower costs and high productivity possible.

A new addition will be the “My Preferences” feature. This will help to set up the system overall for the person using it. They will have their settings and defaults that are most handy rather than having to stick with something that might not have been the best before. There are also new graphical displays and a “Dashboard” feature. The dashboard feature offers new reporting options, automation, and preferences to help live tracking and route map displays.

The best part about fleet vehicle tracking systems is the ability to track the drivers. In other words where do they go, when do they stop, where do they stop, and above all do they go over the speed limit? Some fleets have a cap on the vehicles to help keep the drivers at the speed limit, but for those who don’t the vehicle tracking systems can track their speed.

The new software from Fleetmatics is going to update the owner or user via emails when needed as well as work with the live tracking. In this time of economic hardship FleetMatics feels it is important to offer the best vehicle tracking systems possible to help reduce the fleet costs some places are incurring. The new software will be perfect for reducing costs by showing where a driver is in relation to a pick-up as well as whether they stay on route and do their jobs. FleetMatics is certainly taking vehicle tracking systems further into the new technology at a low price worth investing in. Any business that already has the FleetMatics software will get the upgrade.

The one thing every fleet owner is concerned about is stolen vehicles. They are also concerned with drivers wasting time to eke out more money. By using vehicle tracking systems, the fleet owners can ensure that all drivers are on task and delivering goods on time without wasting time at stops. For several years refrigeration tracking, monitoring, and control systems have been offered by Alanco. Now Alanco is taking the tracking systems to another level with their wireless technology.

They are offering tracking and monitoring systems on a wireless option for construction equipment. In other words, if you need to find a stolen piece of equipment or get emergency help for the driver of that equipment all you need is the Alanco vehicle tracking systems they are coming out with this year and next year.

MicroLogic is also part of the Alanco option to release new vehicle tracking systems. They are helping to design the wireless solutions and implement them. They wanted to help make sure that operational and asset management issues could be resolved without any problems. The new wireless systems will go on tow able generators, excavators, bulldozers, backhoes, rock drills, cranes and more. The system has already been picked up by 25 customers and is being used on more than 1000 pieces of equipment already.

Most of the vehicle tracking systems are on the East coast of the US for the new design, but both MicroLogic and Alanco believe it is a matter of time before they offer this technology around the world.

StarTrak is also going to be a part of the new systems. They will be getting the upgrades from MicroLogic to implement and help their investments grow. Every company that is a part of the new system can expect to see a heavy increase on investments, due to the wireless tracking option for construction equipment.

Even governments may begin to use this system rather than those they previously used. The new vehicle tracking systems will not come cheap. The wireless technology is new and therefore it is more expensive to produce; however it makes up for it in cost effective tracking of your fleet and construction tools. You no longer have to worry about things being stolen and losing millions on the replacement of the equipment. You also don’t have to worry about damage to the vehicles as you can make sure the items remain safe. The best part is being able to track the drivers of the fleet in case they are in an accident and need help.