vehicle tracking systems

The US government's decision to allow civilian access to their GPS (Global Position System) has opened doors for a variety of GPS related systems. GPS is now used for a variety of purposes and one of the leading applications of GPS is vehicle tracking systems. Vehicle tracking systems are used by cargo companies and law enforcement organizations to track vehicles all over the US. If you have no idea how vehicle tracking systems are being used today, read on. Vehicle tracking systems are divided into two categories: Passive tracking systems Passive tracking systems keep track of a vehicle's movement on a chip, the chip can be linked to a computer and a detailed route map of the vehicle's movement is available within seconds. Passive tracking systems are ideal for cargo companies that want to find the best possible route for their cargo and want to ensure there is no misuse of vehicles.

Passive tracking systems are not useful for tracking down stolen vehicles or for directing cargo vehicles in real time. Active tracking systems Active tracking systems are similar to passive tracking systems, but in addition to storing the vehicle's movement they also transmit a vehicle's GPS co-ordinates using a SIM card that is installed in the device. As long as the GPS system is within the SIM's coverage area, the tracking system continues to transmit the vehicle's location. Many anti-theft systems come equipped with an active tracking system. The tracking system can be activated when the vehicle is stolen, all major car manufacturers support installation of active tracking systems.

Vehicle tracking systems are recommended by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) and vehicles fitted with tracking systems incur lower insurance costs as the chances of recovering a vehicle is higher if they have vehicle tracking systems involved. Active tracking systems are also used by cab companies to find the closest available cab to a customer's destination. For example, if a person wants to be picked up from a particular area, the cab company searches for cabs that are located close to the customer's location. Once the company confirms a cab is available, the cab is immediately dispatched. Vehicle tracking systems are also used for tracking the progress of cargo on land.

Major cargo companies have all their trucks fitted with active tracking systems and a cargo company can trace the exact location of a shipment using a GPS tracker. Apart from finding the status of shipments in real time, cargo companies also use GPS to find the quickest route for their fleet. Vehicle tracking systems are also used for managing manpower in the field. By fitting vehicles with vehicle tracking systems a company can find the exact location of engineers and staff even in the most remote parts of the world. Similarly, ambulances too are being fitted with vehicle tracking systems to allow 911 to dispatch the closest medical team to a medical emergency.

In conclusion, vehicle tracking systems are being used all over the world for a wide variety of tasks, and the areas of application are expected to increase over a period of time.

Gareth Taylor is the author of this article on vehicle tracking systems. Find more information about vehicle tracking systemshere.