GPS vehicle tracking systems are becoming a real essential to business managers because they are enormously adaptable to all sorts of situations; virtually any business can benefit from investment in them. Within the construction industry, expensive construction vehicles are protected by ‘geo-fences’. These are a common capability of tracking servers, which draw an imaginary line on a map, creating a boundary around the perimeter of a particular location. Any movement of any vehicle beyond this perimeter triggers an immediate alert to be sent to the business. Locating a missing vehicle is instantaneous if a tracking device has been placed within the vehicle and today, these can be as small as a credit card and easy to conceal. If a manager is not at his desk, the alerts can be relayed to his mobile phone as an email or SMS alert.
GPS tracking systems often include an emergency button to alert employers in a difficult situation; the ability to see the location of a vehicle superimposed on a map means help can be despatched instantly and also allows managers to know exactly where every vehicle is and, indeed, where it has been.
Good and economical driving habits can be reinforced within the workforce by watching speeds and identifying poor driver behaviour. Remedial training is often based upon the results of driver monitoring via a company’s GPS system.
