Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) systems have been around since the 1960s—but back then it was available exclusively for military use. In the 1980’s, Ronald Reagan signed an executive order to make it free for public use following a tragic shooting down of a Korean airlines flight for flying over Russian airspace without authorization.
Since then, GPS systems have evolved from tracking friendly and criminal activity by the military to personal protective devices for assets at the touch of a button. GPS systems are able to locate your assets using a pre-installed transmitter that triangulates the location of the specific object using signals from several satellites and calculating the delay between each one.
GPS systems are a vital part of protecting your company's assets. Ideally, the device should be installed in the assets you want to track by a reputable company with a history of operational excellence in the tracking process. Your GPS service of choice should provide you with a range of services such as location tracking, software with easy configuration, and remote diagnostics (for powered assets like generators, vehicles or refrigerated trailers). These services help ensure that your assets are not only protected but are working correctly and the information is available to you in real-time.
Modern tracking solutions let you receive GPS tracking information through mobile devices like cell phones and tablets via text or applications created specifically for live tracking. You can also get stand-alone services where you can purchase specialized software and choose how you want to access the tracking services. Web-based tracking services often require a log-in to access updates and the position data of your vehicles or assets.
Rental equipment tracking can be beneficial to you in different ways, such as preventing theft of assets or alerting you to unusual activity from a rented asset. GPS tracking is also important for maintenance scheduling. Diagnostics run via GPS software shows speed and mileage covered, which assists in giving an update on how long your vehicle has been running and what you can do to prevent a possible breakdown. This assists you with the smaller fixes to prevent incurring more costs for maintenance through preventive measures.
You can access all information on possible suspicious activity through your mobile device and forward this intelligence to relevant authorities. This helps save time and prevent loss by speeding up response times to better prevent the permanent loss of an asset. GPS tracking services can even bring down insurance costs with some insurers by giving you a discount simply for having tracking services.
Drivers of rented vehicles often behave more responsibly when they are aware that you are keeping an eye on them. You can monitor activity outside the scheduled trips or routes and even spot the instant that a GPS-tagged vehicle or trailer leaves your agreed-upon rental area.
By following up on the number of miles traveled and operation time, you can better ensure proper mainenance for your equipment before arrival at a given job site. You can use geofencing (a feature available in Rastrac's GPS systems) to get notified immediately after equipment is taken out of the allocated GPS boundary. This information is crucial in preventing contract breaches and ensuring that equipment is exactly where it needs to be. Rastrac helps minimize theft risks by ensuring that your equipment is visible to you at all times.
GPS asset management systems are vital if you own any high-value or high-risk assets. These systems are essential for protecting your valuable assets and preventing possible theft or loss. If your asset is in any danger, some GPS tracking solutions allow you to disable starters to keep thieves from turning them on. You can stop your car, truck or construction vehicle from starting up until the police arrive at the scene to take care of the situation.
However, not every GPS tracking system has every security feature. It's important to talk with your solution provider to get a full understanding of what their tracking devices and software programs are capable of. Contact resourceful GPS tracking companies like Rastrac to assist with this. With GPS asset management, out of sight does not mean out of mind anymore!