Although GPS tracking systems come at a high cost to the individuals or companies that install them on their vehicles, they have immense benefits. They can allow you to keep an eye on your fleet vehicles and monitor the behavior of your company drivers while on the road. Furthermore, GPS devices can assist you in tracing a stolen automobile, responding to distress calls from a driver in trouble, and ensuring that vehicles follow the specified routes only. If you are a parent with a youthful kid that’s away with the car, you can monitor their speed and whereabouts with the devices.
Businesses have also managed to save a lot on fuel costs thanks to installing GPS devices on their vehicles. They can also save on insurance premiums since some providers deem cars with trackers as less risky. Besides that, those in the delivery businesses can have excellent customer service due to timely deliveries thanks to close monitoring of the delivery vehicles.
Types of GPS Trackers
The vehicle tracking systems can be broadly classified into two categories based on the time of data transmission from the gadget.
Passive GPS Tracking devices
Passive GPS devices are also called loggers. They collect data about the vehicle location and other parameters and store it without transmitting it anywhere. They accumulate the data on a memory card or hard drive and users will have to access the data storage to check on various things.
Passive trackers are commonly used with fleet vehicles because they can reliably gather information on the vehicle’s location, speed, idle time, and other critical aspects. Users of these devices only need to have them installed on the vehicle. If they need to find out any information that the device has stored, they have to access it and connect it to a computer.
Advantages of Passive Trackers
- Some merits of passive trackers include:
- It is a simple device to learn to use.
- Given that data is stored in the device, there is no headache when it comes to sustaining a link between the tracker and a receiver. Users only need to download data when they need it.
- Since there is no maintenance of link with the receiver, the GPS loggers are affordable since they do not need any subscriptions and other ongoing charges.
- The loggers are resistant to weather elements, thus can be placed inside or outside of the vehicle.
Disadvantages of Passive Trackers
- These devices have a few drawbacks:
- Users do not get real-time data. Information on the vehicle’s location must wait until it comes back for the device to be accessed.
- Getting the device and connecting it to a computer to obtain any information can be quite inconvenient.
- If a vehicle is stolen or in an unknown location, tracing it would be hard since there is no communication between the device and receiver.
- There are chances that some devices are not compatible with some computers, which can make using them a bit hard.
Active GPS Tracking Devices
Active or “real-time” GPS tracking devices are the alternatives of the passive trackers. These are installed in the vehicle and require being plugged into a port or getting connected to the power system. Then the user subscribes to a service that sends the data to them, either as text messages by phone or emails. They can also be monitored on a computer. The user can see the car location, speed, and other things in real-time whenever they want.
Besides GPS trackers, vehicles can have Wi-Fi installed on them for communication as well as to allow running of various systems like entertainment and others. You can check this official source of information on GPS trackers, vehicle Wi-Fi, and other car technologies to learn more and buy what you need.
Real-time trackers are the best for monitoring teenage drivers while on the road to see their location, speed, and other things. Companies can also use them for delivery trucks and to check their drivers’ behavior on the road.
Advantages of Active Trackers
Compared to passive trackers, active trackers have such benefits as:
- Convenient because users do not have to remove them and plug into computers.
- Vehicles’ real-time whereabouts are known.
- Stolen or lost vehicles can be traced with them.
- No worry about the compatibility of devices with your computer. You get data over the internet or on your phone as text.
Disadvantages of Active Trackers
This tracking devices have the following shortcomings:
- The subscriptions to receive information add to the cost of the tracking system.
- They may not be as concealed as vehicle owners may want due to needing to plug into a port.
- Some can only avail real-time data unless they have a logging feature, thus it’s hard to know where the vehicle was at an earlier time.
The choice of the tracking device or system to install on the vehicles depends on the users’ needs. They should also consider their budget and pick the best GPS device for their needs. The benefits of the trackers far outweigh the costs, so having them is one of the best investments.
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