Vehiclepath

Many years ago, your intrepid blogger delivered newspapers four mornings a week, starting on a bicycle, then earning enough in subscriptions to move up to a motorcycle, followed by a ’56 Chevy Bel Air station wagon.GPS fleet tracking was something out of science fiction back then, and carjackings were almost unheard of, even in the car-crazy San Fernando Valley.

So as a former newspaper delivery carrier and daily journalist, I was pleased to read about how GPS fleet tracking helped recover a carjacked sedan in San Diego. Its owner was delivering the morning edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune (the daily I worked at for seven years) when he was forced to surrender the car to a knife-wielding carjacker.

Fortunately, the carrier wasn’t hurt in the 4.a.m. incident. After he got his wits back, he contacted the police. He told them the car was equipped with a GPS fleet tracking device. Soon after, the car was recovered and two suspects were in custody.

The carjacking got me thinking about how important GPS fleet tracking can be when your livelihood depends on having a vehicle at your disposal. Knowing the current location of each vehicle in your fleet is one of the main benefits of GPS feet tracking. Yet many fleet operators are pleasantly surprised to know that the system they installed is also their best secret weapon for recovering a stolen vehicle – even better than LoJack. Really!

Unlike LoJack, having GPS fleet tracking means you don’t have to contact law enforcement, tell them your vehicle has been stolen, and then wait to see if they have the time to turn on LoJack – if they even have it. You’ll know where your vehicles are at all times. If one is stolen or someplace it shouldn’t be – like at a driver’s home – you’ll know instantly with real-time online tracking.

All of your vehicles’ locations can be viewed on familiar Google Maps, so you can quickly track them down if they fall into the wrong hands. Even if a thief manages to somehow disable the vehicle’s electrical system, you’ll receive a signal for hours because each GPS fleet tracking unit contains a built-in backup battery.

No question that I would have a GPS tracking device on that Bel Air if I still owned it. Most newspapers are delivered by adults these days. But I think smart parents of any youngsters who have some kind of delivery route should consider tracking them, just in case. The same goes for fleet managers. Learn more.

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Want to make sure your rarely moved assets are still where they’re supposed to be? Don’t want to fiddle around with under-dash wiring to install a GPS fleet tracking unit?

Then let us introduce you to our new BAT50 battery-powered GPS asset-tracking device. You won’t need a mechanic to install it. The BAT50 mounts easily in any inconspicuous place on your mobile assets. And you won’t need to worry about antenna placement because the antenna is built in.

The BAT50 is designed to track any seldom-moved or seldom-used mobile asset, such as crates, generators, containers and trailers. It doesn’t require an external power source thanks to its long-lasting internal lithium-thionyl chloride battery. Just turn it on once and the BAT50 sends its location once daily or once weekly, depending on the service plan you select. You’ll see its location in real time on a familiar Google Map on any Internet-connected computer.

The BAT50 is also water- and dust-resistant .It’s the ideal GPS asset tracking unit for any mobile asset prone to outdoor elements. It also is protected against dust, and high pressure jets of water. The unit is extremely easy to install and hard to detect. It weighs just under 6 ounces and is 5-3/4 inches long by 2-1/4 inches wide and 7/8-inch high. An extension of the Vehiclepath family of asset-management solutions, the BAT50 is a certified quad-band integrated platform that provides GSM/GPRSGPS functionality.

See for yourself how easy it is to out fit your mobile assets with the BAT50. Check out the simple, one-page installation and user guide. To learn more about Vehiclepath GPS fleet tracking and try an interactive demo, visit www.vehiclepath.com.

Filed under: Fleet Management, GPS fleet tracking, Implementing GPS Fleet Tracking, ROI by admin - - -
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It’s summer vacation time – a time when parents are more concerned than usual about making sure their kids don’t stray out of sight. All that free time means children have more opportunities to evade the reach of Mom, Dad, relatives and friends.

In recent years, affordable solutions have come on the market that utilize the same technology found in GPS fleet tracking. While we’re partial to any product that employs GPS, it should be pointed out that even wristwatch-size trackers only report a child’s current or last-known location to within a few yards; so it’s not always possible to discover little Johnny standing next to the gorilla exhibit at the zoo. Furthermore, most of these devices mean that if Mom or Dad aren’t at home, they need access to an Internet-connected computer to get a fix on their child’s location. Some web-connected PDAs with browsers will do the trick when the family’s on an outing, however.

Some well-thought-out low-tech solutions to getting the kids back safely are mentioned in this Baltimore Sun article. Among them is the SafetyTat, a waterproof tattoo marketed as “The Tat That Brings Kids Back.” Its creator is a Baltimore-area mother who wanted to attach her phone number to her child. So far, more than 500,000 of the brightly colored tattoos have been sold.

The issue of tracking children is a growing concern. Some interesting statistics from the article: “The Boston-based Center to Prevent Lost Children says that 90 percent of families will momentarily lose track of a child in a public place; 20 percent have lost a child more than once. Forty-five percent of the children get separated from parents in malls and stores, and 27 percent in amusement parks, according to the center, which consults with employees at amusement parks, airports, beaches and similar areas.”

Keeping track of teens with driver’s license is a bit easier with GPS fleet tracking technology because you can monitor their whereabouts in real time on a familiar Google Map.

But for younger kids, the article notes, some common-sense tips can make it easier to track them down if they do get separated from adults, including:

• Don’t announce your kids’ names around strangers, or put their names on the outside of clothes or personal items.
• Teach kids at a young age to know their last names, home address and phone number; how to dial 911 in an emergency and how to place collect calls.
• Keep small children in view at all times in public places. Teach them what to do if they become separated from their family.
• Don’t allow kids to listen to music through headphones or play handheld electronic games while walking.

Here’s hoping you and your little ones have a safe, happy summer. And however you do it, keep on trackin!

Filed under: Fleet Management, GPS Fleet Tracking and Vehicle Theft, GPS Teen Tracking, GPS fleet tracking, Implementing GPS Fleet Tracking by admin - - -
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Good news for Pilot Travel Centers Fleet Fuel Card customers: Pilot Travel Centers LLC, the nation’s largest retail operator of travel centers, and Pilot Corporation, an operator of convenience stores primarily in the Knoxville, Tennessee, market, announced on June 22 that they have entered into a co-marketing agreement with PROCON, Inc., to begin offering a state-of-the-art GPS fleet tracking/information system to current and potential Pilot fuel card customers. Pilot Travel Centers LLC operates 304 travel centers in 40 states and 41 conveniences stores in Tennessee.

The Pilot Fleet Tracking Services program utilizes GPS technology that gives fleet operators the ability to monitor and track all of their vehicles from a web-based interface in real time. Users also can receive instant alerts by email or text message when drivers exceed set guidelines and policies such as speed limits, travel outside a geofence or use vehicles during odd hours.

Benefits for fleet operators includes increased efficiency, lower fuel bills, fraudulent-behavior detection, enhanced dispatching and improved customer-service levels. Service fees for the program can be conveniently added to the monthly fuel-card bill of Pilot customers.

“Our customers look to us to provide technologies which can help them efficiently manage their fleets. This product is a great way to provide them with this opportunity — it utilizes the best available GPS technology,” said Mark Hazelwood, Executive Vice President of Sales and Development for Pilot. “We partnered with PROCON Inc. for three reasons: They provide the best equipment and service coverage in the United States, they are 100% customer-focused and they are a Knoxville-based company. PROCON is the leader in providing fleet-tracking services.”

“We are thrilled to have Pilot Travel Centers as a marketing partner in offering a GPS fleet-tracking solution. For us, this is an ideal program which utilizes each company’s market and technology strengths,” said Brian Boling, CEO of PROCON. “We also feel this is only the beginning of possible offerings from the two companies. Development continues to help Pilot fleet customers gain even more efficiency with other related GPS solutions.”

For more information on the program, visit www.pilotfleet.com or call 866-608-6425.

Filed under: Fleet Management, GPS Fleet Tracking Benefits, GPS fleet tracking, Implementing GPS Fleet Tracking, ROI by admin - - -
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Do you have a parent or older relative who’s driving you crazy because of their driving? Many of us have good reason to be concerned for that relative’s safety and whereabouts if he or she is still behind the wheel – even if it’s just to the supermarket and back a few days a week.

There’s an easy way to get a handle on the situation. By installing GPS vehicle tracking technology in their car, truck or SUV, you’ll not only know where they are in real time, but you’ll also have peace of mind that they’re not getting lost, driving too slowly or possibly speeding. For example, if Mom says she’ll be at Aunt Esther’s house until 9 p.m., you can use your web-connected PC or PDA to confirm she’s at Esther’s place on a familiar Google Map. If her vehicle is way off course, you’ll hopefully be able to call Mom on her cell phone to make sure she’s OK.

If you think Dad has a lead foot on the accelerator, your GPS tracking system will alert you by text message or email if he exceeds the speed limit you discussed with him. You also can receive alerts if he enters or exits a “geofence” you create on your PC. That’s a geographic box around Dad’s home, the library, shopping mall or anywhere you choose. You’ll be certain Dad (or at least his car) was “on his way home” when he said he was.

Your parents probably read “Hansel and Gretel” to you as a child, so show them how you’ll have access to a “breadcrumb trail” of their vehicle’s exact route from the time it left their home to the time it arrived at their destinations. If he or she protests that you’re using GPS vehicle tracking to spy on them, tell them they you’re concerned about their safety and well-being. Assure them that you’ll only be worried if they aren’t keeping appointments, are driving erratically or are straying into unfamiliar neighborhoods.

And if the unexpected occurs, such as a stolen vehicle or the adult “disappearing,” you’ll know precisely where the car is in real time or its last tracked location – a significant aid to law enforcement.

Using a GPS tracking system to follow your loved ones while assuring their privacy is a delicate balance. You expect them to be safe; they expect you to respect their privacy. With GPS, you’ll have proof in the form of detailed reports on speed, location and other variables. If they taught you about “Hansel and Gretel,” remind them that you’re applying the lesson to them in a very caring way.

Filed under: Fleet Management, GPS Monitoring Individuals, GPS Teen Tracking, GPS fleet tracking, Implementing GPS Fleet Tracking, ROI by admin - - -
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