Vehicle Tracking

Internet Vehicle Tracking

The internet has affected almost every facet of our day to day 21st century lives, and mostly for the good. Life is simpler, better and information that was once either not available or at least difficult and cumbersome to achieve is now at our fingertips.

People have more leisure time at their disposal, and are taking advantage of it in many different manners. One of the most dramatic breakthroughs of the late 20th century was the introduction of the GPS satellite tracking systems in the mid nineteen nineties. The system, developed by the US department of defence in the mid nineteen eighties, is made up of more than 30 satellites that constantly orbit the Earth. Any vehicle that is fitted with a compatible transmitter sends a signal to any of three satellites orbiting in the radius of the grid that the transmission is coming from. Using this information the satellites will re-transmit to a tracking center on the Earth's surface giving the vehicle's exact location.

The purpose of the vast investment made by the US defence department was to allow the tracking of the Earth's surface as well as the movement of every vehicle on the Earth's surface, either on land or at sea. Despite the significant amount of information gathered, scientists from the defence department deduced that the system was being largely under-utilized and suggested that the resources be made available to the global business communities for the good of mankind. At first their kind acts went largely unnoticed but with the introduction of real time internet vehicle tracking the global business community began to wake up to the many possibilities that internet vehicle could bring to their business.

Fleet operators, either working through their own in-house vehicle tracking service or by outsourcing, could home in at pinpoint accuracy, to where each and every one their company's vehicles were situated, their current activity and if they were fallowing their designated route and time schedule.

The current status of the fleet's vehicles could be uploaded to an internet web site, and then be available for access by the fleet operators, and someone times the drivers themselves, who often had access through their own on board computers. The computers were linked to the internet through wireless technology.

For many of the drivers, the ability to link to the internet from their truck's cabin also allowed them to receive and send information in real time, as well as checking their current position on a gridded map, In the event that there were road blockages ahead on the route, caused by car accidents, road works or any natural disasters, the drivers could be e-mailed an up date on the situation, expected hold up times and even suggested alternative routes.

For the owner of a private car the advent of internet vehicle tracking comes with it its own set of advantages. Many anxious parents, who have fitted a transmitter in the family car, can mount a form of surveillance through their own home computer. Things that the anxious parent will be looking out for is excessive speeds, long, unnecessary and expensive journeys and if the vehicle is parked too long in the same place.

The usual scenario sees the vigilant parent removing the car keys from their loved ones sweaty hands with the thoughtful words" I am doing this for your own good". There is no doubt that the innovation of internet vehicle tracking has increased the efficiency of fleet management, while at the same time not doing wonders for parent/child relationships.