Choosing a Commercial Fleet GPS Tracking System That Scales
Most fleets do not start out big. A company adds a few trucks. It tracks them with a basic app. Then it moves on. But trouble starts later, once the fleet outgrows that basic app. So choosing the right commercial fleet GPS tracking system from the beginning matters. It saves you from ripping out and replacing your setup down the road. At Tracking The World, we specialize exclusively in GPS tracking. We have done this since 2003. Our fleet platform manages a handful of vehicles or a few hundred, without forcing you to switch tools as you grow.
| The Problem | The Solution |
|---|---|
| Vehicle tracking works, but trailers, equipment, and drivers stay invisible. | One platform covering vehicles, trailers, towing, cold storage, dash cams, and more. |
| A system sized for 10 vehicles breaks down at 100. | Fleet tools built to manage a handful of vehicles or an entire fleet from one dashboard. |
| Reports arrive too late to change a route or catch an issue. | Real-time location data and alerts as conditions change. |
| Compliance tracking lives in a separate system, or nowhere. | Electronic logging device options built into the same fleet platform. |
Why does fleet size matter when picking a GPS system?
A system that fits your fleet today may not fit it in two years. So the platform’s ceiling matters as much as its starting price. Many entry-level GPS tools rely on a simple map view built for a handful of vehicles. That works fine at first. But once a fleet adds routes, drivers, and vehicle types, those tools tend to slow down. Often, they force a switch to something else entirely.
A commercial fleet GPS tracking system built for scale handles that growth without a disruptive changeover. Our platform manages fleets of any size, from a single vehicle to a large, multi-location operation. You run it all from the same dashboard.
What should a fleet tracking system actually cover?
A fleet is rarely just trucks. It often includes trailers, specialty vehicles, and equipment that need their own kind of oversight. So a tracking system should grow into all of it. For that reason, Tracking The World’s fleet solutions span several categories built for different parts of a fleet operation:
- Vehicle tracking for cars, trucks, and general fleet assets
- Trailer tracking for equipment that moves independently of a powered vehicle
- Towing solutions for repossession and recovery operations
- Cold storage temperature monitoring for refrigerated loads
- School bus and student monitoring
- RFID waste container tracking
- Dual dash cam tracking for driver and road-facing video
- Electronic Logging Device (ELD) compliance solutions
- Ambulance management tracking
With these options under one provider, a fleet manager avoids stitching together separate logins and separate vendors as needs change.
How does real-time tracking change day-to-day fleet management?
Real-time visibility lets a fleet manager act while a situation is still unfolding, not after the fact. For instance, a dispatcher who sees where every vehicle is right now can reroute around traffic. They can confirm a delivery window. They can respond quickly if a vehicle strays from its expected path.
Day-to-day, that visibility shows up in a few concrete ways:
- Faster response when a vehicle is delayed or off-route
- More accurate ETAs for customers and dispatch
- A clear location history if a dispute or incident needs review
- Less guesswork when planning routes and driver assignments
What role does compliance play in choosing a fleet system?
Compliance tools save a fleet manager from running logging and tracking as two separate systems. Tracking the World includes Electronic Logging Devices in its fleet lineup, alongside vehicle and trailer tracking. That means hours-of-service data and location data live in the same platform. You skip the separate login and the separate vendor relationship.
This matters most for growing fleets. As a company adds drivers and vehicles, keeping compliance and tracking together in one commercial fleet GPS tracking system keeps the administrative side from becoming its own full-time job.
What questions should you ask before committing to a provider?
The right questions before you sign on tell you more about a provider’s fit than any features list. Ask these of any fleet GPS provider:
- Can the platform manage both a small starting fleet and a much larger one later, without switching tools?
- Does it cover the specific vehicle and asset types in your fleet, including trailers or specialty equipment?
- Is compliance tracking, such as ELD, built into the same system as location tracking?
- How experienced is the provider, and how long have they specialized in GPS tracking specifically?
Tracking the World has answered that last question the same way since 2003. GPS tracking is the only thing we do. Our team, led by CEO Henri Maramis, built the company’s software and hardware around that focus.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size fleet is Tracking the World’s system built for?
It manages fleets of any size, from a single vehicle to a large, multi-location operation, all from one dashboard. That range lets a growing fleet stay on the same platform instead of switching providers as it scales.
Does the platform track more than just vehicles?
Yes. Beyond standard vehicle tracking, Tracking the World offers trailer tracking, towing solutions, cold storage temperature monitoring, school bus and student monitoring, waste container tracking, dash cam tracking, and ambulance management.
Is compliance tracking included?
Yes. Electronic Logging Device (ELD) compliance solutions are part of the fleet lineup. So you manage hours-of-service and location data within the same platform, instead of through a separate system.
How long has Tracking the World been in the GPS tracking business?
Tracking the World was founded in 2003 and has specialized exclusively in GPS tracking ever since. The company operates out of its corporate office in California and serves customers around the world.
A commercial fleet GPS tracking system should fit the fleet you have now and the one you are building toward. So, to see how Tracking the World’s fleet solutions can work for your operation, contact our sales team or call us directly at (650) 692-8100. Our office is located at 2360 East Bidwell Street, Suite 111, Folsom, CA 95630. You can also reach us by email at sales@trackingtheworld.com.
Portage Township Schools on the southeast side of Lake Michigan recently installed GPS trackers on all 110 buses in the school’s fleet. Added as a measure of convenience for both parents and administration, the program was given a “test drive” during summer school to prepare for the beginning of the 2014 school year.
Using GPS tracking software on computers or smart phones, parents and faculty are able to see the exact location of any bus at any time–even on field trip days– While the new GPS tracking system will most assuredly offer parents peace of mind that their child made it to school safely, officials also hope it will be an added convenience for parents of children whose buses are running late. With tracking software, parents will have detailed information on when the bus can be expected, hopefully eliminating the need to call the school officials.
School administration also hopes to use the system to conserve fuel and maintain efficiency by rerouting buses when traffic incidents occur.
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A Colorado real estate agent puzzled by missing signs now has an answer. Every week, the realtor placed signs in a specific location and would return for them a few days later. Each time, one or more of the real estate signs was missing. First, opting for a video camera, the agent discovered that his signs were being plucked from the ground by a passerby driving through.
Then, taking things a step further, the agent placed more signs in the same location and equipped one with a GPS tracking system. Using GPS tracking software, the tracking device was set to alert the agent when it sensed movement. Within days, the tracker alerted the agent and he was able to trace the location of the GPS-equipped sign to a competitor’s garage. The competitor claims he was only moving the sign from a location where it didn’t belong and did nothing wrong. Charges are pending.
http://www.9news.com/news/article/367126/339/Realtor-uses-GPS-to-track-disappearing-signs
EnduroPro : All-Weather GPS Tracker
In addition to providing helpful information for business operations, GPS tracking systems are also used for personal safety. Here, we’ve outlined some of the best safety features today’s GPS trackers have to offer.
The Panic Button
Perhaps the most important feature of a GPS tracker for personal safety is the panic button. With the press of a single button, a GPS user in an emergency situation can immediately alert others. The panic button feature on most GPS tracking systems activates a rapid fire sequence of location alerts, followed by automated cell phone alerts via GPS tracking software.
Voice Capabilities
The ability to communicate with another human being in the event of an emergency can mean the difference between life and death. If you’re selecting a GPS tracking system for personal safety, TrackingTheWorld recommends a tracking device with two-way voice capabilities.
Extreme Weather Durability
For personal safety, a GPS tracker with all-weather durability is important, particularly if you are an outdoor enthusiast. In situations such as mountain biking or snow skiing, your safety may depend on the ability of your GPS tracker to reliably function in less than desirable temperatures. Be sure to ask a GPS dealer for specifics.
Long Battery Life
Another of the most important safety features for GPS trackers is the ability of the tracker to operate for as long a period as possible without a charge. Depending on locate update intervals (how often you want the tracker to report your location), today’s GPS trackers can go as long as a month or more between charges. With this capability, or something similar, you can rest assured your GPS tracking system will function even if you forget to charge it once in a while.
GPS tracking via ankle bracelets is now in use in Yakima, Washington to track juvenile offenders. According to a recent report, GPS tracking of juvenile offenders costs around $5 per day while housing the juveniles in a space-limited facility costs around $160. In addition, officials don’t want to let juveniles off the hook due to limited space in holding facilities. Currently 6 GPS tracker ankle bracelet devices are in use. Officials report plans to purchase additional GPS tracking units based on the results of the first 6.
Source: http://www.kimatv.com/news/local/132360343.html
View TrackingTheWorld’s OFT-210 GPS Tracking Ankle Bracelet.
Not everyone is familiar with how a GPS tracking system can be used. A Global Positioning System or GPS is used for tracking all sorts of things including industrial vehicles, commercial trucks, cars, boats, all-terrain vehicles, important equipment and more through a GPS receiver.
GPS is also used to track people. Most notably children, police officers, convicted felons, field agents, endangered animals, government personnel and for military purposes. GPS systems have been almost solely responsible for numerous search and rescue missions and equipment loss recoveries in recent years.
The way it works is that a GPS receiver transmits the location of the person or the object to a GPS locating center. The information from the GPS locating center is then used to track the person or object of interest.
More often than not, a GPS tracking system is used by companies that have a need for fleet tracking services. This technology allows them to keep constant track of their deliveries and vehicles.
A GPS tracking system is also convenient for law enforcement officials who are trying to locate stolen vehicles. GPS tracking devices are for just about every industry since asset management plays a huge part in any company’s success and stability.
