Auto GPS » Private Citizens

Using GPS Vehicle Tracking Devices

admin — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 11:43:26 +0000

It is estimated that it cost about $500 a day to put a delivery or service vehicle on the road. If you are a business that depends on these resources you know how hard it is to manage them effectively. The advent of sophisticated and smaller GPS vehicle tracking devices now allows every fleet manager to efficiently manage their resources. Many companies have realized tremendous savings as a result of employing this technology.

Private citizens are also utilizing the new technology as well. If you own more than one automobile, boat, motorcycle, travel trailer or motor home know exactly where they are is important. In addition if you have young drivers within your house hold you will sleep easier knowing that you can at anytime find your child and your vehicle. In addition you can monitor their driving habits in order to keep them safe while on the road. The liability of owning a vehicle that is being driven by a teenager can be serious in this litigious society. The use of GPS vehicle tracking devices that feature real time uploads will go a long way in preventing any serious problems to your financial well being.

The laws concerning the use of GPS vehicle tracking devices vary from state to state. It is generally accepted that you are legally able to place a tracking device on any vehicle that you own as either and individual or a business. Placing a tracking device on a vehicle that is not under your legal ownership or control is generally considered to be illegal in most circumstances. Penalties for violating privacy laws in some circumstance can lead to serious fines and even incarceration. Many businesses and private individuals have ignored these laws because it is relatively hard to detect GPS vehicle tracking devices. Business that seek trade secrets or information that will give them a competitive edge frequently conducts illegal tracking activities. The very small size of the new real time GPS tracking devices makes it very easy to place a device just about anywhere on a vehicle.

In the same venue individuals also are violating the law by placing tracking devices on the vehicles of ex-spouses, girl or boyfriends. In addition there are several cases where stalkers have also used the technology to keep track of their victims. Many people think it is impossible catch someone doing illegal surveillance tracking but they are mistaken. Technology that detects cell phone transmissions can easily detect the tracking device uploads to the GPS service company that provides the tracking information you are receiving. Again this is a violation of the law use GPS vehicle tracking devices to track another private citizen. It is just not worth the risk.

By: Jim Kesel

Truck and Car GPS Tracking

admin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:28:55 +0000

New miniature GPS technology has made GPS Tracking available to just about anyone. Many people are interested in vehicle or car GPS tracking. Fleet vehicle managers are saving there respective companies thousands of dollars each day with this new technology. In addition private citizens are also using the technology to keep track of there family members and their valuable assets. The cost of a GPS auto tracker has dropped over the last year. However the new smaller portable or personalized units are still relatively expensive.

There are two technologies to choose from when looking to purchase a GPS tracking device. The older logger unit is not only less expensive to purchase but it does not rely on an expensive subscription with a GPS tracking company. These devices are placed in the target vehicle during the period that you want to track then retrieved. The unit then is attached to a personal computer where the tracking information is downloaded into the logger’s software package for viewing. Logger GPS tracking devices have the ability to be very small and discreet. The major drawback of a using a logger is that all the information is relatively stale or historic in nature. Never the less they are very effective vehicle or car GPS tracking devices.

Real time GPS tracking devices just as their name implies provide tracking information that is relatively current in nature. These GPS tracking devices are larger than loggers due to the fact that they must have a transmitter to upload the tracking information to a GPS tracking service provider. The most common method of uploading the vehicle or car GPS tracking data is through existing cell phone technology. The service company will make a query of the GPS auto tracker on a predetermined time frequency and then display it on their website. These tracking service providers charge you a month fee for this service. The more frequently they download the GPS information to their website for your use the more expensive the service becomes. The current standard for tracking updates is about 5 minutes between tracking updates. In many cases you can save a lot of money by selecting longer periods between downloads.

Real time GPS devices are relatively more expensive when compared to loggers. The smallest portable units can cost as much as $1200.00 while standard vehicle or car tracking devices that are permanently installed can cost less than $300.00. It should be remembered that a quality unit is will be more expensive but it will also be more dependable over time. Delivery and fleet vehicles by their nature are not always easy on electronic systems. In other words when it comes to purchasing a GPS auto tracker cheaper is not always better.

By: Jim Kesel

GPS Auto Tracker Technology Saves A Life

admin — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:07:53 +0000

The use of GPS auto tracker technology by business fleet managers and private citizens is growing daily. The savings in terms of maintenance, labor, insurance and fuel cost are enormous when applied correctly. Real time GPS more than pays for itself the first day it is employed. Some companies have even been able to reduce the size of their fleets to increased efficiency. Everyone knows that increased efficiency means a better bottom line. However there are additional benefits to using a real time GPS system.

Recently a large electrical contractor that operates more than 40 trucks over a 1000 square mile area contracted and installed a real time GPS auto tracker system in all of its vehicles. Most employees are allowed to take their work vehicles home after work. This saves the company both fuel and labor cost each day. Many of the employees felt that the company was playing big brother and invading their privacy. Some even suggested that they would leave once the system was installed.

Once the tracking system was activated and the fleet management staff trained in its use the company began to find ways to cut costs. Employees found that the system was not as intrusive as they had envisioned. The application of personnel and resources quickly began to make the company more efficient and contracts were being completed in less time. As a result the company was able to bid on additional work.

This past November found another benefit to using the GPS auto tracker technology that no one at the company expected. After a normal day of work one of the employees did not arrive home for dinner at the normal time. His wife at first passed this off as an extended work related delay. After a couple of hours she tried calling him on his cell phone but was told that the phone was not in service. Later being worried she called her husband’s supervisor to ask if he knew where her husband was and of course he did not stating that no one was working late.

Shortly after receiving the call the supervisor went on line and downloaded the location map provided by the GPS tracking Service Company. He quickly found the missing vehicle located along the Interstate highway. After calling the missing employees cell phone several times without an answer he went to investigate.

Using his laptop and GPS he drove to the exact location that the tracking system had indicated. However arriving on the scene no company truck was located. The supervisor checked the tracking information and even contacted the service company for assistance. It was suggested that the tracking device had become dislodged and fallen from the vehicle at that location. Where upon the supervisor took a flashlight and went to look for it. Instead of finding the device his flashlight reflected off the back of the company vehicle lying upside down in the roadside ditch. The missing man was trap inside and was still alive.

Emergency response personal arrived shortly thereafter extricating the injured man taking him to the hospital in serious condition. The employee survived the accident and is recovering at home. He hopes to return to work in the near future. According to law enforcement and emergency services personnel the employee probably would not have survived if he had not been found at the time he was discovered.

GPS auto tracker technology is designed to help businesses and private citizens in managing their vehicle resources. However as was discovered here there are additional benefits that this emerging technology provides. It can even save lives.

By: Jim Kesel

GPS Tracking, Is It Legal For Surveillance?

admin — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 09:05:24 +0000

The use of GPS tracking technology to conduct surveillance by law enforcement agencies and private citizens has been underway for many years. Private investigators have used the technology to discover cheating spouses, misuse of business equipment, insurance fraud, child custody violations and other location related issues. Many privacy advocates have screamed foul about the perceived loss of privacy through the use of this technology. Surveillance activities may or may not be legal depending on the location and type of device.

Recently the 7th Circuit of the US Court of Appeals ruled that placing a GPS tracking device on a vehicle was lawful and did not require a warrant. The federal government argued successfully that placing a device on a vehicle does not violate the 4th Amendment and is not an unreasonable search of the vehicle. The vehicle was not entered and thus was not searched. It means that all that is needed for a law enforcement or government agency to place a GPS tracking device on a vehicle is reasonable probable cause. However when it comes to a private citizens placing a GPS tracking device on a vehicle or an individual it is a much more complex issue. Many States have passed laws that restrict the use of this technology to conduct surveillance unless the device is used on a vehicle owned by the person conducting the surveillance. It is strongly recommended that you contact the office of your States Attorney General prior to conducting any GPS tracking of anyone outside your immediate family. Failure to do so could lead to severe legal consequences.

New micro technology allows GPS tracking devices to be hidden in just about any location. This is especially true for the GPS data loggers. These recorders are placed in a vehicle or on a person for a designated period time. The device is then retrieved and downloaded in to a computer. The information then is displayed on a map showing routes traveled, time in route, at rest, speed and direction. This is a great tool to keep track of your newly licensed teen as well as making sure that your business vehicles are not being used for personal use. These GPS trackers are very hard to detect since they are both small and they do not use cell phone communication technology. Basically there are no records beyond the computers hard drive. Again this makes this type of surveillance very hard to both detect and defend against. The negative side of using a GPS data logger is that the information is history rather than in real time.

Real time GPS tracking devices use both GPS and cell phone technology to provide tracking information in real time. Tracking information is updated at designated time intervals to a company that provides the tracking service. As a subscriber you will log into the companies data base and your tracking information will be downloaded to your computer. Recently the GPS tracking devices have become much smaller making it much easier to hide in either a vehicle, piece of equipment or on a person. While it is illegal for cell phone companies to provide information including tracking information about a customer without a warrant the Federal Communications Act apparently does not apply to GPS tracking providers. The bottom line is that if you use a real time GPS tracking device and provider you risk that the records of your surveillance activities will be discovered.

The use of GPS tracking devices for surveillance has led many states to pass laws to protect the privacy of their citizens. Most of these laws have severe penalties attached to them. It is strongly recommended that you do a thorough job of research prior to conducting any form of electronic surveillance. GPS tracking technology is a great tool for managing both people and resources when it is legally and properly used.

By: Jim Kesel