Vehicle Tracking Technology
Since two decades, Vehicle Tracking Technology has been becoming more and more popular in the collective consciousness of the logistics world, and even now, it is still developing rapidly every day. Today, the scope of vehicle tracking had been expanded even more to better manage the daily operations of businesses and increase their efficiency.
Vehicle tracking is also enabling many organizations in reducing their operational cost, increasing profit rate, routing management and improved customer service. With the evolution of flexible and advanced GPS Technology, accurate tracking of one’s assets through various IoT devices and mobile phones is providing accountability, collaboration and transparency. Vehicle tracking devices are classified into two types
Passive Tracking Systems
Passive tracking devices store the data like GPS location, speed, heading, etc. of the vehicle from source to destination offline and the complete data is stored for future reference. Once the vehicle returns to the destination, the data is extracted into a computer for further analysis. The disadvantage of this system is that the data can not be accessed in real-time and if the vehicle is met with an accident or theft, then this system is not useful.
Active Tracking Systems
Active devices work similar to the passive device but the data transmit immediately to the user via cellular or satellite network to a PC.
1. GPS / OBD Tracking
Since the last decade, vehicles have started being designed with more and more electronic systems than mechanical ones, where all of them could be connected into a network using a well-executed program. With that, there had been numerous electronic devices like GPS & OBD devices that could not just track the location, but also detect all the major parameters of the vehicle. By just plugging the devices into the vehicle, the location could be tracked in real-time with advanced software developed to track every minor step the vehicle deviates from its prescribed path of operation. However, in this case, the process of equipping all the vehicles with one’s GPS/OBD devices could be challenging especially if those vehicles are not owned by the person who wants to know the location of the vehicle but just temporarily hired it for a one-trip operation. Moreover, the ports and sockets that support these GPS / OBD devices are still few, covering only 50% of the total truck population
2. Asset Tracking Devices
To counter this problem, another revolutionary solution came up to the forefront, called Compact Asset Tracker Device technology. Here, instead of connecting the hired vehicles with GPS, or dealing with old vehicles which do not have that option, the user can simply place a soapbox sized compact Asset Tracker which can be placed along with his goods in the truck. This battery-powered Asset Tracker can provide a location of the truck every 3 minutes for 30 days once it is charged fully. This is very useful in those vehicles where the user has little control over the driver of the truck. However, the initial setup costs of the devices are high which makes it difficult to embrace for small and medium-sized companies.
3. Cellular Tracking through Mobile Application
To solve the high initial costs issue, many Logistics Management Companies, including CtrlT, are providing their free tracking service through its Android & IOS Mobile Application. Any vehicle that needs to be tracked can have its driver to install the CtrlT Application where all the information of his trip including location, route, expenses and documentation can be managed by all the stakeholders of the trip. However, for this option, all the drivers need to have a Smartphone which might not be very prevalent at this moment of time.
4. Cellular Tracking through SIM Triangulation
Even without a smartphone, technology came up with the next best solution. Cellular Tracking through SIM Triangulation is a very flexible and cost-effective vehicle tracking solution. The tracking is done by simply tracking the driver’s mobile phone. Here the driver need not even have a smartphone but a simple feature phone with a SIM Card will be able to help us track his location. With the help of nearby tower signals, one can estimate the approximate location of the vehicle even when the driver is on a call. Further estimation can be determined by the distance between the sectors in which the mobile phone resides to the distance to the base station. However, this option is limited to the locations where the cellular network is available and might be detrimental in those locations where the reception is poor.
5. Satellite-Based Tracking System
To solve the reception issues, many trucking and shipping companies are adopting a satellite-based tracking service as well.
Even though the price is on a higher side, this option is used to track the vehicles mainly in remote areas where there is mobile coverage. It is the best system as it tracks the vehicle effectively and provides accurate information.
CtrlT with its vast experience in dealing with various kinds of clients were able to provide all these tracking solutions to their clients based on the specific requirements they had. With each and every challenge the clients came up with, CtrlT was able to generate a new solution suitable to their needs effectively. For more information about the services we provide, visit us at www.ctrlt.in and learn more about us.