GPS Tracking vs Navigation: What’s The Difference?
The global positioning system, or GPS, is a technology that has become more familiar to normal Americans over the last few years. Like so many other things, new technology has made this once very complicated system something easy to use. Most of us use it daily for directions or to avoid traffic. GPS tracking is a newer use of the same core technology that is gaining popularity. This is a simple guide to explain how it is different from navigation systems. You might also want to read our article explaining how GPS car tracking works.
To put it in very simple terms, GPS navigation tells you where you are and how to get to a destination. GPS tracking will show you where someone else is and where they have been. This is obviously very useful for businesses. For example, a lawn care company with several crews out in the field may use trackers. Families worried about the safety of new or elderly drivers can also utilize GPS trackers.
GPS Tracking For Small Business
Tracking company vehicles has a great deal of potential for business owners. At the very least it provides a snapshot of where employees and assets are at any given time. This may be used to check if any employee has made it to a specific client or to see which employee is closest to a new service request. GPS tracking company vehicles provides a certain level of protection, too. It can show a stolen truck’s location or prove an employee was not speeding.
GPS tracking systems offer much more than just location information. They show where each vehicle has been, helping owners confirm service calls or plan future routes. They display how long vehicles are at a single location helping to determine billable hours. User determined alerts show if drivers exceed a certain speed, track vehicle maintenance and more. Today’s tracker systems even let owners divide their fleets into specific sub-groups (such as “sales” and “service” vehicles) to simplify management. Another great tool is marking important locations with a geofence. An owner may, for example, mark their warehouse so they receive alerts each time a work truck leaves in the morning or returns at night.
GPS tracking is more than a way to constantly monitor employees. It is an important tool for fleet management, workforce efficiency and future planning. Modern systems, such as those available from GoTrack, are easy to install and do not require any specialized support equipment. In fact, a business owner can manage their entire fleet, whether a couple of work trucks or hundreds of delivery, service and sales vehicles, from their smartphone using a secure app.
Families And GPS Tracking
It is easy to understand why a business would add GPS tracker devices to their vehicles. However, many people assume that a family would not have a use for one. Others feel that it would be complicated to install. Some think trackers must be hard to use. The truth is that many families gain a feeling of security knowing a GPS tracking system protects their cars. Not only can it show them where a stolen car has been taken, it can quickly locate a loved one in an emergency. This is the main reason many parents place such a device on their teenager’s car. Others find that it is a great way for grandma and grandpa on the road safely.
Today’s technology allows concerned vehicle owners to plug a unit such as the GoTrackEZ directly into their car. Family members can then use their smartphone to monitor a teen or senior driver. If you prefer, access the same data via the Internet with your tablet or computer. Specific locations can be identified to show when a teen arrives at school or leaves in the afternoon or whenever a vehicle leaves home. GPS tracking apps such as GoTrack’s give minute by minute updates when a vehicle is in motion that indicate speed and location. When turned off the unit checks in with a location hourly. You do not have to constantly monitor the app, though. Custom notifications can even be sent via email or text. That makes it is easy and convenient to provide an extra level of security without complicated software.