What is the Difference Between Vehicle Tracking and Vehicle Tracking Systems?

Many people have trouble interpreting the differences between the terms 'vehicle tracking' and 'vehicle tracking systems'. It is important to differentiate between the two when looking to invest in personal tracking or tracking for a fleet for your company.

Vehicle Tracking

Vehicle tracking is the method by which the police are alerted to an illegally moved vehicle and by which they can recover such a vehicle after a theft. Most new consumer vehicles are fitted with an immobiliser security system, which any vehicle tracking unit can then be integrated with. The vehicle tracking unit uses motion sensors to alert a control centre if the vehicle has moved without consent, in effect becoming part of the on-board security system and aiding recovery as the result of a breakdown or theft. This is the most basic type of vehicle tracking available and does not have the capability to indicate the status of the vehicle ie if the vehicle is off or is not working properly.

Vehicle Tracking Systems

Vehicle tracking systems however are a sophisticated means of keeping tabs on an entire fleet of commercial vehicles where data is collated by GPS tracking. Global Positioning Systems allow for regular updates to the manager of the fleet and can inform the company as to the status of the vehicle as often as every five minutes while the vehicle is away from its base. This means the company can tell how long the journey has taken and for how long the vehicle was stationary for and when and if the engine was turned off.

Used primarily as a source of monitoring business efficiency and productivity, having a vehicle tracking system means you can plan better routes for your fleet according to traffic and so decrease your fleets overall speed. This is possible since you will have the exact location of your vehicle in front of you and if you become aware of a problem in the road up ahead you can redirect the driver to another route so as to avoid any delays.

A GPS tracking system not only helps to keep your business up and running, it can also help to keep down the cost of fuel and wear on the vehicle. This allows for your business to save on operational costs as well as to make sure every driver is running to schedule.

A vehicle tracking system also means that once unauthorised movement of the vehicle is detected the immobiliser will keep the vehicle stationary allowing for faster recovery. Acting as a security asset as well as a cost effective means of keeping your business interests in check at all times, installing a vehicle tracking system can improve your business' interests all round.

Since the rise in popularity of mobile phones over the last few years the technology used in the communication between satellite and the masts on the ground has grown so much as to decrease the cost of having a tracking system for your business dramatically.

Not only is having a vehicle tracking system a great way to save on overall costs for your business then but, depending on which system you choose, you can even customise your tracking needs to accommodate data for when the vehicle was turned off and even to monitor if the vehicle is being used outside of working hours.