Vehicle tracking also know as GPS
vehicle tracking, GPS Tracking
or Satellite Tracking is a major part of many vehicle telematics
solutions. GPS Vehicle Tracking is technology which enables the user to
remotely locate and track the movements, status and behaviour of cars,
vans or heavy goods lorries.
Generally speaking, when the term vehicle tracking is used, it refers to the scenarios outlined above. However, there are actually two distinct types of vehicle tracking. Some products on the market are a hybrid of both AVL and EATS technology. However industry practice has tended to lean towards a separation of these functions. It is worth taking note that vehicle tracking products tend to fall in to one, not both of the technologies.
Generally speaking, when the term vehicle tracking is used, it refers to the scenarios outlined above. However, there are actually two distinct types of vehicle tracking. Some products on the market are a hybrid of both AVL and EATS technology. However industry practice has tended to lean towards a separation of these functions. It is worth taking note that vehicle tracking products tend to fall in to one, not both of the technologies.
A.V.L (Automatic Vehicle Location)Automatic Vehicle Location technology is predominately used when applying vehicle tracking to fleet or driver management solutions. The unit is configured to automatically transmit it’s location at a set time interval, e.g. every 5 minutes. The unit is activated when the ignition is switched on/off.
The use of
Automatic Vehicle Location is given in the following scenario; A car
breaks down by the side of the road. The roadside recovery company has
equipped its fleet with GPS Vehicle Tracking. It has several
vehicles operating in the area. Without needing to call each driver to
check his location the dispatcher can use his Vehicle Tracking System to
pinpoint his nearest vehicle and assign it to the new job. If you were
to incorporate, in addition to GPS Vehicle Tracking, the other aspects
of vehicle telematics into this scenario; the dispatcher, rather than
phoning the recovery vehicle operative, could transmit the job details
directly to the operative’s mobile data device, who would then use the
in-vehicle satellite navigation to aid his journey to the job.
E.A.T.S (Events Activated Tracking system)
This type of system is
primarily used in connection with vehicle or driver security solutions.
If, for example a thief breaks into your car and attempts to steal it,
the tracking system can be triggered by the immobiliser unit or motion
sensor being activated. A monitoring bureau, will then be automatically
notified that the unit has been activated and begin tracking the
vehicle.
Events activated Vehicle Tracking
technology is predominately used when applying vehicle tracking to
vehicle security solutions. An example of this distinction is given in
the following scenario; A construction company owns some pieces of
plant machinery that are regularly left unattended, at weekends, on
building sites. Thieves break onto one site and a piece equipment, such
as a digger, is loaded on the back of a flat bed truck and then driven
away. Typically the ignition wouldn’t need to be turned on and as such
most of the AVL products available wouldn’t typically be activated. Only
products that included a unit that was activated by a motion sensor or
GeoFence alarm event, would be activated. Both AVL and EATS systems
track, but for different purposes.
Regular topic and content updates are available here or shown now in full over at What are Vehicle Telematics and Vehicle Tracking? on the UK Telematics Online website.
