In June of 1963, the fourth of twenty-four NAVSTAR satellites was hurled into space, completing the Department of Defense's Global Positioning System. Though there had been other kinds of navigational systems before, this was something totally different. The accuracy of GPS is unprecedented. Although invented for military use and run by the U.S. Air Force, civilians could and did tap into this technology, and now GPS devices are great tools to help people find their way and track objects. Atomic clocks, correct to the billionth of a second, made GPS tracking possible. GPS works through receivers which compute location through geometry and trigonometry, figuring the difference in the arrival time of signals from four or more of the satellites. Location may be pinpointed within a very small area, and with some devices, even less. Currently, GPS devices can be cellular based, wireless, or satellite. Businesses immediately picked up on the advantages of using GPS devices. With the ability to determine location, time, direction, and speed of any fleet vehicle, trailer, or piece of equipment, GPS is invaluable for monitoring. GPS tracking is a wonderful tool for lowering a company's bottom line. Rental car companies can swiftly locate missing vehicles. The unauthorized use of company cars can be halted. Trucking companies can use reports generated by GPS to keep track of their drivers' productivity. Drivers who are monitored are not prone to speed, drive a vehicle out of a predefined area, make unauthorized stops, or build up unnecessary overtime hours. The efficiency of individual drivers can be evaluated using GPS reports, and incentives can be used to up productivity. The increased efficiency means more stops can be made in a day and that translates into happier customers! More and more businesses are believing in the value of GPS tracking. Saving money, time, and fuel, tracking devices lower operating costs a great deal. In addition, the ability to locate lost, stolen, or missing property can save high replacement costs. The benefits are so good that many insurance companies lower premiums for customers who employ GPS devices.
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