GPS Tracking
In Arabicالتتبع بنظام GPS
Fixing a vehicle's position, speed and heading from satellite signals and sending them automatically to a platform that maps and stores them.
What is GPS tracking in fleet management?
The tracker in the vehicle receives signals from several satellites, works out position, speed and heading, and sends them over the mobile network to a server every few seconds or on events such as ignition on. The driver does nothing, which is why the same idea is also called Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL), the usual name in ambulance and public-transport fleets.
On the platform these messages become a live position on the map, a path history, distance travelled and alarms.
How it works
- 1Unit fixes position from satellites
- 2Sends the message over mobile network
- 3Platform maps and stores it
Why does GPS tracking matter in fleet management?
Without tracking, an operator only knows where vehicles are by phoning drivers. With it, you send the nearest vehicle to a customer, verify site visits, catch out-of-hours use, and have documented evidence when a delivery time or an accident is disputed.
What you gain
- Every vehicle's live position
- Auditable path history
- Basis for alarms and reports
How does Safee help with GPS tracking?
Safee accepts messages from trackers of many makes, so the whole fleet sits on one map and any past trip can be replayed in detail. For desert routes and remote sites Safee also supports a secondary satellite unit, so a vehicle does not disappear from the map when mobile coverage does.
A field example
A delivery company in Al Khobar running 120 small vans was getting complaints about late orders and could not see why. Tracking data showed 15 vans returning to the depot between every two drops instead of completing the round. The company redesigned the rounds and told drivers that routes would be reviewed daily. Average delivery time fell from 55 to 40 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is GPS tracking?
In open areas it is usually within a few metres; accuracy drops between tall buildings, in tunnels and in covered car parks.
What is the difference between GPS and AVL?
GPS is the technology the unit uses to fix its position. AVL is the whole system that reports that position automatically to a control centre and displays it; in commercial fleets it is simply vehicle tracking.
Does GPS tracking work without mobile coverage?
The unit still fixes its position from satellites but needs a link to send it. Many units store messages and send them when coverage returns; in the desert the alternative is a satellite-communication unit.
Want to put this to work in your fleet?
Talk to a Safee fleet expert about your vehicles and how you operate, and we will suggest what fits.
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