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Understanding The Reliability Of GPS Tracking

This article was published on: 06/17/16 by the Robert Hall

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find commercial vehicles that are not equipped with GPS navigation systems. However, most people can attest to the fact that many GPS systems are not entirely accurate. If you have ever found yourself driving on a road, only to look at your GPS and see that the system assumes you are in a field, you have experienced this phenomenon. If you are purchasing a GPS vehicle tracking system for your commercial fleet, you need to know that the system is going to be reliable. Here’s what to look for to help you choose a dependable GPS tracking system for your fleet.

How Accurate Is GPS Technology?

Today’s vehicle tracking systems can find the location of a vehicle within a very small radius — as small as about 3 yards. Some are even able to pinpoint location within 1 yard. Regardless, both of these are quite impressive. Thus, if the GPS is able to pinpoint locations so well, you need to know what other factors can impact the reliability of these systems.

What Can Impact the Reliability of GPS Tracking Systems?

Many factors can affect the consistency of a GPS tracking system. One of the biggest factors affecting reliability is the quality of the system, software and the receiver. If you need a high level of GPS tracking accuracy, you need to invest in a system that can deliver this.

Sometimes, systems will appear inaccurate because they have not been updated. Systems designed for passenger vehicles, may require occasional upgrades to update the mapping and include new roads and routes. Commercial systems often do this type of updating automatically, but each system will vary.

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If you have a reliable, proven system, you may still notice times when it’s not behaving as accurately as you might like. This may be due to obstructions, like high buildings, tunnels and trees that are compromising the transmission of the data. Since GPS relies on data being transmitted from the GPS satellites to the vehicle’s receiver, these types of obstructions can cause temporary reliability problems. Some areas of the country also have low GPS signal, which can compromise the system’s accuracy.

Consider Track Your Truck for Reliable GPS Tracking

If you are looking for reliable GPS systems for your business that come fully tested and with full warranties, consider Track Your Truck. Our vehicle tracking systems have proven reliability and are optimized for the needs of small- to medium-sized businesses. With Track Your Truck’s fleet tracking systems, you can be confident that the information about your vehicles is accurate and timely, allowing you to make informed decisions in the field when routing your vehicles.

Contact Track Your Truck today for a free quote, and see how GPS tracking accuracy can improve your fleet operations.