Fleet management is one of the most challenging tasks to perform for fleet owners and managers.
From keeping everything on track to implementing last-minute actions and impromptu places in cases of an accident or a theft.
One of the major tasks was to locate fleets and to plan routes and schedules. The addition of innovative technology and creativity in the fleet industry had paved the road for efficient and fast fleet management.
Technology like Fleet Management system, Fuel management Systems, the coming of dashcam truck and GPS has changed the game for fleet management.
GPS, which stands for Global positioning system, basically means a system that can locate anything or any device across the globe with the help of satellites and networks.
GPS technology has come through a long road since its invention and makes things easier for a lot of people and companies on a daily basis.
Functions of GPS in a fleet
The coming of GPS technology has revolutionised fleet management.GPS serves many roles on a day to day basis in fleet operations. Some of the uses of GPS in fleet management are-
- GPS helps fleet managers to know the exact location of the device. They can track the real-time position of the fleet and can schedule other deliveries and routes accordingly.
- The drivers cannot misuse or delay the deliveries by taking unnecessary and long breaks as everything is tracked down by the manager with the help of GPS.
- In case of an accident or other mishap, it is easy to locate the device and reach out to the fleet to minimise any kind of loss. In case of accidents, GPS proves very crucial as it can help to save the drivers life by locating the fleet.
- You can easily track fuel usage by tracking the routes and distance travelled by your fleets. Drivers can not do any trick or foul play to save money by any inappropriate means.
- GPS also helps in scheduling and deciding the routes for your fleets by suggesting all the preferred routes, predicting the approximate time of the journey between two locations and notifying the real-time traffic condition on a particular route.
Evolution of GPS throughout the Years
The story of the evolution of GPS from its invention to the present is interesting. Nobody thought in the initial years that it would become such a common part of everyday life and will change the human world forever.
Global Positioning System or GPS came into existence in the year 1995 in the public world and from there it became a common household gadget in the upcoming years. At present GPS technology is used by everyone on a day to day basis.
GPS helps people by making them self sufficient to travel to unknown places and reach new destinations or spots without asking anyone for help.
It was the year 1972 when GPS came into existence in the territories of the United States Air Force. It was developed by the US Air Force for defence purposes. Navstar was responsible for magnifying the scope of the technology throughout the United States.
The US army was using the GPS technology to its full potential and it gave them an edge in many encounters and operations. The might of the US army increased by the addition of GPS technology.
In 1983, the government of the United States declared that GPS technology will be made available for public use as it can revolutionize the human world.
Until 1983, the satellites and technology were restricted to the United Nations as the satellites were US-based and other countries of the world were not marked under these satellites.
It took six years to fully cover the entire globe with the GPS satellites. In 1989, the whole world was marked under GPS and it was a breakthrough year for GPS technology.
It was Bill Clinton, the president of the United States that allowed and stressed the use of GPS by the general population of the world.
The president makes sure that the GPS technology will serve dual purposes both for military purposes and for the use of the general public.
The GPS technology owned by the US government for defence purposes was more advanced than the GPS technology allotted for general use.
In the year 2004, the US government started interfering with the GPS satellites to increase the security of certain locations. The government purposefully used to blur the locations for general use. The demand to remove such censorship increased throughout the world.
Throughout the upcoming years, the technology developed further with higher accuracy and better efficiency. The newer locations were mapped on the satellites to give a more clear and accurate picture of the world.
In the year 2016 many social networking sites started to use GPS technology to mark places to hang out for their users. This was a step into the new world of GPS that will aid to make GPS a daily use technology for the masses.
The fortunes changed quickly in 2014 with the inclusion of Global Positioning System (GPS ) technology into mobile phones. This completely changed the dynamic of GPS technology. Now, everyone was having access to the technology and was able to use it with the help of a few clicks on their phones.
From 2014 to the present, the world is now running day and night with the help of GPS technology. From personal uses to use in large businesses, you will find GPS everywhere. All the countries use GPS to strengthen the defence of the country and to aid their armies.
The future of GPS technology is more bright and the use of GPS will become more and more common with advancements in technology. Major industries and businesses will use GPS technology for various uses.
Technology will make the human world more efficient and quick in the upcoming years.
The working of GPS
The GPS technology uses 29 satellites revolving around the earth two times in a span of 24 hours. These satellites cover different parts of the world and create an overall map of the globe.
Whenever you use the GPS tool from your mobile phone or any other device, a total of 3 satellites at a specific time helps in locating your location.
These satellites help in determining your location and calculate the distance between you and the satellites to configure your exact location.
The satellites transmit data to your device allowing you to know your location on the globe.