The student, Yasir Afifi, had taken his car in for a routine oil change when he and the oil change technician noticed wires hanging from a black box underneath his car. Neither one of the men knew what the device exactly was, so they immediately removed it from the vehicle.

Shortly after, not knowing exactly what the black box was or who had put it there, a friend of Afifi’s posted images of the GPS tracking device online. Next thing you know, about 48 hours later, 6 FBI agents showed up at Afifi’s apartment in Santa Clara, California, demanding that he immediately returned the GPS vehicle tracking device. The GPS tracking device was identified as a police-issue-only Cobham Orion Guardian ST82 vehicle tracking system.

According to the interview in Wired.com, Afifi, the son of an Islamic-American community leader who died a year ago in Egypt, is one of only a few people known to have found a government GPS tracking device on their vehicle. Afifi cooperated willingly and said he’d done nothing to merit attention from authorities. Comments the agents made during their visit suggested he’d been under FBI surveillance for three to six months.

The question of whether or not sticking a GPS on a car is legal is actually in the middle of a hot debate right now. His discovery comes in the wake of a recent ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals saying it’s legal for law enforcement to secretly place a tracking device on a suspect’s car without getting a warrant, even if the car is parked in a private driveway.

Legality aside, the tactic itself might have been carried out with something less than precision. Simply put, tracking devices shouldn’t be so easy to find. Wired talked to an agent who said that not only is the tracking device out of date, but state-of-the-art snoops hardwire the stuff directly to the car’s electrical system, avoiding the need for a battery.

For more details on this story , check out the article at Wired Magazine.

According to Kristal Wagner of Interwest Construction, Inc., “We had a truck stolen on Monday during the night. Tuesday morning, when the foreman was panicking & calling the sheriff, I used the the real-time GPS tracking device to pull up the vehicle’s exact location and gave the Sheriff the information. We recovered the truck within a couple of hours.  Some small items that weren’t valuable were stolen from the truck, but the vehicle was not harmed at all!”

GPS fleet tracking systems are recommended to all drivers by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) to prevent motor vehicle theft.  According to NICB, a car is stolen every 26 seconds in America. Nearly half of these are never recovered, and are commonly scrapped for parts or smuggled to another country. NICB’s vehicle protection approach recommends four layers of security based on the risk factors pertaining to a specific vehicle. Vehicle Tracking Systems are one such layer, and are described by the NICB as “very effective” in helping police recover stolen vehicles. Vehicle GPS tracking systems are an important and integrated part of the “layered approach” to protecting fleet vehicles.

Every year the NICB produces a list of the top ten vehicles that are most wanted by thieves. This list has the effect of alerting owners to the dangers of having these vehicles and hopefully, motivating them to do something about it. That “something” should include the purchase of a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device.  GPS tracking devices that allow an owner to track in real-time, the location of their vehicle helps in recovery efforts should their car become stolen. And, with possible reductions in insurance premiums for having and installing one, the unit pays for itself over time.

There are dozens of other reasons to have a vehicle tracking device such as FieldLogix installed. But suffice it to say that this reason is at the top of the list.  Being proactive about vehicle theft prevention will help keep you from becoming a victim.  And that is peace of mind we all can use.

https://www.nicb.org//

HVAC Challenges  & Controlling Operating Expenses with GPS Tracking:

Lack of accountability for drivers – Having a widespread fleet makes tracking worker location and activity. GPS fleet tracking can make your mobile employees and contractors more accountable.  Improving employee performance will not only make your customers more happy but it will make your drivers safe and at less risk of an accident.

High Cost of Fleet Vehicle Maintenance and Insurance – Managing a large group of fleet vehicles has high operational costs for most HVAC and building service contractors. Many HVAC managers have trouble keeping up with vehicle maintenance logs because they have to wait for drivers to manually submit their mileage records. But with a vehicle tracking system, electronic driving records are available 24/7 with just a click of the mouse. A modern GPS fleet management system can also help you to get better resale values when it’s time to sell or trade-in vehicles. Also, installing a fleet tracking device can instantly reduce your company’s insurance premiums and will help to immediately improve your ROI.

Inefficient Dispatching – Stop dispatching drivers at the end of their shift across town. With fleet tracking software dispatchers can locate and assign the best vehicle and driver nearest to the customer. This improved efficiency often leads to 1-2 additional service calls per day, per technician! $100 to $200 more per day, $500 to $1,000 per week, $2,000 to $4,000 monthly or an incredible $24,000 to $48,000 per year! Not only can this reduce employee overtime costs and improve customer service, but it can also reduce your fuel expenses and vehicle wear and tear.

Unauthorized vehicle usage  and Liability– Side jobs are common in building service industries, and they can cost your company in many ways. FieldLogix was able to help an HVAC company that had a mobile employee taking jobs after hours and using the company name and materials without permission. This caused the HVAC company huge problems because when the customer called, the HVAC manager had no record of the contract. Not only did the HVAC fleet manager look bad, but it could have easily caused lawsuit.

Reputation and Brand Protection – When a construction services company has spent decades building up its reputation, not being able to protect it is not an option. Monitoring fleet vehicles branded with the corporate logo cannot tolerate irresponsible or unsafe drivers.

Access to vehicle efficiency and driver productivity data helps a company manage the costs related to fleet operations. There can be a significant reduction in employee overtime costs and driver down-time; reduced maintenance costs directly affect the bottom line. Plus improved route efficiency and fleet metrics allow for expanding customer base. GPS truck tracking saves approximately $5,484 per employee annually.

2. Improved Fleet Operations

GPS tracking systems enable real-time decision making plus enhanced accountability of drivers and assets. Fleet managers will no longer have to rely on driver log sheets, service forms and truck maintenance records to keep track of fleet vehicle operations. Instant access to vehicle efficiency and driver productivity data can help a company better manage the costs related to fleet operations. GPS vehicle tracking allows companies to add more jobs to each work day. Companies typically see a 25% increase in work orders completed after implementing a GPS tracking device.

3. Reduced Fuel Costs and CO2 Emissions

Poor driving behavior such as speeding and unnecessary idling wastes fuel and can be identified with a GPS fleet tracking system. Fleet vehicles can use up to 800 gallons of fuel per year due to unnecessary idling alone, which costs approximately $2400 per vehicle per year.  Every unnecessary mile you eliminate will reduce your carbon footprint and can make your entire fleet more productive and environmentally responsible.

4. Efficient Routing & Dispatching Support

GPS technology enables dispatchers to use real-time driver locations for time-sensitive dispatching. Dispatchers can easily select and navigate the nearest vehicle to a specific location which will help to improve customer service as well. GPS technology can help dispatchers to identify service and delivery route overlaps, and to avoid difficult traffic areas that cause driver to be delayed or get lost.

5. Reduced Maintenance Costs and Vehicle Wear & Tear

Without a fleet management system, vehicles are usually serviced at regular intervals, regardless of whether the vehicle is actually in need of maintenance. A fleet tracking system will monitor each vehicle and send alerts to notify you when a vehicle requires repairs or maintenance. This can help to reduce excessive tire and engine deterioration which will extend the life of your trucks and equipment.

6. Automation of Record Keeping

Fleet GPS management systems take record keeping to a whole new level. All data relative to the fleet operations is recorded and can be easily organized exactly the way you want it. Fleet managers can schedule and verify vehicle and equipment service intervals; track service locations, equipment drop-off locations and routes used; plus maintain electronic records of employee hours and vehicle mileage. This information is invaluable in annual planning and in case of an audit.

7. Reduced Insurance Costs & Liability

Most insurance companies offer a discount to businesses utilizing GPS tracking devices in their fleet vehicles. Verifiable vehicle data will help to protect your business against frivolous lawsuits. Fleet management systems can also reduce your liability from accident claims and worker’s compensation costs.

8. Prevent Unauthorized Vehicle Use

Unauthorized and after-hours use of company vehicles can be identified and controlled with real-time data gathered from a fleet management system. Ending unauthorized vehicle use will also reduce unauthorized fuel consumption.

9. Increased Employee Safety

Automation of record keeping can help to improve driver safety and efficiency. Fleet managers can access important data about driver behavior such as speeding, unnecessary idling and the number of times the vehicle was put in reverse which can be dangerous. Fleet managers can reward their safest drivers and train their worst drivers to use better driving habits.  In case of an accident, GPS location data can also be used to contact emergency assistance.

10. Better Customer Service

Real-time vehicle tracking data can be used to verify driver deliveries and the amount of time spent at each location. Dispatching will be able to re-route drivers at a moment’s notice which will allow you to respond faster to customer inquiries.

The challenges facing fleet managers are becoming increasingly difficult. A fleet tracking system that lowers operating costs can help many companies to not only survive but thrive in today’s tough economic climate. A fleet tracking system can provide a return on investment in approximately four to nine months, depending on your industry. Modern fleet tracking and management systems are making it possible for managers to reduce fuel consumption and vehicle emissions, while simultaneously improving safety and legal compliance, and optimizing vehicle and driver operations. A GPS tracking system helps dispatchers to route the nearest vehicle to a specific location, navigate the best route, and minimize maintenance costs. Fleet managers can also reduce truck driver overtime and administrative costs by automating fuel costs and tax reporting with electronic truck driver reports.

Fleet tracking systems are available with a diverse range of functionality, from basic GPS tracking and navigation to feature-rich communications tools permanently placed inside the vehicle or equipment. Basic fleet tracking systems usually have GPS navigation and two-way communications between drivers and dispatchers. The next tier of fleet tracking systems usually includes tools for performance management and increased safety. The more robust systems provide features such as asset management optimization, arrival and departure monitoring, critical event reporting, driver email or notification alerts, and vehicle performance monitoring.

They enable managers to see information on gas mileage, idle time, speeding, and route measurements. These metrics are very helpful in reducing fleet operating costs. Better vehicle utilization can help a company avoid the cost of purchasing a new truck or hiring additional drivers when they really don’t need to. Fleet tracking systems can also help to ensure fleets are operated in compliance with stringent state and federal transportation laws, which is particularly helpful in case of an audit.

Monitoring safety issues and vehicle diagnostics is a critical part of a fleet manager’s job. Knowing where your mobile assets and employees are at all times adds an increased level of safety and security. Managers need to be notified of over-speed alerts to the driver. Plus they want to automate the hours-of-service process and to see fault codes indicated by the engine.

In addition, fleet tracking systems can help fleet managers to reduce their fleet emissions, which is becoming increasingly important in light of today’s environmental crises. Driver buy-in for fleet tracking systems has increased over the years because many drivers realize that reducing their fuel consumption while increasing the number of stops they can make per day puts more money in their pockets at the end of the week. Telematics technology can actually help truck drivers increase their productivity and therefore make more money.

San Diego, CA – January 15, 2005 – Field Technologies, a leading provider of GPS vehicle and asset tracking solutions, has announced that it has increased the number of GPS tracking units deployed throughout the US by 189% from 2003 to 2004.

As part of its national growth strategy, Field Technologies has gained a significant number of new customers throughout the United States. By providing industry-leading products and superior customer support, the company has been able to establish a strong reputation in the GPS industry.

“We have been careful to ensure that we establish solid marketing and support processes throughout the US. Unlike many GPS vendors who typically provide minimal to no customer support, our heavy emphasis on support has enabled us to grow dramatically. We are confident that we can deploy our systems anywhere throughout the US and provide superior post-sales support anywhere our customers are located.”

About Field Technologies: Field Technologies provides GPS vehicle and equipment tracking systems to companies throughout the United States. The company provides systems that operate with technology developed by industry leaders such as Microsoft, Motorola, T-Mobile and Cingular. Due to its industry-leading sales consultation and customer support, Field Technologies has grown significantly and now has GPS tracking devices installed in hundreds of vehicles nationwide.

For more information regarding our products, and a free demonstration, contact Field Technologies at 888-803-0200 or visit our website at www.fieldtechnologies.com.