Hard Wired or Portable GPS Trackers?

Deciding on a GPS vehicle tracking partner can be a confusing and difficult decision, with many providers offering different packages.

What if it's not just your company vehicles that you would benefit from tracking?

Knowing the location of trailers that were parked off site months ago is as

important as their current location and plant and machinery isn't just tracked for security, also engine hours for servicing and to log off hire activity.

Staff's own vehicles regularly used for company business is an area that a hard wired tracker just isn't going to be accepted, yet you have the same health and safety responsibilities as your own vehicles and there's a huge benefit from managing these the same way as your owned vehicles when under your responsibility.

So, back to my initial question, hard wired or portable GPS trackers?

In vehicles that are owned or leased by the company it's a pretty straight forward and simple decision, hard wired all the way.  No temptation to remove them and they are installed covertly and forgotten about.

With staff's own vehicles being used for business this isn't as clear cut for hard wired GPS trackers.  Quite rightly staff will object to being tracked in their own vehicle when not working.  Yes, you can install some sort of privacy button, there is always going to be unease with a hard wired tracker in this environment.  Putting the employee in control makes a huge difference here.  

A GPS tracker that they are responsible for plugging into their vehicle cigarette lighter gives them the peace of mind in knowing that if they remove it they are not tracked.  Ensuring they use it is down to setting the right company policies.  If mileage is claimed then it's easy, they are only paid for miles they are tracked, if they don't use it they don't get paid for the mileage.  This also simplifies the mileage logging process for your employees and ensures accuracy, as well as providing you with the health and safety and management information you require.  If sales staff provide an appointment log for their manager, again, the portable tracker will provide appointment locations and times without saving them administration time which they can use more productively.

Trailers and plant can really boil down to what information you need and how long you need it for when there is no power to the unit.

It's always important with trailers and plant to check the IP rating on any unit you select.  These are likely to be in much more wet and demanding

environments and not tucked safely away where they are protected from the elements.

A hard wired unit is going to need to be charged.  Not difficult on plant, this will require driver co-operation to ensure this is done on trailers.  As long as the unit has power it's going to give you all the information you receive on a hard wired GPS tracker in a vehicle.

A portable unit for trailers and plant has different benefits.  You may not receive as much data as a hard wired unit as the self-contained battery life needs to be taken into consideration.  It's no good if you have to charge it manually or replace the batteries every month.  What a portable unit does here is provide you with flexibility to transfer between different assets as they need to be tracked and remove the expense of transferring the hard wired unit which is going to need a certain level of skill and expertise not required for transferring a portable unit.

The truth of it is, for some of your assets hard wired GPS trackers are the best option and for others a portable GPS tracker would be much better suited.

Jets GPS Tracker is a low cost multi-hardware platform catering for all these scenarios which allows you to select different hardware solutions for the different requirements of your entire fleet and vehicles used regularly for business which you are then responsible for.

All of your assets can be viewed in one software platform on any computer or smartphone.

Our minimum subscription term is only 3 months providing you with confidence and flexibility in the event of assets not being used for a prolonged period of time.  All our units are fitted with UK roaming Sims to provide the best connectivity which can be upgraded to Western European roaming for a small premium.

Contact Jets GPS on 01254 914 538 for an initial telephone consultation where your needs can be established.  A proposal can then be provided and if you are happy with this online demonstrations are quick and easy to conduct before you decide if Jets GPS Tracking Ltd are the right partner for you.