Whether you’re a parent looking to keep tabs on your teen drivers or a business owner wanting to monitor your fleet vehicles, there are countless reasons to invest in a hidden GPS tracker. However, finding the right device requires a bit of research.
Luckily, we’ve got you covered! Read on for our top tips for choosing the best GPS tracker for your vehicle.
Table of Contents
1. Tracking Capabilities
GPS tracking devices are powerful tools for individuals and businesses alike. For fleets, they provide an effective solution for managing vehicles, protect your vehicle reducing costs, improving utilization and meeting regulatory compliance.
A reliable GPS tracker is one that provides real-time data. For example, it enables you to identify fuel efficiency challenges and dispatch drivers to reduce fuel consumption and expenses.
Another useful tool is the geofencing capability, which enables you to receive instant alerts whenever the vehicle crosses a pre-defined boundary. This helps you demarcate areas like a warehouse, customer’s business, and other important locations.
Another aspect to look for in a GPS tracker is its ease of use and installation. The best vehicle tracking hardware is easy to install and doesn’t require extensive technical knowledge. For instance, the SEEWORLD R56L OBD plug-in tracker only requires a vehicle with an OBD II port and can be easily switched between active and sleep modes. It also detects the car’s engine status so it can wake up and start working when the vehicle starts.
2. Reliability
Whether you’re tracking a teen driver out of concern for their safety or you manage a fleet of vehicles, it’s important that the GPS tracker you choose provides accurate and consistent information. It can be frustrating and stressful if the device constantly sends inaccurate data that throws off your tracking and navigation abilities.
GPS trackers use satellites to communicate with receivers on the ground, but there are many factors that can affect the accuracy of the signals. These include weather conditions, which can interfere with the transmission of the GPS signals from the satellites to the receivers.
Choosing a GPS tracker with reliable tracking capabilities can save you time and money in the long run. Look for one that offers a free trial and no monthly fees, as well as geofencing capabilities to help you manage your vehicle fleet more effectively. You may also want to consider the battery configuration of the device, as this will impact how often you need to charge it.
3. Geofence Zones
A GPS tracker’s geofence zones (also called safety, polygon, or zone) function as virtual boundaries that can trigger a number of pre-programmed actions. When a vehicle enters or exits a specific zone, geofences can automatically trigger push notifications, alerts, in-app content or ads, and more.
For example, BMW offers a unique service that uses geofence technology in their electric vehicles to activate their eDrive Zone feature. When a BMW plug-in hybrid drives into one of these low-emission, inner city areas, it automatically switches to pure electric mode.
Similarly, some shipping and construction companies use geofences to set up alerts when their vehicles enter or exit work sites. This helps maintain compliance with safety standards and ensures that employees are honest when reporting their hours. Other marketers use geofences to target competitors’ customers with coupons and promotions that are triggered when a customer visits the competition. This type of hyper-targeted marketing has been shown to deliver more effective results than traditional advertising.
4. Easy Installation
A GPS tracker can be a great tool for many different reasons. For instance, a parent can add one to their child’s vehicle for safety and monitoring purposes. Likewise, fleet owners can use them to monitor driver routing, efficiency, and scheduling.
A wired GPS device can be plugged into the OBD port of your car. To do this, open up the dashboard of your car to reveal the wires: Red wire(power), white wire(ignition), and black wire(ground). Using a pick tool, create a small hole in the constant power wire by poking it. Then, take the exposed end of the red wire on the tracking device and thread it through the hole you created. Once the two are connected, wrap them together and cover them with electrical tape.
It is also important to ensure the GPS tracker you purchase has a great network connection, as well as a user-friendly mobile and computer application. This will allow you to get the most out of your new car GPS.
