The 3G Shutdown Is Coming – Is Your Fleet Prepared or in the Dark?
In recent decades fleet management has been revolutionised by GPS tracking systems . For many businesses, it has become an indispensable tool that helps to ensure effective and efficient operations. For others, it has become a necessity to protect their luxury, enviable and even driverless vehicles.
Here’s a look at these vehicles, and why they should definitely be tracked:
The Most Expensive
The Rolls-Royce Sweptail is one of, if not, the most expensive car in the world, carrying a price tag of NZ$18.7 million. Not only is the Sweptail expensive, but it’s also incredibly rare. It is a one-off build commissioned from the ground up, drawing design inspiration from Rolls-Royce’s classic models and from various super yachts. Featuring a panoramic glass roof, an interior lined with generous quantities of polished Macassar ebony and open-pore Paldao wood, the Sweptail has been described as the automotive equivalent of haute couture.
Luxury cars such as the Sweptail are admired by many, making them favoured targets for thieves. It only seems logical to have GPS tracking system installed in case a thief attempts to make away with it. These days, luxury car makers are aware of the risky appeal their cars have so many have in-built GPS. If bandits did try their luck, active GPS technology communicates between the car and owner in real-time, allowing law enforcement to track and close in on the vehicle and sometimes the perpetrators if they’re still in possession of it.
The Most Stolen
Motorcycle theft is a growing criminal activity in certain parts of the world. With 45,261 registered motorcycles in New Zealand, this is a real concern. Honda tops the list for one the of most stolen makes of motorcycles. While that’s bad news for Honda owners, there are ways to keep your bike safe, including using GPS tracking technology.
Honda UK – where bike theft is rife – has even announced they will fit GPS trackers in each new motorcycle manufactured after 2 July 2018. These trackers can detect if a motorcycle is moved, whether the ignition is on or off, and can send alerts to the owner. They also track the bike’s position in real-time. Not only can this pinpoint the bike’s location if it was stolen, but it can monitor drivers – keeping track of any inefficient riding behaviours and helping them to improve on these.
As well as GPS, strong, thick chains and padlocks plus an ignition lock should be used for protection. Without them, it becomes a laughably easy offence to steal a motorcycle.
Motorcycles are generally a seasonal mode of transportation, making them most susceptible to thefts during the summer months. With the New Zealand summer approaching soon, motorcycles are one type of vehicle that should definitely be tracked, especially if that motorcycle is a late model Honda.
The Driverless
The Tesla Semi is an electric semi-trailer truck planned for production in 2019. The truck is powered by battery, allowing it to travel around 800 kilometres between charges, can haul more than 36 tonnes, and even drive itself on highways.
Autonomous vehicles like the Tesla Semi are set to revolutionise the transportation industry, they also heavily rely on GPS tracking technology. Without it, they simply wouldn’t be able to operate. The semi has in-built ‘Enhance Autopilot’, a feature designed by Tesla that uses GPS technology, built-in radars and cameras to drive autonomously and safely.
While still in prototype development, the semi uses sensors, radars and cameras to provide 360-degree visibility with up to 250 metres of range. It also detects both hard and soft objects, enabling the identification of things such as heavy rain, fog, vehicles and the lane it drives in.
The Enhance Autopilot feature also provides maximum visibility and control over the semi’s operations, meaning you can drive it from in or outside the cab. With a GPS fleet management solution, fleet managers and drivers can go about their day knowing that they have full control of their vehicles, all at the touch of a few buttons.
If you have vehicles that needs tracking – whether it’s a sedan, a long-haul truck or a piece of construction machinery – check out our GPS tracking solution here