GPS Vehicle Tracking Can Help Businesses Keep Track of Company Assets in Tough Times

Copyright (c) 2011 Alison Withers

During the difficult trading conditions expected in 2011 companies and organisations must focus on keeping their costs down, and therefore protecting their assets, so they need to pay attention to those employees who are mobile, working alone and have to take expensive company equipment with them.

According to the GMB Trades Union those most at risk include workers providing a service (such as refuse collectors, utilities workers, tradesmen, repairers, shop delivery workers), the care sector (GPs on call, home helps, meals on wheels etc) and security workers and staff who handle cash.

All of these people spend their working day out and about, often alone and may well be driving company vehicles or, if they are self-employed, using a vehicle and carrying equipment that is essential for them to do their job.

When times are as tough economically as they are at present (2011) the temptation of an unlocked delivery or trade vehicle which may contain expensive tools and equipment rises especially if they have a black market resale value.

Any increase in vehicle or equipment theft will also sooner or later push up insurance premiums and therefore business overheads and this also is something a business will want to keep an eye on. If a business has only enough vehicles and equipment it actually needs and no spare capacity, so there is also the inconvenience factor to consider.

Under the health and safety legislation employers also have a duty of care towards the safety of their employees who are out and about working alone and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publishes guidelines to help employees assess the risks and put in measures to mitigate them.

In its guide one of the measures the HSE advises are providing automatic warning devices which operate if specific signals are not received periodically from the lone worker and other devices designed to raise the alarm in an emergency.

Taking preventative measures is therefore increasing in importance and GPS vehicle tracking is an effective means of keeping track of both property and the whereabouts of lone workers (not least those whose personal safety may also be vulnerable because of the nature of their work). Plainly GPS technology protects the vehicle by allowing vehicle tracking.

GPS tracking technology can be installed permanently in vehicles or supplied as a carry-away option. They are linked back to the company's computer system and can be set up to sound an alert if the vehicle is moved outside of the locations where it is meant to be or remains away longer than the time it was estimated that the job should take and there has been no contact with the employee, depending on what the user wants.

The portable versions could possibly be used in tool boxes or attached to other expensive equipment as a precaution.

Either way a theft of a vehicle or property with a GPS system installed means that <a href="http:// www.zesttracking.co.uk">vehicle tracking increases the possibility that missing items can be tracked and their locations pinpointed to help both owners and the police and there is more chance of their being recovered.

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