How to check the precise mileage of the car? Most drivers trust readings of the odometer, a regular sensor that records number of wheel rotations and displays distance in kilometers, or calculates the distance between destination points.
Such a system of mileage control is not the most trustful. Depending on the car wear, the odometer tolerance reaches up to 10% in mechanical sensor and up to 2% in digital ones. If necessary, odometer readings can be corrected by simply winding the mileage, so you will never know the precise mileage of the car.
Controlling the car’s mileage using GPS is an alternative and safe solution for those who need precise data that cannot be changed by somebody.
Controlling mileage of the car using the mobile application «Loccate»
While you use mobile applications “Loccate”, your employees do not need laptops or any extra devices. An electronic system of mileage control runs on regular smartphones.
To start working, you should install applications using AppStore or Google Play:
- “Loccate Tracker” — on the smartphone of the person whose location must be tracked
- “Loccate Monitor» — on the smartphone of the person who will be monitoring transfer of objects.
For easy installation, electronic invitations are used. The monitoring person sends invitations to the person whom he plans to monitor. For example, a manager sends an invitation to an employee, or a parent – to a child.
An invitation is delivered via SMS and/or Email and contains:
- A link to free download of an application
- A personal 12-digit identifier
In its turn, the tracked person accepts an invitation: by following the link, he downloads the application “Loccate. Tracker” for Android or iOS, and after launching it he inputs the 12-digit identifier from an invitation.
How the mobile application «Loccate» works
Unlike built-in record devices, an electronic control of the car’s mileage operates in real time. Display the vehicle’s route on the map and see your cargo transfer or your employee driving a car. Transfers can be tracked on your smartphone using a mobile application or on your desktop using a Web version.
If you find your employee is late or changes occur in the route, send a message via chat in the application and finalize.
A person whose transfer you are tracking cannot alter or correct data. You have an access to history of all transfer for any day, month or certain period.
You can also set up notifications for important events: to see that a car has left geozone or has been idle for too long.
Electronic monitoring using GPS trackers
To generally track transfers of car park or your relatives, options of the application “Loccate Tracker” for smartphone will be enough. If you need precise tracking, continuous communication and longtime history record, choose GPS trackers with advanced options.
Information from a tracker will be sent to your smartphone or computer in real time.
To define the location, GPS trackers use not only GPS and GLONASS, but also an extra technology A-GPS with a very quick “cold start”. To be secure in zones with bad connection, trackers are equipped with technology LBS, which defines the location by base stations of the mobile network.
Another huge pro of trackers is extra options that will help you consider all the details. Such as, GPS trackers can be easily used as a device for controlling fuel consumption.
Electronic control of fuel consumption
Electronic control of fuel consumption and vehicle monitoring will help in reducing costs of repair and maintenance of a car park. Using GPS control, you can monitor fuel consumption and the level of fuel in each vehicle in real time.
The system “Loccate” provides the possibility of generating the history of trips and visual reports on fuel consumption, so that you will immediately know of failures — unauthorized “drains” or breakdowns on route.
To control fuel consumption using GPS a car tracker is needed, with an installed sensor of fuel consumption or without it. For example, the model “Queclink GV500” does not require installation of an extra sensor and reads data from a built-in information system of a car. The tracker is installed in the diagnostic port OBDII, which is available in all contemporary cars. The tracker “Teltonika FMB920” can operate as a device for controlling fuel consumption together with an analog sensor.
Using trackers, it is possible to monitor fuel consumption of a car in systems with huge tanks or complex-form tanks. In such a case, we would recommend the tracker «GalileoSky V7.0” combined with multiple dip fuel sensors. Within the Loccate system, their readings can be summed up or brought to an average using a virtual aggregating sensor.
How to choose a tracker
First, you should decide which type of tracker installation is suitable for you.
GPS modules for installation, with connection to vehicle network
These compact trackers will suit most of the vehicles. You will be able to track the location of the vehicle with precision up to 5 meters, save trip history for three years and get the record of the route even if the vehicle is out of the GSM coverage zone. Extra options of car trackers, such as Teltonika FMB 920, GalileoSky V7.0 and other — ignition control, engine lock, control of temperature and fuel consumption — will help in smooth remote controlling of the car.
GPS trackers in the diagnostic port OBD2 (without mounting)
OBD trackers are installed in the diagnostic port of the car without mounting, so that even a person without any special technical skills will be able to install a tracker and start using it.
Models Queclink GV500 or Teltonika FMB 010 have 2 pre-installed orthographic GNSS antennas and an advanced high-sensitive GPS chip of the 7 generation, which provides high precision of positioning and a stable receiving signal. The signal remains stable even in so called “dead zones” – tunnels, narrow streets, and high-density forests.
Among extra options of these models we should mention a notification of loading onto tow truck and a road accident sensor that will send a special signal to defined contacts in case of an accident, which is handy for personal use and both for monitoring employees on their way.
GPS trackers with prolonged autonomous operation
For cars with which you interact occasionally, GPS trackers with prolonged autonomous operation will be suitable. An affordable tracker model, e.g. X-Keeper, can work up to two years from regular batteries — a tracker is installed once and a car is always in touch wherever it is. To help batteries work as long as possible, increase the time span between points; it varies from several minutes to several days.
If it is important for a car to be in touch every 15 minutes, the battery will last for 4 days, and if the location is tracked once in three days, the battery will last for two years. On average, good batteries like Panasonic will last for 400 notifications of location.
The tracker Meitrack T355 , unlike the previous model, tracks the location continuously without intervals. This is necessary if you need promptly monitor the condition of the transport or shipment during all the way. In mode of continuous data transfer, the device works for up to 120 hours, and in standby mode – for up to one year.
Wonde Proud M7 is a robust tracker that will help you to monitor location of a vehicle from 45 hours to two years. The device will work for 45 hours in mode of continuous data transfer, or for 1.5 year if data is transferred once a day.
Options of the each tracker are provided with more details in our catalogue.