A grey rat standing on a white background, looking directly at the camera.

When thinking of GPS trackers, most people think immediately of cars. While it's true that GPS tracking devices are primarily used on vehicles, the technology has many other applications. Its versatile and can be integrated with many other devices, such as your smartphone. You can use GPS tracking to keep tabs on virtually anything that moves.

GPS and vehicles

This is the most common use of GPS tracking devices. They can be used by:

  • * Employers want to keep an eye on employees using company vehicles to ensure that they are going where they say they are.
  • * Business owners and customer service managers want to provide their customers with better service about more accurate delivery times.
  • * Fleet managers monitor the performance of fleet vehicles, from speed management and safe driving to fuel efficiency and the best routes to take.
  • * Individuals wanting to protect their vehicles and recover them if they are stolen or go missing, there is also the possibility that a GPS tracker could lower a drivers insurance premiums.
  • * Suspicious spouses want to track where their partner goes in case of infidelity or possibly for use as evidence in a divorce case.
  • * Worried parents are trying to keep teen drivers safe, especially if they've just passed their driving test and are not behaving responsibly behind the wheel.
  • * Police and law enforcement officers want to recover stolen vehicles or catch speeding drivers.

Once placed discreetly on a vehicle, you can track the car's movements in real-time using a user interface on your smartphone or laptop or request location information via text message without the driver suspecting a thing.

Protecting property

A GPS tracker can also be a great way to protect property. A device can be placed on a static, non-moving piece of equipment, from a laptop to a piece of farm machinery, and only activated when the item is moved without permission. If the item is stolen, you can find and hopefully recover it in hours.

Tracking pets

This may sound like a more unusual use of SMS trackers, but many pet owners use the technology to keep their pets safe. Cats and dogs can leave home and go a-wandering for days, but it's only natural for the owner to start worrying if they are gone too long. Unfortunately, theres also the chance that a pet has been kidnapped, run over or stuck somewhere.

In many cases, being able to locate them within minutes using the signal from their GPS tracker (usually placed on the collar) can save the animals life or bring him or her home. Knowing where your adventurous pet is can also provide great peace of mind.