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Asset management solutions: A buyers guide
Get a jumpstart on choosing an asset management solution with this buyers guide. It includes questions to consider, attributes...
Read moreMost businesses know GPS tracking as a way to keep tabs on vehicles and equipment. But they often overlook how much it can do to strengthen fleet safety and security.
Installing a small GPS tracking device on vehicles and assets provides visibility into that equipment from virtually anywhere, at any time. But GPS tracking does more than show dots on a map. It acts as a silent guardian — alerting managers to risks and giving companies confidence that their investments are secure.
Operators and managers can see whether equipment has moved after hours, crossed a geofence boundary or triggered a maintenance need. They get live visibility of every driver’s location so help can be dispatched in an emergency. And with near real-time alerts, if a trailer leaves a yard unexpectedly or a vehicle powers on without authorization, managers can spot irregularities quickly and act before small issues become major security risks — like a $50,000 backhoe driving away.
By looking beyond basic tracking, organizations can uncover the true security power of GPS as a vital layer of protection.
Fortifying your assets: Theft prevention and recovery
When equipment or vehicles go missing, the financial impact goes well beyond the sticker price. Stolen trailers or heavy machinery can bring projects to a halt, trigger costly delays and damage customer trust. Insurance may cover some of the expense, but it rarely offsets the lost productivity or reputational harm.
GPS tracking helps businesses stay vigilant by putting eyes on assets at all times. With small, durable devices installed on powered and non-powered equipment, managers can see where assets are, when they last moved. For powered assets, managers can even see if the ignition has been powered on after hours. These insights act as early warning signs of theft or misuse, giving companies a chance to detect activity that might have gone unnoticed and act quickly.
Geofencing adds another layer of defense by creating virtual boundaries around job sites, storage yards or delivery zones. If an asset leaves an authorized area, the system sends an instant alert, providing near real-time intelligence that can drastically improve recovery efforts. This immediate visibility can not only help law enforcement track down stolen property but it also can reduce the downtime and disruption that often follows theft.
Protecting your people: Driver safety and emergency response
Keeping employees safe is an essential part of operating a fleet-based business. GPS tracking provides visibility into where drivers are — when they are in their vehicles — at any moment, with live maps accessible from a computer or mobile device. This oversight ensures managers always know their teams’ locations, whether they’re across town or working in remote areas.
That visibility becomes critical during emergencies. If a vehicle breaks down, an accident occurs or a driver experiences a medical issue, dispatchers can pinpoint the exact location within seconds and send help directly to the scene. The Clare County Sheriff’s Department uses Verizon Connect Reveal for this very reason.
“There’s no cost on officer safety when it comes to knowing where they’re at,” says Sheriff John Wilson. “ If they all of a sudden go chasing someone and didn’t notify dispatch, we know exactly where their car’s at.”
This kind of situational awareness can make all the difference when seconds matter.
Tracking data also offers insights into driving behaviors such as speeding or harsh braking. Addressing these risky habits helps reduce the likelihood of road incidents that put both employees and the public at risk.
For lone workers operating in isolated environments, GPS tracking provides peace of mind by ensuring their location is always visible and that assistance can be dispatched if needed. This level of protection builds confidence for employees and demonstrates a company’s commitment to their well-being.
Proactive fleet security: Beyond reactive measures
Strong fleet safety and security isn’t just about responding quickly when something goes wrong — it’s about preventing problems in the first place.
GPS tracking helps businesses take a more proactive approach by highlighting unusual activity that may indicate unauthorized use or tampering. By tracking usage over time, you develop historical data norms. If usage begins to shift outside the predictable norms, you can dig further to determine if that usage is authorized — or not. You can also set up alerts for ignition, movement or other sensor activity with parameters around time of day to catch anomalies. That way, if a trailer moves or equipment becomes active during off-hours, you’re alerted early and can review it before it becomes a larger issue.
Maintenance reminders provide another layer of protection. By ditching paper-based processes and using GPS tracking platforms, managers can schedule service based on distance, engine hours or calendar intervals, and receive alerts when maintenance is due or when diagnostic fault codes appear. These tools keep assets reliable and reduce the risk of unplanned downtime that could leave equipment vulnerable.
Equally important is the ability to see everything in one place. Typically, businesses purchase vehicles and equipment from different suppliers and at various times, meaning they have a variety of equipment makes, models and manufacturers.
But rather than relying on scattered original manufacturer systems or outdated records, fleet operators and managers can use a single GPS platform like Verizon Connect Reveal to consolidate asset data into a single, secure dashboard.This unified view streamlines oversight and makes it easier to spot irregularities and turn fragmented information into actionable intelligence for stronger fleet security.
Real-world impact: Enhancing supply chain security
GPS trailer tracking adds a concrete layer of protection to supply chains. With Verizon Connect’s Trailer Tracking solution, businesses can track trailers 24/7 from a live map on desktop or mobile, giving reliable location data and geofence alerts to protect cargo and detect unexpected movements.
What’s more, the system helps improve on-time delivery and efficient use of trailers by showing which ones are in use, where they’ve been, and identifying underused units so fleets can reassign them rather than keep them idle. This doesn’t just guard against theft or loss — it helps you get more value from your assets.
Keep shipments safe and customers up-to-date with GPS trailer tracking.
A comprehensive approach to fleet safety and security
GPS tracking has become much more than a tool for monitoring vehicles and equipment. It serves as an unseen guardian, helping businesses prevent theft, respond to emergencies and keep supply chains moving securely.
By consolidating data, enabling proactive alerts and providing real-time visibility, modern GPS solutions deliver both peace of mind and measurable business value. For organizations looking to strengthen fleet safety and security, now is the time to consider how a GPS tracking solution can become a cornerstone of their protection strategy.
Your fleet may have more protection waiting in plain sight. Take a demo and discover how GPS tracking can be the unseen guardian for your business.
