Plug-and-Play GPS Trackers: On-Board Diagnostics Explained
By GPSTracking | 05 May 2021
Our first two products — Ace and Max — both plug directly into your vehicle’s OBD port under the steering column.
When you know where to look, it’s a simple installation process that takes just a few seconds. But first things first…what in the world is ‘OBD’ and why does it have its own port?
OBD is short for On-Board Diagnostics — your vehicle’s self-diagnostic system. OBD is the standardized method for accessing data, diagnostic trouble codes, and more from cars, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles.
For example, when you take your car or truck into the shop, the mechanic plugs into the vehicle’s OBD port to get a reading on performance issues and maintenance needs.
In GPS tracking terms, the OBD port is the fastest, lowest-cost method of equipping your fleet with tracking technology - and in most cases, it can be done in just seconds.
OBD and GPS Are Like Hamburgers and Cheese
The OBD data that we are able to access and process with our new GPS trackers is cutting edge, yet easy to use.
We took this powerful Space Age technology and scaled it to your team’s real-life needs. Small business owners and operators wear many hats every day. With help from GPSTracking.com, the fleet manager’s hat now fits perfectly.
Do you need to know where all of your trucks or vans are at all times? Why are they idling for so long? If there are more efficient routes to take to the customer’s front door?
The OBD port is the ‘Need to Know’ port and with Ace or Max riding along with your fleet, you’ll be in the know.
Those Who "See No Evil” Need Not Apply
When you plug-and-play and ride along with Max or Ace, your drivers will drive more cautiously. Not because you’re monitoring them—because accountability and job performance are connected at the hip.
A simple GPS tracker from GPSTracking.com can help you create the kind of efficiency in your fleet operations that produce instant results. Safer driving is the beginning, but there’s much more to the data and how it can be applied to your real-life situations.
One real-life situation all fleet managers face is theft prevention. A GPS tracker is not an alarm, but it is a live tracker. If a van or truck “goes missing,” all you need to do is pull up the GPSTracking.com App on your smartphone and you will instantly know where the vehicle is located. So will the police when you call and provide them with live updates.
A-Teams Are All About Accountability
Think about your best performers. They always go the extra mile for customers. They treat the business like their own.
With GPS trackers plugged into your fleet vehicle’s OBD ports and pulling in live performance data, your team members will begin to rely on these metrics to prove how well they’re doing on the job.
We say, “Ride with Ace” or “Ride with Max” because Ace and Max are witnesses. Our devices witness bad things like attempted robbery, speeding, traffic jams, and so on. But also witnesses to the good things that happen. For drivers who do not speed, waste gas, or time, you can set up a rewards system that includes acknowledgment and possibly bonuses too.
By adding a gaming layer to your driver’s performance metrics, you’ll be taking the OBD port and the amazing data streams it enables all the way to the bank.