Whatever your reason may be, there are only a few options available to figure out if your car has a tracking device installed on it.

Unless you have a lot of money to spare, the cheapest option is to search every nook and cranny for something that looks out of the ordinary. More specifically, look for any kind of electrical device that has been installed in an odd place or is attached magnetically.

For around $400 to $500, you can purchase a GPS bug detector. These can usually be found at specialty spy equipment websites and work by detecting frequencies used by transmitting devices. I couldn’t tell you how well they work though, as I’ve never used one.

Some of the cheaper GPS systems often transmit on frequencies that are similar to cell phones or FM radio. If you have a hand-held radio, turn it on and move it around the vehicle. If you receive any interference, you may have found the general location of the tracking device.

These options should be enough to help you figure out if your vehicle is being tracked. If you believe that your car is being tracked, I would suggest you contact your local authority before removing the device.

And if it’s a company vehicle leave it alone before you get yourself in trouble

iamge courtesy of philipbitnar / CC BY 2.0

Anyway, lately I’ve been into vehicle tracking solutions and GPS based apps; and boy am I torn among the coolest. Here’s my top 10 GPS Apps that you should check out yourself.

• BindoGPS – The coolest outdoor app for the iPhone by far. BindoGPS is designed for those who love the outdoors… and kinda love getting lost as well. One of the great features of this app is that you will get to pinpoint your friends location, whenever you’re out hiking or trial biking, and they will also be able to pinpoint your location. So say goodbye to losing track of friends while you’re out enjoying the outdoors. Of course, you all should have BindoGPS on your iPhones for this to work.



• iHUD – Features a cool heads up display, just like the ones you see on fighter jets. It’s awesome during night time driving and the info is very accurate as well.

• Tom Tom app – One of the most popular GPS apps for the iPhone, a bit pricey but it’s a Tom Tom so you can expect the same quality and accuracy as their stand alone GPS products. It features a full function turn-by-turn GPS with a pre-loaded map and voice function; you’ll actually forget you’re using an iPhone when using the app.

• iGo My Way – A turn-by-turn GPS app with great graphics. Pretty accurate when I tested it on a long travel plus it has a good collection of POI’s. The interface needs a little getting used to but all-in-all, this is a pretty neat app that does what it’s supposed to do.

• iWant app – A cool iPhone app with lots and lots of POI’s. You can find restaurants, drug stores, coffee shops, gas stations, hotels, and all the good stuff. It also shows user reviews so you can read reviews first, especially for restaurants, before deciding to drive there.

• G-map – One of my favorites, Gmap has a very user friendly interface and is extremely accurate. It’s a turn-by-turn GPS with real time traffic information so you can avoid traffic jams. The graphics are really good too and the app doesn’t lag when it comes to following you around.

• Sygic GPS – Currently a hot app. It’s a turn-by-turn GPS with voice navigation that uses TeleAtlas maps, which means that you don’t need data connection in order to use it. It has a good database of POI’s and supports multiple countries. The only downside is that the pre-loaded maps take up too much space.

• MotionX – Another great app developed with outdoor enthusiasts in mind. With MotionX you can download MotionX O-Road and O-Terrain maps before embarking on an adventure. This app is very useful to those who loves going to secluded areas where cell phones and wifi are not available. Maps are based on the OpenStreetMap project and so the app can be used anywhere in the world.

• Navigon Mobile Navigator – A full function navigation device that works seamlessly with the iPhone. You can use both at the same time, well…not really at the same time but you won’t feel that you are unable to use the iPhone when the navigator is on. You know what I mean. It also works really fast and doesn’t lag when following you on the street. Typing in an address is really easy on this app, watch the video so you’ll know what I mean. Maps are pre-loaded which take up quite a bit of space; 1.2gb to be specific.

• Gokivo – One of those navigators that has text to speech function, which tells you where to turn and not just “turn right” or “turn left”. Uses Yahoo local search when looking for POI’s which is good because Yahoo local search is usually fresh and up-to-date. Gokivo is very functional except that it does not have lane assistance and won’t allow multi-destination routing.

Car alarms don’t matter anymore; it only takes seconds for a seasoned car or truck thief to disable an alarm. Plus the fact that nobody really bothers to check on a car that is sounding an alarm is…well, alarming.

Many people automatically assume that it’s just a false alarm. Probably a cat jumped on the car or a muscle car revved up to close to the vehicle and set off the alarm. Even security guards don’t bother to check on noisy cars sometimes.

A few years back, when a car or truck gets stolen it usually means that they’re gone forever. The percentage of recovered stolen vehicles was so low that it is better not to expect that you’ll get your vehicle back.

Fortunately, all of that has changed. Right now, people and businesses can effectively protect their vehicles from theft and recover them almost immediately if in case they get stolen.

It is almost impossible for car or truck thieves to steal a vehicle nowadays. And that is all because of GPS. Yup, the technology that helps you track your route when you’re out hiking or trail biking can also help you protect your vehicle from theft.

Many companies offer vehicle tracking system that helps you monitor your vehicle real time. This is very helpful especially to businesses that have a fleet of cars or trucks. Simply have a truck tracking system set up for your business and all your trucks are protected. Better yet, have all your vehicles set up with the tracking system.

The benefits are enormous. You’re not only protecting your vehicles from theft, you are also making your business more efficient. Knowing where your cars or trucks are at any given time helps you effectively manage deliveries. You can avoid delays by checking on traffic in real-time and re-route your trucks if needed.

If the car or truck gets stolen, you won’t need to worry because you’ll know exactly where the vehicle is. If it’s on the move, simply look at your monitor and track their movements. Call the police and tell them where and on what direction the vehicle is moving. You’ll get your car or truck back in no time.

Now You may be wondering how you can have your vehicles set up with vehicle tracking. You just have to look for a company that offers that kind of service, such as Teletrac who is a leading service provider in the industry. The internet is a good place to look, search for vehicle tracking or truck tracking system and you’ll be presented with a list.

Make sure to check on the reputation of the company before you do business with them. Since this service is popular, a lot of no good companies started popping up.

Once you’ve chosen the right company, call them up and they will install a small device on your vehicle and it can now be tracked. You will be presented with tracking services with different features and benefits so just choose one that suits you best.

image courtesy of rbitting / CC BY 2.0

GPS technology was initially developed by the United States defense system to aid in its military operations. The technology’s navigational feature proved to be very useful to military personnel that are out on the field, and to pilots who patrol the airspace.

There are about 27 GPS satellites orbiting the Earth, 24 are operational while the other 3 act as reserves in case one fails, and they travel at speeds of 7,000mph. These satellites feed information to GPS devices and let you know different information such as bearing, accurate time, distance from one point to another, route, track, trip distance, sunrise and sunset time, and so on.

The U.S. Department of Defense developed and maintains the GPS technology and therefore it is safe to say that the U.S. owns the technology.

How GPS Works?

In a nutshell, a GPS device gathers information from satellites, actually 3 satellites, and then tells you where you are, the exact time, altitude, if you are flying or hiking, etc…

The device performs what we call a “Trilateration” in order to pinpoint your exact location. Trilateration is a process wherein the device calculates its distance from 3 orbiting satellites and then creates imaginary spheres, based on the information gathered, that intersect with each other. Where the spheres intersect on Earth is your exact location.

Who Uses GPS?

Law enforcers – It is now standard for law enforcers and their vehicles to have GPS devices. This enables them to respond to any situation in an efficient manner. The operator can simply mark a location and the cops will be able to know where to go.

GPS is also very useful in tracking vehicles, especially of those who are under surveillance or under protection.

Big companies that own a number of vehicles – There are companies that rely on vehicles in order to keep their business going, like delivery companies and manufacturing companies that constantly deliver goods to customers.

With the aid of GPS technology, they can simply set up a vehicle monitoring system that will help them maintain their vehicles. The system will not only tell them where the vehicles are, at any given time, it will also help in preventing breakdowns by providing real time diagnostics.

Farmers – Gone are the days where farmers have to rely on age old knowledge, transferred by their ancestors, to determine where to plant their crops and how to generate more yield.

With GPS technology, farmers can plan their actions by mapping out fields. With this map, they can determine which part of the field need more fertilizers and which ones don’t. They can also easily identify areas with weed infestation and take appropriate action.

Ordinary people – It is very common to see people with hand-held GPS devices in their pockets, especially those who travel constantly and those whose hobbies take them to unfamiliar places. Hikers, Trail bikers, Mountaineers, all use GPS to aid them on their way to their destination and back.

It is also very common for vehicles to have GPS devices mounted on the dashboard. This enables drivers to map out the best route to a given destination before leaving the garage.

GPS technology benefits people and business in more ways than one; some, in ways that we didn’t even imagine possible. The technology is still evolving and developments are continuous so we can expect more from GPS technology in the years to come.

If you own a business with a fleet who has to make deliveries or shipments, you should consider setting up fleet tracking systems on each of your delivery vehicles. From package delivery companies to flower delivery shops, fleet management can help save money and increase efficiency.

Vehicle tracking solutions, such as from Teletrac, can help your business, small or large in many ways.

One of the first things you’ll notice is a reduction in fuel usage. With accurate navigation systems, you won’t have to worry about your employees getting lost on their routes or taking unneccessary detours. You’ll also be able to track when drivers are sitting idle in one spot for an extended period of time with the engine running.

By becoming more effecient, you’ll also be able to reduce overtime. By being able to track your drivers on their routes and cutting out unneccessary mileage, you’ll be able to cut time across your entire fleet. The savings in overtime pay could be massive.

One of the most important factors to setting up vehicle tracking for your fleet though, is to improve customer satisfaction. When your customers see that they get their deliveries on time, they’ll put their trust into your service.

Fleet management solutions will not only save your business money year after year, but can also make more money with customer retention and referrals.