GPS tracking means using a GPS receiver to calculate where something is and recording that position over time. The receiver, in a dedicated tracker or a smartphone, listens to timing signals from navigation satellites and works out its own latitude and longitude. A tracker then sends the position over a cellular or satellite network, so the asset appears on a map. It is the standard way to follow vehicles, trailers, containers and heavy equipment across open ground.
GPS is the US-operated satellite navigation system. GNSS (global navigation satellite system) is the umbrella term that also covers Europe's Galileo, Russia's GLONASS and China's BeiDou. Most modern receivers use several of these at once, so a "GNSS tracker" and a "GPS tracker" are, for asset tracking purposes, the same kind of device.
How GPS tracking works
- Satellites broadcast their position and a very precise time signal.
- The receiver measures how long each signal took to arrive and so its distance from each satellite.
- Position is computed by trilateration. Signals from at least four satellites are needed to solve for latitude, longitude, altitude and the receiver's clock error.
- The device reports the fix, usually with a timestamp, speed and accuracy estimate, over a mobile network (or satellite link) to tracking software.
- Software adds meaning: which asset this is, which site it should be at, whether it has crossed a geofence.
In open sky, consumer-grade receivers are typically accurate to a few meters. Accuracy drops near tall buildings and under heavy tree cover, and indoors the signal is often too weak for a useful fix.
Types of GPS tracking for assets
| Method | How position is captured | Power | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardwired vehicle tracker | Continuous fixes from a unit wired to the vehicle | Vehicle battery | Vans, trucks, plant with an engine |
| Battery GPS tracker | Periodic fixes, e.g. every few minutes or hours | Internal battery | Trailers, containers, generators, unpowered equipment |
| Phone GPS at scan time | The phone records its position when someone scans or moves an asset | The user’s phone | Tools and kit that move between sites; no device per asset |
| Geotagging (GPS tagging) | Coordinates attached to a record or photo | The capturing device | Inspections, proof of location, field audits |
Strengths and limitations
- Strengths: works anywhere with sky view; gives coordinates, speed, stops and routes; ideal for things that travel.
- Needs power: every tracker needs a battery or vehicle power, and usually a data plan.
- Weak indoors: GPS rarely tells you which room or shelf an item is on.
- Cost per asset: too high to put a tracker on every laptop, tool or chair.
GPS vs RFID and other tags
For most indoor assets the useful question is "which room, store or site is it in, and did it leave?" Passive RFID tags cost far less, need no battery and, with readers at doorways, answer that directly through zones. Many organizations combine both: tags on everything, GPS trackers only on the vehicles and plant that travel, and phone GPS on scans to capture where tagged items were last seen.
Common mistakes
- Expecting GPS to work indoors. Plan rooms and stores with tags, readers or scans instead.
- Ignoring battery life. Frequent reporting drains battery trackers quickly; match the reporting interval to how fast the asset moves.
- Tracking people by accident. Be clear about when location is captured, and follow your local privacy and employment rules.
- Confusing "last seen" with "now". A scan-time position shows where an item was last scanned, not where it is at this moment.
