Some of the illegal immigrants caught crossing the border from Mexico into the United States are avoiding jail time by being outfitted with GPS trackers by the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS.

Outfitting them with ankle monitors costs the government $3.50 a day for each person, with an enrollment fee of $19.50. Jail costs about $119 a day.

The program, still in the beginning stages, is named RGV 250. Since December, the program has started monitoring heads of families who were caught entering via the Rio Grande Valley illegally. The pilot project will eventually be tracking 250 in this testing phase.

Each person was fitted with an ankle bracelet and given a notice of summons to report back. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, is recording how soon detainees respond to a summons. If the program proves successful, the goal is to expand the program to 29,000 by the end of 2015. Read the rest of this entry »

Technology moves fast these days. Telematics is one of the more beneficial technological advancements to take place for the fleet management industry as a whole. Telematics is the driving force behind modern GPS fleet tracking systems. It is essential for greater fleet efficiency, lowering expenses, and improved fleet management.

So, what is it?

Essentially, telematics is the communication of information between vehicles and a third party. It enables fleet managers to not only track their vehicles on the road, but also to communicate with those vehicles and their drivers.

More importantly, it allows those vehicles to send important information about the vehicle itself, driving conditions, speeds, and location to the dispatcher or fleet manager. These are just some of the things telematics technology has to offer fleets on the road today. Read the rest of this entry »

Legendary singer Jimmy Buffett found his Mercedes stolen, but GPS tracking technology helped local police track it down.

When Jimmy Buffet was at home in Palm Beach, Florida, he came outside to see the 2013 Mercedes GL350 has been stolen right from his driveway. He told officials it must have been stolen between 10:00 pm on Tuesday evening and 8:00 am on Wednesday morning, when they discovered it had gone missing.

Shortly afterward, his representative spoke to two officers at the Palm Beach Police Department to file a report. As he did so, he told them that while Buffett had left the keys in the car, the car also had something they might be interested in: a GPS tracking device.

Jimmy Buffett, who is an American singer, songwriter, businessman, actor, and author, is possibly best known for his Island-themed musical style. He often writes his humorous life stories into his songs. Some of his hit songs include Margaritaville, Come Monday, and Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.. His fan base have come to be known as “Parrotheads.”

In addition to music, he is also a businessman. Jimmy Buffett has opened multiple restaurants that are named after his most popular songs, including the Margaritaville Café and Cheeseburger in Paradise. Read the rest of this entry »

Food distribution businesses have a lot on their plates – no pun intended! When it comes to distributing the food, there is a lot more than routing to keep in mind. Many food distribution companies are thinking outside the box by investing in GPS fleet tracking services to keep their businesses on the right track. These are just a few way this valuable tool can help your food distribution get a real edge over your competitors.

Save Money on Fuel and Labor with More Efficient Routing

Efficient routes cut costs. It really doesn’t get simpler than that. Businesses today need to cut costs at every turn – without cutting corners. Using GPS tracking for your fleet does just that. The fact that you’re saving money on multiple vehicles only intensifies the cost effectiveness of fleet tracking for your business. Read the rest of this entry »

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), letting your vehicle warm up is one of the worst things you can do in the winter.

Why? Because you are increasing your risk for vehicle theft by leaving your keys in the car.

People have the tendency to be more lackadaisical with their cars in the winter, as they heat up their cars prior to driving, without much thought about what they are risking. Unfortunately, criminals take advantage and thefts rise for this reason alone. While there is always a threat to a person’s vehicle if they leave it unattended, the risks are increased in cold weather due to some bad habits drivers tend to make.

One of the reasons of the increase in cold weather theft occurs when people leave their vehicles unlocked in the winter. When someone is going to the grocery store while it is snowing out, they want to be able to get into their car as quickly as possible with a cart of groceries. As a result, some people leave their car doors open so they are not fumbling for keys with frozen hands.

Unfortunately, this kind of thing happens all winter long, where vehicles are left unlocked for those few seconds of convenience. This also means criminals know about it and will target vehicles they think have been left unlocked. Read the rest of this entry »