The Top 6 Ways GPS Is Used Today

GPS
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The possibilities of GPS are limited only by imagination.

When GPS was invented by the US Department of Defense for its own use, nobody envisioned there would be so many applications of it. From saving lives to improving business processes, GPS technology is widely used today across many industries.

How is GPS used today?

We share different GPS uses in detail.

1. Driver Management and Safety

A commercial GPS tracker helps you track your vehicles and drivers in real-time. Thus, if a driver deviates from the route you have planned, make personal stops, take longer breaks or slack off, you’ll know about it as it happens and can take corrective measures to ensure your drivers stick to their designated routes.

You can even use the GPS tracker to analyze your drivers’ performance and reward or train them accordingly to increase efficiency.

Vehicle tracking software plays a crucial role in ensuring driver safety as well by helping you keep a check on your drivers’ aggressive driving practices. For example, you can track harsh braking, sudden acceleration, and tailgating.

Also, the best GPS trackers come with a speed alert that shows you a driver’s speed in real-time. So, if any driver speeds, you’ll immediately know and can communicate with the driver to slow down and follow safe driving practices before things get out of hand. In fact, driving within the speed limit will also greatly help you save on fuel expenses. 

There are many other benefits of GPS tracking systems, such as :

  • Protecting vehicles against theft
  • Improving customers’ satisfaction
  • Avoiding excessive idling
  • Saving on insurance premiums
  • Route optimization

Want to learn more about GPS tracking? Read what GPS tracking is, how GPS tracking works, and types of GPS systems.

2. Preventing Train Crashes

Based on GPS technology, the positive train control (PTC) system tracks the location and distance of running trains, speeds, railroad traffic, and the condition and placement of tracks. 

When the system calculates that a crash may occur, such as when another train comes too close for comfort, it automatically brings the train to an emergency stop. PTC will also stop a train from moving onto a track that is not correctly positioned.

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3. Military Applications

GPS has become an indispensable asset for the military. GPS technology enables long-range missiles to hit their targets accurately and keeps the missiles on course, even when they encounter strong winds or other weather fluctuations that would otherwise have diverted them from their intended path.

Without GPS, it would be almost impossible to know if a missile will land on the specified targets.

4. Flying Planes

The use of GPS technology in aviation has made flying considerably safer. Planes use it to find their routes in the sky and air traffic controllers use it to track a plane’s movement and route.

Without a GPS navigation system, it would be very difficult to track and coordinate planes. Understanding where planes are prevents plane-to-plane, plane-to-mountain, or plane-to-building collisions.

Also, in zero visibility conditions, GPS applications help pilots navigate their planes, especially while landing.

5. Securing the Seas

GPS technology allows for efficient and safe navigation of ships. The satellite-based system prevents mariners from losing their way mid-sea or getting into unfortunate situations like running out of fuel.

Moreover, advanced GPS applications can track structures on the water, including tracking their direction, speed, and proximity.

6. Search and Rescue

In case you are lost or encounter an accident in an isolated area and require immediate emergency services, you can call preprogrammed emergency numbers on your smartphone. With the help of GPS technology, emergency personnel will be able to trace your current location quite easily.

Wrapping Up

Many industries and businesses are using GPS systems to make their operations more productive, safer, and easier. And, the returns justify the investment.

So, how do you plan to use GPS technology in your organization? Do you have any questions about the different uses of GPS?

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Whether you want to slash the time it takes you to plan routes for your drivers, increase the number of stops they can make, or keep your customers satisfied knowing that your drivers show up on time… Route4Me helps you achieve that!

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About author: Rahul Dasgupta

Rahul Dasgupta is a content writer with over 20 years of work experience. He holds a master’s degree in computer science and has written thousands of blog posts on route planning and scheduling, making it easy for readers to learn about these complex topics. Rahul enjoys playing tennis in his spare time and loves cuddling with his pet labrador Shinu. Rahul is a big fan of Roger Federer, Messi, and Bill Gates - he admires their drive to be the best at what they do and their philanthropic efforts.

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About Route4Me

Route4Me has over 40,000 customers globally. Route4Me's Android and iPhone mobile apps have been downloaded over 2 million times since 2009. Extremely easy-to-use, Route4Me's apps create optimized routes, synchronize routes to mobile devices, enable communication with drivers and customers, offer turn-by-turn directions, delivery confirmation, and more. Behind the scenes, Route4Me's operational optimization platform combines high-performance algorithms with data science, machine learning, and big data to plan, optimize, and analyze routes of almost any size in real-time.