Overborder operators get wise to GPS satellite tracker

Alan Peat ROAD TRANSPORT into Africa is not blessed with high security - and the distances and lack of facilities curtail communication between vehicles and home depots. But, said Steven Dean of SVM, his company has a satellite tracking system that goes a long way to curing this problem. It works on global positioning satellite (GPS), he added, and is therefore not reliant on GSM (cellphone) coverage in the area, for example. “We have had this purely satellite unit working into the DRC and as far north as Egypt,” Dean told FTW, “and most of our clients for this are cross-border road operators running from SA into Zimbabwe, DRC, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia - where they can be tracked from their Johannesburg offices.” It reports on the vehicle positioning every 10minutes - although it can be interrogated in the interim period if required. There is also a communication option - like cellphones’ SMS messaging - between the vehicle and the base station. “And,” said Dean, “there is no extra charge for this as it’s a package in the satellite system.” Although it’s limited in word count - up to 144 characters - this is enough for the basic communication needed with the vehicle, particularly for emergencies like breakdowns or burst tyres. It also records ignition on/off. “It’s a good means of checking how long a vehicle has waited at the border post, for example,” said Dean, “or confirming where the driver has stopped for the night.” Alternative options which can be fitted to the vehicle include cargo door checks (where and for how long door open), vehicle speed, and an over-rev reader. “The number of such options is really only limited by how much information the operator feels he needs,” said Dean.