How to Recover a Stolen Vehicle with GPS Tracking Technology

Whether someone is after your vehicle or the goods inside it, theft is an unfortunate reality in the world. Commercial businesses tend to be prime targets of theft due to the value of their assets and their predictable or even public, operating hours. When someone decides to “borrow” some else’s commercial vehicle, hoping to turn a profit on it or its load, it can turn into a major headache for the business owner or manager

Both the vehicle and goods it carries are attractive to thieves, and the phenomenon is not a minor one. Industry journal Transport Topics reports that analytics firm CargoNet recorded more than 1,500 incidents of stolen commercial-vehicle equipment or cargo in the United States and Canada during 2015. In other words, more than four times a day somebody appropriates a truck or what is inside it.

If this misfortune comes your way, congratulate yourself on foresight and prudence if you installed a GPS fleet tracking system. That makes recovery both more likely and less complicated.

Picking the Right GPS Tracking Device

Keep in mind that there are different types of GPS tracking and which variety you’ve selected may affect your chances of a successful and speedy resolution. A passive GPS records the position of the vehicle but doesn’t transmit it. When the truck returns to home base this information is downloaded and analyzed largely for reviewing driver performance. That won’t be much help in letting you know the whereabouts of a vehicle that goes missing.

Active GPS fleet tracking software communicates between the vehicle and the office in real-time, and this is what enables law enforcement to close in on the equipment or cargo and sometimes the perpetrators, if they’re still in possession of it.

Managers can be notified of unauthorized vehicle usage through the software’s geofence tool that provides digital boundaries for each vehicle in a fleet. If a vehicle leaves a geofence perimeter, managers can be instantly notified through an alert function programmed to communicate via text or email. This immediate notification, if imparted to the authorities, may enable them to respond before the trail goes cold.

Report Your Stolen Vehicle to Police, Insurance

With or without GPS fleet tracking, some general rules apply in reporting and recovery in order to obtain best results. These guidelines apply equally to private automobiles and commercial vehicles.

First, call the police. This is not only important because time is of the essence but also to verify that the motor vehicle was stolen, rather than impounded. (That does happen.) When you get in touch with the squad working grand theft auto, be prepared with complete information, including license number, VIN and registration. At this time, you can pass along the GPS data if available.

If you plan to go through your insurance to recover the value of the stolen goods, it is important to contact your insurance carrier and let them know you have filed a police report.

After that, there is not much else you can do that will hasten the process. Stolen vehicles and goods are sometimes recovered after a day or two, sometimes several weeks, and sometimes never. But at least you’ve given it your best shot.