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Current vehicle tracking systems have their roots in the shipping industry. Corporations with large fleets of vehicles required some sort of system to determine where each vehicle was at any given time. Vehicle tracking systems can now also be found in consumers vehicles as a theft prevention and retrieval device. Police can simply follow the signal emitted by the tracking system and locate the stolen vehicle.

Many vehicle tracking systems are now using GPS or LoJack units to allow for easy location of the vehicle. Many GPS systems do not require the antenna to be in direct line of sight with the sky. LoJack tracking units use radio frequency (RF) transmitters which will transmit through walls, garages, or buildings. Many police cruisers around the world have LoJack tracking receivers as standard equipment in their vehicles.

Some vehicle tracking systems incur a cost to the user in the form of monthly fees. LoJack units are paid for upon installation and will continue to work for the life of the vehicle. Police activate these units directly by using radio towers.

Vehicle Tracking Systems are electronic devices installed in vehicles to enable vehicle owners or third parties to track the location of a vehicle. Most modern vehicle tracking systems now use GPS modules to allow for easy and accurate location of the vehicle. Many systems also combine a communications component such as cellular or satellite transmitters to communicate the vehicle's location to a remote user. Vehicle information can be viewed on electronic maps via the Internet or specialized software.

Vehicle Tracking Systems are commonly used by fleet operators for fleet management functions such as routing, dispatch, onboard information and security. Other applications include monitoring driving behavior, such as an employer of an employee, or a parent with a teen driver.

Vehicle tracking systems are also popular in consumer vehicles as a theft prevention and retrieval device. Police can simply follow the signal emitted by the tracking system and locate the stolen vehicle. When used as a security system, a Vehicle Tracking System may serve as either an addition to or replacement for a traditional Car alarm. The existence of vehicle tracking device then can used to reduce the insurance cost, because the lost risk of the vehicle drop significantly.

Vehicle Tracking Systems are an integrated part of the *layered approach* to vehicle protection, recommended by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) to prevent motor vehicle theft. This approach recommends four layers of security based on the risk factors pertaining to a specific vehicle. Vehicle Tracking Systems are one such layer, and are described by the NICB as *very effective* in helping police recover stolen vehicles.

Some Vehicle Tracking Systems integrate several security systems, for example by sending an automatic alert to a phone or email if an alarm is triggered or the vehicle is moved without authorization.

Several types of Vehicle Tracking devices exist. Typically they are classified as Passive and Active. Passive devices simply store GPS location, speed, heading and perhaps key on/off, door open/closed. Once the vehicle returns to a pre-determined point, the device is removed and the data downloaded to a computer for evaluation. Active devices also collect the same information but usually transmit the data in real-time via cellular or satellite networks to a computer or data center for evaluation. Examples of companies that offer Passive Devices are TrackStick and TravelEyes. Examples of companies that offer Active Devices are TrackYourTruck and Verizon Wireless. Online systems can provide information on demand or on a scheduled basis. Scheduled updates can be as frequent as once per minute. Some taxi services using vehicle tracking system for better served to their customer. By using Vehicle tracking system, then their operator can see all the empty taxi, so they can choose the closer one to pickup the order from their customer.