GPS tracking is accomplished through the use satellites that are in orbit around Earth. Every spot on Earth has coordinates associated with it that is different from every other spot on Earth. Depending on the number of satellites used, GPS systems can narrow down the exact spot to within feet. Once the GPS systems were able to accurately determine the exact coordinates, it started being used in a variety of systems and situations.
GPS systems can literally save people’s lives. Some times when a person goes hiking in a remote part of the world, it is easy to become disoriented and lost. Prior to GPS, there was not anyway to accurately determine where they were at on Earth. Now, through the use of GPS, a hiker can know within feet of where they are. Most GPS systems now allow a destination point to be entered and will give the hiker directions on how to get back to civilization.
One of the first adopters of GPS, were dispatchers in the trucking industry so they could use fleet tracking. This allows the dispatcher to instantly know where every single one of their trucks is located. This facilitates better coordination of their fleets.
In fact, since truckers must keep log books, Promiles can do it automatically through the use of GPS. It logs and records all the information the government needs to ensure the truckers are following the trucking regulations. These logs save them time and paperwork.