Glossary
GPS Tracking Device
The family of in-vehicle telematics hardware High Point GPS installs (the standard and rugged GPS tracking devices, and others) that connects to the vehicle's diagnostic port through a T-harness and reports location, trip, and engine data into the High Point GPS platform. Every GPS tracking device includes an IOX expansion port for cameras and sensors.
What GPS Tracking Device means in practice
The GPS tracking device is the in-vehicle telematics hardware High Point GPS installs, in standard and rugged models, that connects to the vehicle's diagnostic port through a T-harness and reports location, trip and engine data into the High Point GPS platform. It combines three sources of data in one box. A GNSS receiver gives position, speed and heading. An accelerometer senses braking, acceleration, cornering and impacts. The connection to the vehicle's diagnostic port, OBD-II on light vehicles or the J1939 nine-pin connector on heavy trucks, supplies power and engine data such as odometer, engine hours, fuel and fault codes.
It sends that data over its own LTE connection, so it needs no Wi-Fi, and it stores data in dead zones and uploads it when the signal returns. It has no microphone or camera, and it tracks the vehicle, not the person.
Two fleets with the same device can get very different value from it. Position answers where a vehicle is; engine hours and fault codes answer when it will need the shop; idle time shows where fuel goes; accelerometer events show who needs coaching. The device connects at the OBD-II or 9-pin port through a T-harness, with no wires cut (a 3-wire kit where there is no port), and the IOX port leaves room to add cameras and sensors later.
Read the full explainer
The definition above is the short version. The page below explains GPS Tracking Device in depth, with the rules, numbers and examples behind it.
GPS Tracking DeviceGuides that explain GPS Tracking Device
- What Is an ELD? Electronic Logging Devices Explained
- Dash Cam With GPS Tracking: Do Fleets Need Both?
- How GPS Equipment Tracking Works, and What Drives the Cost
- What Is MyGeotab? The Fleet Platform High Point GPS Supports
- Asset Tracker Tags vs. Powered GPS Trackers for Equipment
- GPS Tracker Installation for Fleets: What to Expect
- IOX Meaning: What Is an IOX Port and What Does It Do?
- Can a GPS Tracker Record Audio or Video? What the Fleet Tracking Device Captures
GPS Tracking Device: common questions
Does the GPS tracking device record audio or video?
No. The GPS tracking device has no microphone and no camera, so it does not record audio, video or anything said in the cab. Video comes only from a separate camera connected through the IOX port, and that camera's recording rules are configured by the fleet. The device also does not read the driver's phone.
How is the GPS tracking device installed?
The device connects at the vehicle's diagnostic port through a T-harness, with no wires cut: the OBD-II port on cars, vans and light trucks, or the 9-pin connector on heavy trucks. A 3-wire kit is used where there is no port. Many fleets install it themselves; custom setups and multi-camera installs need a professional installer.
Does the GPS tracking device need Wi-Fi?
No. The device has its own LTE modem and built-in SIM, with the data plan included in the subscription. When a vehicle drives through an area without coverage, the device stores the data and uploads it once the signal returns, so the trip still appears in full in the High Point GPS platform.