What would you do if you have an urgent consignment to deliver but are unfamiliar with the route? Or, as a shipping company owner, how would you track your on-the-road vehicles? 

We are sure your answer would be, “I’ll simply use the GPS navigation to find my answers!”. Well, yes, GPS trackers for trucks have simplified our navigation problems and made it easier for us to commute. GPS, or the Global Positioning System, has become an indispensable part of our daily lives, helping us scoot roads, track deliveries, and know about traffic conditions. 

You might be relying on the GPS in trucks for your consignment deliveries every day, but do you know what mandates have the Indian government laid down for commercial vehicles? This blog is going to tell you exactly that. We are going to dive deep into the system to find out more about the government-approved GPS and the rules laid down for commercial vehicles.  So, if you are unaware of these government mandates for GPS, then stick around till the end, and you’ll have an answer to all your queries. 

What Is GPS? 

GPS is a navigation system that uses satellite data to give information about land, sea, and air travel locations. 

Automobiles often use GPS tracking devices to know the precise location of a vehicle or an individual. These devices receive data from satellites to provide real-time information about a location or a vehicle and its movement. 

So, when you are going out to deliver a consignment, you can use a GPS device to find the shortest and fastest route. Since GPS trackers give information about traffic conditions, it helps you avoid entering congested areas or estimate a delivery time depending on the traffic on the route. Moreover, your vehicle’s movement in real-time is also visible on the same system. 

You can use GPS trackers for trucks either as an individual handheld device or as an affixture to the vehicle.  GPS in trucks is used to track the vehicle, manage the fleet, and recover stolen/lost vehicles, among other things. 

What Is The Government Mandate For GPS In Trucks?

Understanding the importance of GPS trackers for trucks, the Indian government has issued a notice for all commercial vehicles. Hence, all buses and trucks need a location-tracking system to make commuting safer for kids and women. Moreover, this move aims to cut down on tax evaders and improper use of permits. Not to mention, a government-approved GPS will help ensure the vehicles ply in the permissible areas. 

As an amendment to this 2018 notice, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) further mandates that all vehicles carrying hazardous goods be equipped with a GPS tracking device. This rule applies to all vehicles constructed on or after September 1, 2022. 

The government has issued the above mandate after noticing that the vehicles involved in transporting gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and other hazardous goods that are not covered by the national permit, are not furnished with any system to track their location.

Which Commercial Vehicles Need To Have A GPS System?

The notice issued in 2018 was intended to cover all commercial transport vehicles, including cars, buses, autorickshaws, and trucks, among others. The government notice dated 2022 focuses on goods vehicles. 

Hence, this new amendment considers all the latest vehicle models belonging to the N1 and N2 categories, built on or after September 1 2022, or January 1 2023, for the existing models. Such GPS trackers for trucks should comply with the Automotive Industry Standards (AIS) 140. 

Which Automobiles Fall Into The Category of N2 And N3 Vehicles?

All motorised commercial vehicles with a gross vehicle weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes but less than 12 tonnes belong to the N2 category. Likewise, goods-carrying vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of more than 12 tonnes fall under the N3 category. 

So, if you own or drive a vehicle that falls into any of the two categories mentioned above, you must have an AIS 140-approved GPS system in place.

What Are The Benefits Of Using GPS Trackers For Trucks?

The government notice regarding mandatory GPS device installation in commercial vehicles is aimed at:

• Monitoring vehicle performance. GPS devices provide relevant data that can help in estimating timely deliveries.

• Ensuring utmost safety. Be it a goods vehicle or a passenger vehicle, the safety of both the cargo and the commuters can never be compromised. 

• Optimising journeys. GPS systems enable tracking of the most suitable routes for travel.

Hence, as a transporter or a truck owner/driver, you can highly benefit from using location tracking systems in your vehicles. You can track the movement of your fleet, timely schedule the travels, and improve your vehicle performance. For a fleet of trucks setting off on unknown routes, recovering relevant information about lost/misplaced vehicles gets easier with GPS. 

Conclusion:

To conclude, we can state that the government rules and regulations regarding using GPS systems in goods vehicles have been an important step in ensuring safer and more comfortable journeys. All commercial vehicles are required to install any AIS 140-approved GPS tracking device. The amendment makes it imperative for hazardous goods shipping trucks to be furnished with location trackers. This move comes in the wake of safety standards, ensuring secure transportation of goods. 

We hope to have answered your doubts regarding the government rules pertaining to GPS trackers for trucks. If you have any other concerns related to the transport and logistics sector, you can reach out to our team at Vahak. Our years of experience (perspective change + elaborate a bit more and edit the final word count)  in the industry as a transport community have equipped us with unparalleled knowledge to help you out. We aim to help transporters and business owners to have a better understanding of the field so that they can find better business opportunities.