Timeline
| Period | Milestone | Effect on logistics |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | US Department of Defense begins the NAVSTAR GPS programme | Groundwork only; no civilian use yet |
| 1983 | Civilian access to GPS announced | Commercial receivers begin to appear |
| 1995 | GPS declared fully operational | Early vehicle navigation and tracking systems |
| 2000 | Selective Availability switched off | Civilian accuracy improves dramatically |
| 2000s | Mobile data networks spread | Live fleet tracking becomes affordable |
| 2010s | Galileo, GLONASS and BeiDou expand; smartphones everywhere | Multi-constellation accuracy and mobile apps |
| Today | Telematics, IoT sensors and integrations | Tracking feeds directly into planning and billing systems |
From dots on a map to integrated data
Early tracking answered one question: where is the vehicle? Modern systems combine location with engine data, temperature, door sensors and job information, and pass it to the other systems a business runs on.
What comes next
Expect wider use of low-power networks for long-life asset tags, tighter integration with route planning, and more automated proof of delivery.