How to Track Your Car, Truck, or Van with GPS

Cars, trucks, and vans are expensive and valuable–especially to a business. So what happens if they get stolen? Even if they report it to the police, it may take time for them to find and recover it (assuming they recover it at all). That’s because they’re looking for a needle in a haystack full of needles.

But with GPS tracking, you’ll be able to home in on your missing vehicle and feed its location to the police so that they can recover it faster and more safely.

In this guide, we’re going to explore:

• How GPS tracking works

• Tracking your personal vehicle

• Using GPS for professional fleet management

• Tracking with a smartphone vs. a dedicated GPS device

• How to install a GPS tracker on your car

• Best GPS trackers for vehicles

How does GPS tracking work?

GPS, or Global Positioning System, is a network of more than 30 satellites that orbit the Earth. They constantly transmit their current position at any given moment, which are then picked up by GPS receivers. The receivers then use the relative time and distance of four or more satellites to pinpoint their current position, location, and even speed. 

GPS receivers can come in all different shapes and sizes. Mobile apps like Google Maps use GPS to help you find the best route. Smartwatches use them to measure how far you run, elevation changes, and your route. And there are some receivers that help you monitor the location of your personal property–such as your vehicle. 

You should know that some things have been known to interfere with GPS and decrease accuracy. While it works anywhere in the world, at least four satellites need direct line-of-osight to your GPS tracker/receiver. Buildings, mountains, and even trees can block, delay, or reflect GPS signals and cause an inaccurate reading. This is why your map app sometimes gets confused about where you are.

Under ideal conditions, GPS can accurate location within 7.8 meters. But if the car you’re monitoring is in a parking garage or tunnel, the GPS tracker might not work at all until the vehicle leaves the area. Getting an exact fix within dense urban areas may be a challenge, too. 

Geofencing and digital boundaries

Geofencing is an innovative GPS feature that lets you create a “virtual fence” around an area. Simply go on your GPS tracker’s companion app and define the area where you want your vehicle to stay (such as your driveway, parking lot, company campus, or an assigned route). Now when the device leaves the designated area, it sends a notification straight to your mobile device or computer. 

This ability is crucial for catching potential thieves in the act before they can go too far. Some devices can even be set to automatically notify the police so you can ensure a fast response. 

Geofencing also has non-criminal applications, like correcting driver errors or misuse of company property before it becomes a major problem. 

Passive or active GPS trackers?

Active GPS trackers periodically transmit location data so you can track their location in real-time. They’re ideal for both personal and professional use.

Passive GPS trackers don’t transmit data. Instead, you have to physically access the device in order to retrieve it. They’re harder to detect with counter-surveillance devices and more useful for spying than protecting property.

Tracking personal vehicles

The main thing to keep in mind with tracking your car is that if someone steals your car, you don’t want them to see your GPS tracker. Many thieves take a few moments to scan for obvious tracking devices like Airtags or GPS trackers before they run off with their prize. So your tracker should be small and discreet.

Any trackers in the interior of the car, like OBD devices or in the dash or glove compartments have a much higher chance of being discovered. So your best bet is to get a GPS tracker with a magnetic case that you can mount underneath your vehicle. The Spytec Mini, our best-selling GPS tracker, has a couple of options for magnetic cases. You can opt for either a simple waterproof case or get one with an extended battery for less recharging. 

Speaking of charging, the more frequently your device transmits location data, the more useful it is for mapping activity. The downside is that it uses up the battery faster. GPS trackers typically go into “standby mode” when not in motion in order to save power, then goes fully-active once it detects movement. 

A good GPS tracker should have enough battery life to last several days–or even a couple of weeks. With an added battery pack, you can increase battery life to several months. 

Fleet management and tracking company vehicles

Discretion isn’t so important when using a GPS tracker on company vehicles for fleet management. Employees know that messing with a GPS tracker may prompt administrative action, so they’ll leave it alone for the most part. Additionally, having a tracker in plain sight may help hold employees more accountable. It’ll remind them that you’re monitoring where they go, what route they take, or how long they stay in a given location. 

Since you don’t need to hide the tracker, you can get a more full-featured device that can be hardwired to the vehicle’s battery or plugged into the car’s OBD II port. 

For tracking company vehicles (aka fleet management), features like geofencing become way more important. If your vehicle is restricted to your campus, a specific route, or a job site, you want a GPS tracker that sends email or text message alerts whenever the device leaves the predetermined area. This will help you correct the issue in real-time. 

These are some of the types of businesses that can make effective use of GPS trackers:

• Construction companies

• Dispensaries

• Maid/Cleaning services

• A/C repair

• Moving companies

• Plumbers

• Lawn services

Businesses with truck fleets, company cars, or specialized vehicles use this device to ensure their vehicles are always where they’re supposed to be, and with real-time tracking and mobile and email alerts, they can swiftly correct any misuse of company property.

Can you use a smartphone to track your car?

Yes, you certainly can! The smartphone itself can be used to track your car. Most mobile devices support GPS capabilities, and with the right app you can see your phone’s current location by using an independent service on another device. 

But there are several good reasons why you shouldn’t do this. First off, you don’t want to leave the mobile device in the very vehicle you want to track–that would be counterproductive. Especially if that was your primary mobile device. 

Mobile devices are also harder to conceal. You can’t secret them away using magnets. A magnet would interfere with the compass on mobile devices, and a powerful one may even damage the device itself. There’s also the fact that smartphones are a favorite target for theft–even more than cars–and will get noticed first.

Most importantly, mobile devices usually have very little battery life–especially if they’re in use. And you’re going to have to leave the GPS tracking app open at all times if you’re going to use your smartphone. That’s a few hours at the most, as opposed to dedicated GPS trackers that last days or even months. 

So you certainly can use a GPS tracking app on your smartphone, but should you? Probably not. GPS trackers are built-for-purpose and much more practical and affordable.

How to install a GPS tracker on your vehicle

How you install a GPS tracker depends on the specific device you choose and how you intend to use it. For instance, some GPS trackers are battery-powered, while others plug directly into your car’s OBD II port, which can be found in one of the following locations:

If you want to keep your tracker hidden to avoid detection by thieves, we recommend using the GPS with a magnetic case or using a hardwired tracker that stays in your car’s engine compartment. 

Best GPS tracker for tracking vehicles

Spytec GPS has several GPS tracker models that work great for tracking vehicles, each with different sizes, power sources, and attachment methods to fit any purpose. Let’s start with the smallest:

Spytec Mini GPS Tracker

The Spytec Mini GPS, also known as the GL300, is one of our most versatile and sought-after models. It’s 3.15”x1.15”, which means it can easily fit into any vehicle glove box or dash compartment. 

But vehicle owners that buy the Mini GPS don’t just buy it for its convenience. They buy it because it can easily be hidden from potential thieves. And if you’re thinking glove boxes or dash compartments aren’t good hiding places for a secret tracker, you’d be right. 

That’s why the Mini GPS also has a weatherproof magnetic case. This case easily fits the Mini GPS and lets you attach the tracker to the exterior of the vehicle. Now you can place the tracker in stealthier spots, like the underside of your vehicle, in the wheel well, or elsewhere. Attentive thieves may still find it, but they’re unlikely to look very hard if their first priority is to escape.

The magnetic case also protects the tracker from moisture, light impacts, and corrosion–things the tracker will definitely be exposed to underneath your car.

The only downside to having a portable tracker like the Spytec Mini GPS is that you’ll occasionally need to charge it. It has an out-of-the-box battery life of about 14 days, but that can change depending on the update settings (which you can customize in the companion app). 

Spytec Swift Wired Tracker

If you want a stealthy, out of the way tracker but don’t want to have to deal with recharging it, then the Spytec Swift Wired Tracker is for you. Unlike the Spytec Mini GPS, this isn’t rechargeable. Instead, it connects directly into your vehicle’s car battery via two power leads. This means it stays in the engine compartment, out of direct view of potential thieves.

The setup instructions are pretty straightforward:

1. Using a wrench, loosen positive and negative terminal nuts on your car battery. 

2. Attach the tracker wires to the terminals: positive wire to positive terminal, negative wire to negative terminal

3. Tighten the terminal nuts until wires are secure

4. Affix tracker in place using double-sided tape or other adhesive

That’s it! Swift tracker has now been attached to your vehicle and is ready to go.

Spytec OBD GPS Tracker

Of course, theft prevention isn’t the only reason to buy a GPS tracker. Trackers can also be used to track driver performance, monitor vehicle locations, and (if you’re a business) optimize routes for better time and fuel efficiency. 

That’s where Spytec OBD GPS trackers excel. These handy devices plug directly into your vehicle’s OBD port and thus run off the vehicle’s electrical system. Because of their direct connection to your vehicle’s diagnostics system, the OBD tracker can provide more info than other trackers such as ignition status, odometer, and more. 

OBD trackers are also easy to switch from vehicle to vehicle. If you don’t have enough trackers to go around, simply pull one from an existing vehicle and plug it into the one you want to use. It’s an efficient and economical solution. 

GPS trackers: an effective security and efficiency solution

GPS trackers can be a game-changer for businesses that rely on vehicles, offering both peace of mind and operational benefits. By providing real-time location data, they help deter vehicle theft and dramatically increase the chances of recovering a stolen asset quickly. At the same time, GPS tracking empowers managers to monitor routes and driving habits, helping drivers work more efficiently and reducing unnecessary fuel costs. The result is a safer, more secure fleet that runs smoothly—protecting valuable investments while boosting productivity.