Design of a GPS-Based Vehicle Tracking System for Commercial Fleets in Abuja, FCT

This project designs and implements a GPS-based vehicle tracking system for monitoring commercial transport fleets operating in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory. Fleet operators in Nigeria face significant challenges including vehicle theft, fuel pilferage, driver misconduct, and route deviation, all of which increase operating costs and reduce service reliability. The designed system integrates a NEO-6M GPS module for real-time positioning, a SIM800L GSM module for data transmission, and an Arduino Mega microcontroller for data processing and communication management. The GPS module acquires the vehicle's latitude, longitude, speed, and heading at 30-second intervals. This data is packaged into a formatted string and transmitted via GPRS to a web server, where it is stored in a MySQL database and visualised on a Google Maps-based web interface accessible to fleet managers from any browser. An over-speed alert is generated and transmitted via SMS to the fleet manager when the vehicle exceeds a configurable speed limit. Geofencing functionality triggers an alert when the vehicle travels outside a pre-defined operational zone. The system was installed in three commercial vehicles operated by a logistics company in Abuja and tested over a four-week period. GPS positional accuracy was verified at an average of 4.2 metres, sufficient for route monitoring purposes. The system demonstrated reliable GPRS data delivery in all areas of Abuja served by 2G GSM coverage. Recommendations include integration with an engine immobiliser for theft recovery capability. Keywords: GPS tracking, fleet management, GSM, vehicle monitoring, Abuja.