Abstract: A self-contained integrated portable vehicle tracking system that does not comprise any wired connection to any device or location external to the container unit is disclosed. The tracking system comprises a microcontroller unit (MCU); a GPS receiver in communication with said MCU; a GPS patch antenna connected to said MCU; a wireless transceiver in communication with said MCU; a power source comprising a solar cell; and a power management system. In addition, a method for determining the position of a moving vehicle with high accuracy is disclosed. Unlike methods known in the art, the method disclosed herein does not require the use of an inertial navigation system or continuous operation of a GPS. The method comprises determining the velocity of the moving object from a determination of its speed and angular velocity and correlating the signals obtained from the velocity sensors with a map data layer.