International Truck & Engine Corp will offer a factory-installed electronic theft-deterrent and tracking system for medium and heavy trucks, the company said in a statement this week. International says it is the first commercial truck manufacturer to offer this as a factory option. The factory-fitted theft-deterrent system is a two-stage crime prevention system that will work with the International Aware Vehicle Intelligence system, which tracks trucks anywhere in the country. An access code must be entered within seven seconds of starting the engine, or the theft system will shut down the engine. The seven-second delay is a safety feature for drivers who may have to move a truck a short distance in an emergency situation. If the code is entered incorrectly too many times, it can be programmed to send an alert to the cell phone of a fleet manager or other official. International Aware Vehicle Intelligence is a telematics solution that allows authorized individuals to monitor trucks in real-time through a password-protected Internet connection. The system tracks the truck's exact location, speed and direction of travel. Frost & Sullivan researchers estimate that, by the end of 2012, nearly a third of trucks and about one in four truck trailers will be equipped with telematics systems, according to the International statement.