Best Fleet Tracking Software
Based on In-Depth Reviews

The phrase “fleet tracking” brings to mind the specific act of keeping tabs on your fleet’s location, but in practice, it generally refers to a number of interconnected devices and programs to help manage your fleet overall. 

Beyond the mere use of a GPS device to locate your vehicles at any given moment, there are a number of programs and devices that can further streamline the tracking and management of your fleet.

For example, if your company is in the business of delivering sensitive cargo, you may wish to purchase additional cargo-monitoring options. Many fleet tracking services offer devices that can monitor an item’s location, whether a vehicle or container door has been opened, periodic driver check-ins, among many other options to make sure the cargo is delivered safely and timely.

Some solutions can also include electronic logging devices (ELDs) to keep your drivers compliant with federal hours of service (HOS) requirements, as well as many other useful trackers to help your fleet manager and drivers stay at the top of their game, while reducing operational costs by monitoring fuel costs and usage, maintenance schedules, and more.

Benefits of fleet tracking

The main question in all of this is, why invest in fleet tracking systems? What benefit could they bring to your business that you couldn’t replicate with your phone’s GPS and good, old-fashioned number crunching? As with many other aspects of running a business, there is no reason why you couldn’t simply homebrew an alternative to cut down on costs, but in the case of fleet tracking systems, their flexibility provides added benefits, even for independent owner-operators who only have their own vehicles to worry about.

The core of any fleet tracking system is the humble GPS device. Although modern technology allows us access to GPS in many of our everyday electronics, a dedicated device can help with much more than just directions. For example, some devices are also able to monitor your vehicle’s status and maintenance needs, while also relaying this information to the fleet manager.

Another common device used in fleet tracking systems is the dashboard camera. While these devices are already accessible to the general public, there are some dash cams with added features that help increase accountability while on the road. Aside from the clear benefit of being able to play back accident footage and determine what exactly happened, some cameras now make use of artificial intelligence algorithms to evaluate instances of harsh driving, collisions, and other potentially hazardous driving occurrences so that drivers can maintain or develop safer driving habits.

The last piece of hardware/software that can be considered “universal” to all vehicle types is asset tracking. While “asset” can and often does refer to the vehicles themselves, there are several different devices, sensors, and programs designed to help you keep track of your cargo’s status. From basic GPS tags to a complete array of sensors that tell you if and when a cargo door has been opened, or temperature sensors for refrigerated trucks and more, asset tracking is a broad category that includes a variety of devices that will keep you aware of your cargo’s status every step of the way.

Aside from the previously mentioned devices, fleet tracking solutions also include options for heavier vehicles such as short-haul and long-haul trucks. ELDs are federally mandated devices that are installed onto most heavy commercial vehicles with the express purpose of ensuring they remain in compliance with federal hours of service requirements. However, far from just being an electronic logbook, ELDs can also work in tandem with your GPS by calculating the fuel tax value of miles driven across any given state, per IFTA rules. The ELD will also generate an automatic report based on the data collected that can be shared with relevant parties (fleet managers, law enforcement, et al.) via printout, USB drive, or bluetooth, significantly cutting back on the amount of paperwork that needs to be processed.

Lastly, there are a variety of programs and interconnectivity features that allow your fleet tracking setup to streamline your fleet’s bureaucracy and logistics. For example, if your fleet is a service fleet (internet, plumbing, etc.,) there are field service management programs that can integrate into your fleet management software. Other programs allow you to compile your drivers’ historical trip data to pinpoint problematic driving behaviors or incentivize safer driving.

John D. Esparza, president of the Texas Trucking Association, told us that, beyond using ELDs and fleet tracking software to keep an eye on their drivers, their driving records can be used to encourage and acknowledge their safe driving habits by giving out bonuses for a certain amount of miles travelled without incident, for example. And while this is by no means the only application for these solutions, different opportunities for improvement will arise depending on your specific business type.
 

Privacy concerns and fleet tracking

Although electronic tracking solutions are becoming more commonplace, this doesn’t mean there it hasn’t met with some resistance. As recently as 2011, there were reports focusing on truck drivers’ reluctance or outright unwillingness to adopt these measures, citing concerns over excessive surveillance, added operational costs, among other issues.

Indeed, when the ELD mandate was being drafted, the FMCSA conducted a survey among drivers and carriers to determine just how widespread these concerns were. The 2014 report showed that while drivers with ELDs were questioned more often about their vehicle status, whereabouts, or other activities while on-duty, they were also more likely to be properly compensated whenever customers kept them waiting or performed tasks that prevented them from moving on to their next delivery.

Since that survey was conducted in 2014, we asked Esparza, from the Texas Trucking Association, whether any of their members were still expressing concerns over potential surveillance and harassment as a result of these devices being installed. "Truck drivers are certainly a proud group, and as well they should be, given the skillset involved in safely delivering 80,000 lbs for 100,000 miles a year,” replied Esparza. “When drivers call in they are typically upset about something and I had my fair share of upset drivers over the ELD mandate. That was understandable, too, as it was one more thing the driver or company is required to purchase in order to do business they are not directly compensated for," he added. 

Despite the pushback from drivers, the Texas Trucking Association and many others continued to support the ELD mandate, seeing it as an overall benefit for the industry, and good policy in general. In Esparza's words, "a rising tide lifts all boats." 

Regarding complaints and concerns from their drivers, Esparza has seen a notable shift. "Now I talk to so many that were formerly mad and now see the ELD is a benefit for them, “ he says. “Many found they are even getting paid more as the ELD measures to the minute as opposed to the 15-minute increment logging on the old paper logs. ELDs are good for our industry, technology is good for our industry,” he concludes.

Cost concerns

Depending on your type of business, you may be required to use fleet tracking software or hardware to comply with federal law. Naturally, this increases your overhead costs, but as has been mentioned before, fleet tracking solutions can lead to significant savings over time when implemented correctly.

For example, you can install vehicle part sensors to monitor a vehicle’s status and schedule maintenance more efficiently to avoid unnecessary downtime. Aside from the obvious savings of not having to deal with unexpected maintenance costs, you are avoiding a potential loss of $400 to $700 per day per unused vehicle.

Even a seemingly minor, yet integral part of running a fleet such as paperwork can produce savings of $688 per year per driver, according to an analysis published by the DOT and the FMCSA. By eliminating the need for drivers to stop and fill out manual logs, drivers save valuable time that could be used more productively, either for resting or driving. 

Another area where you can expect to see considerable savings is fuel usage. Although there is no individual piece of hardware or software that is directly responsible for these savings, by combining smarter route planning, keeping tire pressure at recommended levels, avoiding harsh driving, and so on, you could potentially increase your fuel economy by up to 40%, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

One other type of savings that fleet tracking can bring you is in terms of insurance costs. In our conversation with the Texas Trucking Association, we asked whether they experienced any reduction in insurance costs. Though specific numbers could not be provided, they told us that through an upcoming partnership with local fleet tracking company Over-Haul, they would be offering a program called “a program called TruckShield that sees reduced insurance rates for those that use the load-tracking product. Effectively, the insurer recognizes [...] the performance value of companies that deploy this technology and provides reduced rates for it.”