Now more than ever, the quest for the best real time fleet tracking system is crucial for businesses aiming for optimal logistics and fleet management.
Whether you’re a seasoned industry player or a newcomer, our guide will help you navigate the complex landscape of commercial GPS tracking systems this year. Learn about the benefits of vehicle tracking, and some of the most effective tools for driving your business toward greater efficiency and profitability.
Quicklook: Best GPS tracking for fleet vehicles in 2024
- Best for simple implementation: Motive
- Best for improved fleet safety: Samsara
- Best for real-time data insights: Trimble
- Best for mid- to large-sized fleets: Verizon Connect
- Best for small to medium fleets: Azuga Fleet GPS Tracking
- Best for location precision: Garmin
Top GPS tracking for trucking companies
With so many GPS tracking system options available on the market today, finding the right one may seem like a daunting task. We’ve narrowed down some of the best vehicle tracking system companies for your consideration here:
Motive
Motive offers one of the simplest GPS-based fleet management system options on the market to help you get started quickly. If you get stuck during the setup process, its guides and clear instructions help you troubleshoot and move quickly through the process. You can upgrade your monitoring by adding road-facing or dual-facing dash cams to aid in detecting unsafe driving. Remote managers can coach new drivers or train them at a distance in real-time to improve driver safety.
Best for: Simple implementation
Special features
- Setup guides and step-by-step instructions for installation
- 24/7 customer support available via many communication types
Benefits
- Easy-to-read dashboard
- Optional dash cams to capture footage even when vehicle is off
- Driver safety leaderboards to motivate safety
- IFTA fuel reports
- Compliance logs for hours of service (HOS)
Disadvantages
- No free trial
- Requires 12-month contract
Pricing: Contact for a custom quote
Samsara
The Samsara GPS fleet management system includes integrated dash cams and AI-powered driver monitoring with alerts to flag distracted driving. Samsara also offers in-cab voice coaching and driver safety scores to improve fleet safety. Installation is simple and standard features include live vehicle location, traffic condition and distance information. Premium features are offered at reasonable prices.
Best for: Improved fleet safety
Special features
- Integrated dash cams
- High definition video recording for insurance claims
- Automatically uploaded footage of driving incidents
- AI driver monitoring
- Integrated GPS and hours of service tracking, paperless DVIRs and temperature monitoring for enhanced compliance
Benefits
- Real-time visibility
- ELD, IFTA and DVIR compliance
- Fuel cards
- Monitor fuel usage
- Improved driver safety
- Share live tracking with end customers
Disadvantages: Lack of pricing transparency
Pricing: Check with Samsara for a customized quote
Trimble
No matter the size of your fleet, Trimble offers an excellent tool for tracking vehicles and offering data insights so you can make informed decisions. Select from one of three tiers to get the features and functionality you want from your GPS tracking system while balancing your budget. See how your drivers are doing with live stats and information. Build efficient routes using the software to lower fuel costs while delivering goods within the timeframe you committed to.
Best for: Real-time data insights
Special features
- Fuel price tracking
- System alerts
- Geofencing
Benefits
- Maintenance management tools
- Engine diagnostics and alerts
- User-friendly
- Customizable reports
Disadvantages: Occasional issues with customer care
Pricing: Based on features, contract length, and fleet size
Verizon Connect
The Verizon Connect GPS Fleet Management system is designed to offer a real-time, complete view of daily fleet operations. With premium features aimed to help reduce costs, increase productivity and stay on top of vehicle maintenance, it can be a one-stop solution for medium to large fleets. Verizon’s fleet management solutions include an easy-to-use app and integrations.
Best for: Medium to large fleets
Special features
- Mobile app can be used for driver communication
- Maintenance notifications
- Diagnostic trouble code (DTC) alerts
- Syncs across multiple languages and time zones
- Custom access and security levels
- Works with custom workflow scripts
Benefits
- Alerts for inefficient or unsafe driving behaviors
- Easy-to-use app
- Prefilled checklists for vehicle inspections
- Dash cam connection for added security
- Fuel consumption monitoring
Disadvantages
- Lack of pricing transparency
- May be better for larger fleets
Pricing: Contact Verizon for a customized quote
Azuga
Azuga’s Fleet GPS tracking software with dash cams improves driver visibility and safety. They report that their system reduces accidents by an average of 38% while improving transit times by 28% and reducing citations by 57%. Azuga’s system also features easy installation, a customizable dashboard and exceptional customer service.
Best for: Small to medium fleets
Special features
- Reduced accident rates
- Customizable dashboard
- App with a comprehensive fleet overview, including safety, accountability and driver rewards to fleet efficiency
- In-app messaging
Benefits
- Reduced fuel consumption
- Increased fleet safety
- Customizable reports
- Improved fuel efficiency
- Maintenance and expense tracking
- No professional installation required
- Excellent customer support
Disadvantages: Learning curve for creating reports and customizations
Pricing: Contact Azuga for customized pricing
Garmin
One standout feature of the Garmin GPS fleet tracking system is its precise and reliable vehicle location tracking capabilities. Leveraging robust GPS technology, Garmin provides real-time visibility into vehicle positions on a user-friendly map interface.
This real-time location data enables optimized routing, dispatching the nearest driver, and ensuring timely arrivals. Garmin’s strength lies in delivering accurate vehicle tracking for enhanced fleet operations.
Best for: Location precision
Features:
- 1440p video resolution
- 180° lens field of view
- Built-in GPS receiver
- 2.0″ LCD display
- Records onto removable microSD cards, supporting up to 512GB
- Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Critical incident road alerts
- Remote video access available
Benefits:
- Easy dashboard
- Affordable pricing
- High video quality
- Integrated GPS
Disadvantages: No status tracking
Pricing: $249.99
What is a GPS fleet tracking system?
A GPS fleet tracking system is a type of commercial GPS tracking technology that businesses use to monitor and manage their vehicle fleets. This system usually includes GPS tracking tools like a commercial GPS tracker that is installed in the vehicle, and a fleet tracking app that helps users view and manage the data.
These truck GPS tracking systems are essential for businesses, especially those involved in commercial vehicle operations, including trucking companies. The top tracking systems provide real-time data on vehicle location, speed, fuel consumption, and driver behavior, making them key components of a comprehensive fleet management strategy.
The primary function of the system is personal tracking of each vehicle within the company’s fleet. This involves installing a GPS tracker for commercial vehicles in each truck, car, or piece of equipment. This fleet GPS tracker for business vehicles communicates with satellites to provide data on the vehicle’s location and movement. This is the basis of how GPS tracking works.
Commercial vehicle tracking systems also include a GPS management platform, often accessed through a fleet tracking app. This platform collates and organizes the data from each GPS tracking device for equipment and vehicle, making it easy to monitor the entire fleet from one place.
GPS tracking for business vehicles has grown increasingly common across fleets. Industries such as delivery services, taxi companies, and logistics providers find them particularly useful.
Benefits of fleet management systems include improved efficiency, reduced fuel costs, better safety records, and increased productivity. They also help in managing preventive maintenance schedules for the vehicles, which in turn helps in reducing overall operational costs.
Choose the best GPS truck tracking system for your business
When vetting trucking GPS tracking systems, it’s important to consider which benefits of GPS tracking are most important for your business. Top GPS companies offer a variety of options, from basic tracking functionality to comprehensive fleet management solutions.
Reading fleet GPS tracking reviews and conducting a GPS fleet tracking comparison can help you find the best GPS fleet tracking system for your business. Also, you should consider GPS fleet tracking pricing as it varies based on the features and capabilities of the system.
FAQ
The cost of fleet GPS tracking can vary greatly, typically ranging from $15 to $200 per vehicle per month, depending on the features and level of sophistication of the system.
Not all GPS trackers require a monthly fee in the trucking industry. Some providers offer one-time purchase options for GPS tracking devices that operate without recurring subscription costs, although these systems may have more limited features compared to those with monthly service plans.
GPS tracking works by using a network of satellites that orbit the earth, broadcasting their location and time data. The GPS tracker on the ground receives this data from multiple satellites, and through a process called trilateration, it calculates its precise location on Earth.
