Trucking telematics: what it tracks beyond the ELD, and what a small fleet gets from it

Most trucks already carry a telematics device: the ELD. It's there because the rules require most drivers to log hours electronically. But the same device, or one next to it, can report much more: where the truck is, how it's running, how much fuel it's using and how it's being driven.

For a small fleet, the question isn't whether that data exists. It's which parts are worth paying for and using.

From the truck to your phone

Telematics vs ELD

The ELD rule has listed exceptions, including drivers who log 8 or fewer days in 30 and trucks with engines older than model year 2000, and short-haul drivers who meet the conditions don't keep logs at all 49 CFR 395.1(e)Short-haul exception to logsDrivers within a 150 air-mile radius who meet the conditions don't keep records of duty status49 CFR 395.1(e)(1): a driver operating within a 150 air-mile radius (172.6 statute miles) of the normal work reporting location, returning there and released within 14 consecutive hours, among other conditions, is exempt from records of duty status under 395.8; the carrier keeps time records instead.49 CFR 395.1(e)Checked Oct 2026Close.

What a small fleet gets from it

Fewer check calls. Brokers want to know where loads are. Sharing a tracking link means fewer calls to drivers while they drive, and often a better relationship with the broker.

Detention proof. GPS showing the truck at a facility from arrival to departure supports detention claims; see dwell time in trucking.

Earlier repairs. Fault codes can flag a problem before it becomes a breakdown on the road. Engine hours help schedule maintenance for trucks that idle a lot.

Fuel savings, if you act. Idle time and speed are the usual targets; the speed limiter impact calculator shows what a governed speed saves and costs. The device shows where fuel goes; a policy and a conversation with drivers change it.

IFTA miles. Miles by state from GPS or the ELD feed fuel tax reports. Keep fuel and distance records for four years IFTA Procedures Manual, P500…IFTA record retentionFuel and distance records kept 4 years from the date the return was filedIFTA Procedures Manual P510: licensees retain the records on which IFTA fuel tax returns are based for four years following the date the return was filed, longer if an audit or waiver extends it.IFTA Procedures Manual, P500 to P600Checked Oct 2026Close.

Coaching. Speeding and hard braking reports give specific, private feedback. Pair them with a clear policy, as with driver-facing cameras.

Reefers: temperature you can prove

For refrigerated freight, trailer telematics can record reefer temperature and settings through the trip and alert you when something drifts. A temperature history you can send a shipper or broker is the best answer to a rejected load claim. Ask whether the system records the set point, actual return air temperature and unit alarms, and how long it keeps the history.

Alerts worth setting up

Too many alerts get ignored. Start with a short list:

• Fault codes that mean stop soon or schedule repair.
• Arrival and departure at shippers and receivers, for detention and check calls.
• Excess idling over a set time.
• Speeding above a set threshold.
• Reefer temperature outside range, if you haul reefer.
• Truck moving outside work hours, as a theft check.

Send each alert to the person who will act on it, and review the list after a month.

Rolling it out in 90 days

1. Month one: install, train drivers on the app and logs, set the short alert list.
2. Month two: start sharing tracking links with your regular brokers; review fuel and idle reports.
3. Month three: compare the numbers you chose with the months before, and decide what to keep.

What it costs, and how to judge it

Telematics is usually priced per truck per month, plus hardware, and sometimes bundled with the ELD. Check each provider's own pricing page and note the date; we don't list prices because they change and vary by bundle.

To judge whether it's worth it, pick one or two numbers before you buy (fuel per mile, unplanned breakdowns, hours spent on check calls) and measure them for three months before and after. Keep the features that move a number, and drop the rest at renewal. To compare tools and your own hours against handing dispatch to a desk, use the dispatch ROI calculator.

Choosing a provider

• One device or two? An ELD with telematics features may be enough. Separate systems mean two bills and two apps.
• Data you can share. Make sure you can send tracking links to brokers and export data to your TMS; see TMS for trucking.
• Driver app quality. Drivers use it every day for logs. A bad app costs violations and goodwill.
• Contract terms. Length, cancellation, hardware ownership and what happens to your data if you leave.
• Support. Logging problems happen at night and on weekends.

Questions to ask before you sign

• Which features are in the base plan, and which cost extra?
• Who owns the hardware if I cancel?
• Can I share live tracking with brokers, and can I turn a link off after delivery?
• Does the data export to my TMS or accounting software?
• How long is location and engine history kept?
• What does it cost per truck if I add five trucks?

Get the answers in writing, with the date you checked the vendor's pricing page.

Data and drivers

Telematics data is about drivers as much as trucks. Tell drivers what's tracked, why, and who sees it. Use the data for coaching and planning, not surprise discipline. Drivers who understand the system tend to accept it; drivers who discover it tend to leave.

EXAMPLE A four-truck regional carrier switches to an ELD plan that includes GPS, fault codes and idle reports. In the first month, the reports show one truck idling far more than the others and another throwing an emissions fault code. The owner sets an idle policy, gets the fault fixed before it becomes a roadside breakdown, and starts sharing tracking links with the carrier's three regular brokers.

Where telematics fits

Telematics feeds several systems: dispatch and broker updates, maintenance, fuel, safety and billing. See truck fleet management for how they fit together, trucking dispatch software for the office side, and trucking equipment for the hardware every truck carries. For how our desk works with your trucks, see small fleet dispatch.

Our view: the ELD you're required to have is the starting point. Add the telematics features you'll act on, measure them, and don't pay for dashboards nobody opens.