Best GPS Fleet Tracking Software and Systems for 2021

Samsara is the best GPS fleet tracking system for small businesses that need a comprehensive solution. Not only is it one of the most robust GPS tracking solutions we analyzed, but it also offers industry-specific plans customized to your unique needs. Additionally, it has one of the largest selections of tracking hardware and accessories, letting you choose the devices you need to monitor your fleet. Samsara is one of the only companies we reviewed that offers real-time reporting and tracking, which is essential for many small businesses.

We found that Samsara has all the features you need to track your fleet and maintain legal compliance with regulations like the ELD mandate, IFTA, and DVIR, which is critical to operating a fleet. You can view engine diagnostics (e.g., fuel usage, idle time, preventative reminders, over-the-air diagnostics), receive real-time code alerts, and plan proactive maintenance on your vehicles. One useful option that not all companies offer but Samsara does is integration with FleetCor-issued fuel cards, which can reduce your overall fuel costs. Your managers and admins can keep an eye on your fleet by setting up geofences with alerts, tracking your fleet in real time with helicopter view, and accessing video footage from AI dashcams. If your priority is driver safety and performance, you can access Samsara's driver coaching with in-cab feedback and video-based coaching.

Part of what makes a GPS fleet tracking system so useful is its ability to integrate with third-party applications. To enhance the way businesses can customize and streamline their telematics data and functions, Samsara recently added four new integration capabilities to its marketplace of more than 125 partners. With access to integrations like Alert Rental, CMS Clara, EKA Omni-TMS and TruckIT, businesses can gain more visibility into their critical workflows and boost overall efficiency.

Azuga is one of the easiest GPS fleet tracking solutions on the market. You can choose from the bundled plans or create a custom plan by contacting an Azuga representative. Azuga uses OBD-II plug-and-play tracking hardware, which is one of the easiest device types to install, so your fleet can be on the move in no time. Azuga offers fuel card integration so that you can automatically track fuel expenses, as well as FuelSaver, a unique feature that tells drivers where the closest gas station with the cheapest fuel is. We found the Azuga dashboard and mobile app intuitive and easy to learn, and some plans even include messaging tools to facilitate communication between managers and drivers within a single platform.

We like how easy it is to set geofences and track your fleet's whereabouts with a live map of driver locations. You can incentivize safe driving with driver scores and rewards programs, and you can track your drivers' behavior with automatic safety alerts and notifications (such as when a driver speeds or brakes harshly). If you're worried about distracted driving, the software lets you monitor calls a driver makes, receives, and misses when the vehicle is in motion. Azuga offers personalized online video-based safety coaching, so your team can stay on top of proper driving behavior. Although the Azuga platform is easy to use, unlimited customer support is available by phone, email, and webchat.

ClearPathGPS is an affordable GPS fleet tracking solution with robust features, making it our choice for the best value. Unlike many competitors, ClearPathGPS lists its GPS tracking pricing online, and it has multiple competitively priced plans ($15 to $25 per asset, per month), making it a good option for those budget-conscious fleet managers. You can choose from plug-and-play and hardwired tracking devices, as well as dual-powered and solar-powered asset trackers, dashcams, and several accessories – complete with price listings online. We like how this allows businesses to choose a combination of hardware that fits their needs and their budget, rather than locking them into a specific hardware package.

ClearPathGPS offers essential fleet management features like geofencing, live map and traffic overlay, unlimited automated reports, maintenance and odometer readouts, temperature monitoring, driver behavior tracking (e.g., idling and speeding), virtual timecards, driver IDs, driver scorecards, and real-time alerts. One impressive aspect of ClearPathGPS is how easy we found it to use. This means your drivers will be up and running with the system in no time. However, if you do need assistance, ClearPathGPS offers good customer support by phone, webchat and help ticket. It also provides onboarding assistance as well as ongoing training and guidance.

Verizon Connect is our choice as the best GPS fleet tracking system for midsize fleets. Although the company can serve any size of business, it focuses primarily on midsize and larger fleets. One great feature of Verizon Connect is the industry-specific solutions for distribution, oil, gas, mining, government and public safety, services and specialty trades, construction and heavy equipment, utilities, transportation and logistics, and farming. You can contact a representative or simply fill out an online form for a custom quote to meet your fleet tracking needs. Verizon Connect offers hardwired tracking devices, as well as fuel card tracking and integrated video tracking, so you can securely monitor your fleet.

Verizon Connect offers a few unique features that we found to be especially useful for midsize fleets, like tools for multiple time zones and languages, custom security levels with unlimited users, and customizable automatic scripts and alerts. To make it easier to manage your midsize fleet, Verizon Connect offers flexible labeling (for example, you can change "vehicle" to "crane"), a quick-search function with maps, and smart dispatching with various filters and scheduling recommendations.

A great way to optimize your fleet is to take advantage of Verizon Connect's many reports – you can access historical reports on up to two years of fleet data. This can provide you with insightful trends and forecasts as your fleet expands. If your team needs help learning the many features that Verizon Connect offers, you can access live training.

NexTraq, a Michelin Group company, is our pick for the fleet tracking software with the best safety features. You have the choice of hardwired or plug-and-play tracking devices, all of which can support NexTraq's fleet visibility and driver safety features. NexTraq's devices are tamper-proof, so you can rest assured they will be secure and accurate. One unique feature of NexTraq that we like is how you can set the refresh intervals that work best for you and your fleet, with updates ranging from every 30 seconds to every 15 minutes.

As a fleet manager, you can get a firsthand look at your team's driving performance and incidents with video recordings from dashcams. If a driver engages in unsafe behavior (e.g., speeding, cornering, harsh accelerating, hard braking), they can receive a simple one-second alert to remind them to be more cautious. These actions can also be recorded on driver safety scorecards for you to review with your team. To keep your drivers up to date on the safest and most efficient driving practices, NexTraq offers several training courses. One safety feature we especially like is NexTraq MobileBlock – this locks your drivers' smartphones and tablets while they drive, so they can't engage in unsafe activity like texting, emailing, web browsing, or gaming.

In addition to its safety features, NexTraq provides a complete fleet tracking service with functions like routing and dispatching, vehicle maintenance tracking, and ELD compliance.

GPS Trackit is a fleet management solution with exceptional reporting. It allows you to monitor your fleet with breadcrumb tracking, updated every 30 to 60 seconds. You can access reports on a variety of fleet data and optimize your fleet with those insights. For example, you can view maintenance reports, engine diagnostics, service history and costs. To simplify your reporting process, you can automate reports, which we find valuable. Additionally, you have access to real-time interactive maps of vehicle locations, live traffic, current weather and street-level views.

If you want to monitor and evaluate your drivers, you can view reports on driver performance details like productivity, safety and compliance. You and your team managers can also view landmark reports, which show how long each driver spends at a given location or landmark. You can customize alerts to notify your team about poor driving behavior like speeding, braking harshly and leaving geofences.

To access these features, you have your choice of hardwired or plug-and-play devices, as well as other telematics accessories. Not all competitors offer this option. GPS Trackit also has a lifetime hardware warranty, financing options, and a 30-day money-back guarantee, making it one of the most affordable and flexible options we evaluated.

Force by Mojio is an ideal GPS tracking solution for businesses that want an emphasis on driver accountability, primarily those in home service industries like HVAC, plumbing, electrical services, pest control, roofing and cleaning. Force is one of the most affordable GPS fleet tracking solutions we analyzed, costing just $15 per vehicle per month, with a 60-day free trial. Plug-and-play GPS tracking devices are included, which means you can start tracking your drivers almost immediately. Force also offers one of the most frequent refresh rates, allowing you to see updates in near-real time – every 10 seconds or less.

We like that you can hold your drivers accountable with Force by monitoring driving behavior like speeding, harsh acceleration and braking, cornering, idling, and inefficient routing. This is critical to ensure your drivers are operating safely, not just for their own benefit, but for everyone else on the road with them. You can monitor driver safety scores and reports with RoadScore, and you can ensure your drivers are on their assigned routes by tracking their locations, routes, mileage, and start and end times. It also has disturbance alerts for when one of your tracked vehicles is bumped, towed or disturbed while parked.

One tool Force offers that many others don't is the ability for your customers to track a driver's status. The software lets you provide customers with a temporary tracking link, so they can see when their driver will arrive on the job. This key feature is a great way to hold your drivers accountable and improve customer satisfaction.

FleetUp is an ideal GPS fleet tracking solution for those who place high importance on great customer service. FleetUp representatives can walk you through a platform demo and work with you to create a custom telematics solution based on your needs (e.g., the size of your fleet, the features you need, and the type of hardware you are looking for). You have a large variety of devices to choose from, including hardwired and plug-and-play trackers with easy installation. We found it helpful how FleetUp lists the entire step-by-step process for device implementation, account setup, and training, so it is easy to get up and running. It offers standard fleet tracking features like engine audits and alerts, maintenance schedules, geofences, driver behavior alerts, safety scorecards, trip analyses, and 20-second refresh times.

In addition to FleetUp's setup guides, it offers online resources, blogs, and FAQs. If you need further assistance, you can contact 24/7 customer support. Representatives are available by phone, email, webchat and ticket. If you want additional, personalized telematics support, you can sign up for FleetUp's Professional Services feature. This gives you access to a telematics expert who can help you manage your fleet. For example, they can set up your telematics platform, build and maintain geofences, monitor your drivers, manage vehicle maintenance, customize your notifications, and analyze your fleet data. Not many of FleetUp's competitors offer this level of personalized support.

Jobber is an all-in-one management solution for home service businesses. Unlike most of the companies we reviewed, it primarily serves home service teams (landscaping, plumbing, contracting, HVAC, cleaning, etc.) and offers a full suite of features they need to operate. In addition to GPS tracking, time and expense tracking, scheduling, routing, alerts, and reports, you can use Jobber for quoting, invoicing, and accepting customer payments.

The platform includes a CRM (which it calls a client manager) to keep track of client details, a self-service hub where your clients can approve quotes and pay their invoices, online booking capabilities, lead management, and two-way customer text messaging. These are unique features that we didn't see in any competitors. 

KeepTruckin is an easy GPS tracking solution to implement, and it's ideal for industries like construction, agriculture, delivery, oil and gas, field services, food and beverage, passenger transit, trucking, and logistics. We like how its plug-and-play hardware makes it easy to get your team up and running. Instead of hardwiring a device into each vehicle, you can easily install the ELD in your diagnostic port within minutes. The company also offers road-facing and dual-facing dashcams, so you can get a firsthand look at driver behavior and security.

Although KeepTruckin devices are easy to install, the company offers several installation and setup guides with step-by-step instructions on how to install each device properly. This is ideal for those who need extra assistance but don't want to contact customer support. In case you do need one-on-one assistance with the platform, customer support is available 24/7.

Teletrac Navman is our choice as the best GPS fleet management solution for vehicle maintenance. It offers solutions by industry as well as role, with a variety of hardwired and plug-and-play devices, giving you the ability to choose the tracking option that best matches your vehicle- or asset-tracking needs. You can maintain an optimized and healthy fleet with the various Teletrac Navman features. For example, you can easily view real-time engine diagnostic alerts with color-coded icons. You can also track your vehicle maintenance history with maintenance records and digital inspection schedules. We were impressed with its ability to create automatic notifications for when a vehicle must undergo maintenance, so you never miss a service.

We like how you can track the cost of maintenance across your entire fleet with Teletrac Navman. With tracking measures like repair turnover rates, you can optimize maintenance schedules and reduce potential vehicle downtime. You can also quickly identify maintenance problems or trends to ensure you keep your vehicles as healthy as possible.