Fleet Tracking for Small Trucking Fleets — Included, Not an Add-On
Fleet tracking tells you where every truck is, where it has been, and how long it sat. Enterprise providers sell it as a separate tier. If you run 1 to 20 trucks, you should not be paying twice for GPS data your ELD is already collecting.
How much does fleet tracking cost for a small fleet?
Standalone GPS fleet tracking typically runs $15 to $30 per vehicle per month, and most enterprise ELD providers sell it as an upgrade tier. Because an ELD already records GPS position, ELD Hub includes live tracking and trip history in its $15 per truck per month plan at no extra cost.
Last verified by ELD Hub.
You are already paying for the GPS
An ELD is required to record location at every duty-status change and roughly every 60 minutes of driving. That data is the same data a fleet-tracking product sells you. Charging for it twice is a packaging decision, not a technical one — which is why a provider that ships tracking in the base plan is not giving anything away.
What small fleets actually use tracking for
Enterprise dashboards are built around asset utilization across hundreds of units. A five-truck carrier has a much shorter list, and almost all of it is about answering a customer or protecting a payment.
- Answering "where's my load?" without calling the driver mid-drive
- Proving detention time at a shipper or receiver when you invoice for it
- Confirming delivery time when a broker disputes a claim
- Spotting idle time that is quietly burning fuel
- Reconstructing a route after an incident or a customer complaint
- Producing state-by-state mileage that feeds the quarterly IFTA return
What's included with ELD Hub
Tracking runs off the same PT-30 or IOSiX device that handles compliance, so there is no second box to install and nothing extra to activate.
- Live truck location on a map, refreshed while the truck is moving
- Trip history and route replay by unit and by date
- Stop and idle duration per location
- Mileage by state, feeding IFTA reporting
- Driver-level view of hours remaining alongside position
- No per-user seat fee and no API access charge
Tracking vs telematics vs dash cams
These three get bundled in marketing and priced separately in contracts. Tracking is location and trip history. Telematics adds engine diagnostics and fault codes. Dash cams add video and AI event detection, and they are where the largest upcharges live — often $20 to $40 per truck per month on top of the ELD. A small fleet should decide on cameras deliberately rather than inheriting them inside a bundle.
What to check before you buy a tracking upgrade
If your current provider is quoting a tracking tier, three questions usually end the conversation.
- Is the GPS data already being collected by the ELD you pay for? (It is.)
- Does the upgrade extend your contract term?
- Is there a per-user or per-dashboard-seat charge on top of the per-truck price?
- Can you export your own location history if you leave?
Typical small-fleet cost, tracking included vs sold separately
| Provider approach | ELD software | Tracking | Monthly per truck |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELD Hub — included | $15 | Included | $15 |
| Mid-tier provider with add-on | $20–25 | $10–15 add-on | $30–40 |
| Enterprise tier upgrade | $35–45 | Bundled in higher tier | $35–45 |
| Standalone GPS + separate ELD | $15–25 | $15–30 | $30–55 |
Tracking, compliance, and IFTA on one $15 bill
One device, one subscription, no tracking upgrade. FMCSA-registered, month-to-month, and it works with the PT-30 or IOSiX you may already own.
Frequently asked questions
Does ELD Hub include GPS fleet tracking?
Yes. Live location, trip history, stop and idle duration, and state-by-state mileage are all part of the $15 per truck per month plan. There is no tracking tier and no per-seat dashboard fee.
Do I need separate hardware for fleet tracking?
No. The same PT-30 or IOSiX device that handles ELD compliance provides the location data. If you already own a compatible device from another provider, ELD Hub re-registers it at no cost.
How accurate is ELD-based tracking?
Position accuracy is standard GPS, generally within a few dozen feet outdoors. Update frequency while driving is far higher than the FMCSA minimum, which is what makes the trip replay useful for detention and delivery disputes.
Can drivers be tracked when off duty?
Personal conveyance and off-duty movement are recorded at reduced precision under the FMCSA rule, which intentionally limits off-duty location detail. Carriers should also have a written policy telling drivers what is recorded and why.
Does tracking help with IFTA?
Substantially. The mileage-by-jurisdiction totals that a quarterly IFTA return needs come straight from the same GPS record, which removes most of the manual trip-sheet work and the arithmetic errors that trigger audits.
Is fleet tracking worth it for one truck?
As a paid add-on, usually not. As an included feature, yes — a single owner-operator still uses trip replay to prove detention and to settle delivery-time disputes with brokers.
Keep reading
- ELD pricing →
Exactly what the $15/truck/month plan covers.
- ELD hardware →
The PT-30 and IOSiX devices that provide the GPS feed.
- IFTA reporting →
Turning tracked mileage into a quarterly return.
- What is an ELD →
Why the device is already recording location.
- Samsara alternative →
What enterprise tracking tiers actually cost.
- Best ELD for small fleets →
Choosing when you run 1 to 20 trucks.