Guide
What is GPS Fleet Tracking?
GPS fleet tracking is not a single gadget. It is a chain: a device estimates position, a network carries telemetry, software stores it, and a person uses it to run the fleet.
- Fleet tracking answers “where was this authorized asset when it last reported?”—not “replace my ELD.”
- Hardware capability is not coverage, and a datasheet is not a map product.
- TruckerPro is evaluating Teltonika terminals; ingestion, maps, and commercial service still need to be built.
The four parts of a tracking system
Most commercial systems use the same stack, whether the brand is Motive, Samsara, Geotab, or a first-party program still in evaluation.
- A device receives GNSS signals, estimates a position, and may also read ignition, motion, or diagnostics depending on the model and install.
- A network plan carries those reports. LTE-M and NB-IoT are common on asset hardware; coverage still depends on the carrier, bands, roaming, and the install.
- A backend authenticates the device, stores points, applies retention rules, and detects events such as geofence enters and exits.
- An application turns stored points into maps, history, alerts, and exports that dispatch can actually use.
Skip any layer and you have a locator in a box, not a fleet tool. TruckerPro is currently evaluating the device layer and has not shipped the backend or application.
What fleets use it for
Typical jobs include finding a tractor or trailer in a yard, confirming that a unit arrived, reconstructing a path after a claim, noticing a parked asset that started moving, and feeding mileage or dwell summaries. Those jobs only hold if reporting interval, coverage, and software quality match the operating pattern.
They do not include Hours-of-Service compliance, in-cab coaching, or emergency response unless a separate certified product provides them.
Powered vehicles versus unpowered assets
A tractor usually has 12/24 V power, so a hardwired terminal can report more often. A dropped trailer or a generator often does not, so the industry uses battery or solar asset gateways. That is why TruckerPro is evaluating a hardwired TP056 (Teltonika FTM880) candidate and a battery TP057 (Teltonika TAT141) candidate instead of one SKU for every asset.
What “good” looks like when you evaluate a vendor
- Written scope: which assets, which events, which markets.
- A reporting profile you can test parked and moving, not a slogan.
- A carrier plan named in writing, then driven on your lanes—including Canada/US border stretches if you run them.
- Authentication, retention, export, and support terms that survive an audit question.
For a longer checklist, see how to choose a GPS tracker.
Related reading
- GPS tracking for trucks
- Advantages of GPS tracking
- Glossary: GPS fleet tracking
- Fleet GPS tracker pilot
Questions
What is GPS fleet tracking?
It is the use of satellite navigation plus a communications link to record the location of authorized fleet vehicles or assets, then present that history in software.
Does GPS fleet tracking replace an ELD?
No. An electronic logging device records driver Hours-of-Service. Location telemetry can sit beside an ELD; it does not satisfy an ELD mandate by itself.
Does TruckerPro offer GPS fleet tracking today?
No. TruckerPro is evaluating hardware and designing a future platform. There is no customer map, geofence product, or commercial tracking plan.
Share a pilot use case
Tell us what you would track and where it operates. This records interest; it does not place an order.