In this post, I’m going to discuss the variety of fleet management software options and how much does fleet management software cost. When it comes to managing your fleet, taking the step to move away from paper, or even just to upgrade your existing software, can be a daunting decision. There are many options out there for you.
Nearly all of them offer a different range of services and a different pricing structure. Fortunately, with just a bit of preparation and knowledge, you can make this decision much easier.
First and foremost, you need to know what services are available and which of those services you need. Fleet management software comes in all forms and formats, and there’s something for every level of management of your fleet.
For example, perhaps all you need is something to help with electronic logging device (ELD) tracking and compliance. Or maybe you just need simple GPS tracking of your units. There are plenty of options for these simple solutions. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s software that will help you with absolutely every aspect of your business.
While it may seem that fleet management software is all about tracking your vehicles and adhering to electronic logs, there are also much more comprehensive programs available. These programs will aid with maintenance schedules and provide dash cams. Also, they’ll monitor driver behavior, mobile apps, WiFi hot spots, IFTA reporting, cloud dispatch, and temperature monitoring, just to name a few. Also, technology is out there that will help you streamline and speed up your billing. Knowing what services you need for your business will simplify your search, so you’ll be able to then focus on cost. Once you know what you want, you can now price shop intelligently.
So now you know what you’re looking for. But how much does fleet management software cost?
The pricing of fleet management software varies widely depending on services included. For example, if you merely want ELD compliance, then you may not end up paying a dime. Conversely, if you want the total package, you could be looking at thousands of dollars a year.
Don’t panic! Instead, keep in mind what services you need and how many units in your fleet you need them for.
When it comes to pricing out this type of software, it helps to know the structures they are offered in. Most options available are going to charge you based on a per unit, per month basis. Furthermore, these structures are often tiered by size of the fleet. For example, one form of software may charge you $15 per month, per vehicle for 15 vehicles in your fleet. However, if your fleet is 50 vehicles or more, then that cost may increase to $25 per month, per vehicle.
Some of these options may require you to sign a contract. Before you decide on what looks like a great price for the services you want, consider whether you want to be locked into a multiyear commitment. Also, some companies have minimum fleet unit requirements as well. For example, they may not offer their service if you have fewer than 15 units in your fleet.
Let’s go back to the range of costs now that you understand format. For bare-bones software, there are free ELD options available. However, for more common options, prices can range from as low as $5 per unit per month to as much as $135 per unit per month. That said, the average cost you’ll find will be $30 to $35 per unit per month.
One final cost to consider is that software often also requires hardware. Hardware costs are usually a one-time fee, up to as much as $300 per unit.
So now that we know how much does fleet management software cost, let’s move on to popular software options.
We’ve gone over what services are available and the structure and ranges of pricing for these services. Now let’s touch on some of the specific software options that are available to you. I’m going to focus on just a few of the most popular, with the widest range of offered services. Keep in mind that there are literally dozens of fleet management software options available to you.
Let’s begin with Samsara. It’s basically the Ferrari of fleet management software options. This is the most comprehensive option available on the market. Essentially, this is the software you choose if you want technological assistance operating every single aspect of your business. With this company, you’ll be getting all the basics we discussed earlier, as well as much more. Samsara is going to provide software allowing you to manage your fleet, your drivers and their safety, and overall DOT compliance.
Among the additional features included with Samsara are a driver-friendly mobile app that handles ELD compliance, dispatch routing, and direct messaging. It’s compatible with any iOS or Android device. Also offered is trailer theft detection, along with cargo and temperature monitoring for reefer trailers if necessary. Samsara can also provide software that helps organize your fleet maintenance codes and monitors for fault codes. Drivers can upload documents directly to the cloud for dispatch to view. Their package also covers reporting, which means Samsara keeps track of IFTA, FSMA, fuel efficiency, and overall vehicle health.
Ultimately, Samsara provides many options. This is your most likely choice if you’re looking to become completely paperless. All of that said, Samara will accordingly come with the highest cost. The price range varies depending on the size of your fleet, and they will gladly discuss packages with you. However, using a base of a 30-unit fleet brings Samsara’s monthly per-unit cost up to $128.
Linxup is about as opposite from Samsara as there is on the market. Whereas Samsara is a comprehensive software, Linxup focuses solely on GPS tracking and ELD compliance. Among the requirements are a one-time hardware purchase for $299.98, which provides for an ELD system that isn’t cloud-based or app-based. Instead, it’s a type of software that’s built into in-truck hardware. Linxup offers monthly data plans that accommodate their various options.
Keeping in mind that each price is per unit, for $29.99 per month after the hardware install, you’ll receive just the ELD tracking. For $39.99 per month, the package adds GPS tracking. Finally, the premier package is $49.99 per month and adds IFTA tracking to the previous.
In terms of pricing, Keeptruckin falls between the offerings of Samsara and Linxup. Keeptruckin provides the most middle-of-the road price that we’ll cover here today. Also, Keeptruckin gives us our first look at tiered pricing packages. First is a free tier, where you’d receive software for electronic logs and tracking vehicle inspections only. Upgrading to $20 per unit per month will unlock GPS tracking, ELD compliance assistance, and geofencing. Last, at $35 per unit per month, you’ll also get IFTA tracking, WiFi hotspots, driver coaching programs, and vehicle diagnostics assistance.
One of the most straightforward options available, GPS Trackit specializes in—as you’ve probably guessed—GPS tracking. For a flat rate of $23.95 per month per unit with no contract requirement, GPS Trackit provides cloud-based software with a 30-day money back guarantee. What you get for your money is real-time GPS, video telematics, asset monitoring, ELD compliance, and cloud-based dispatch.
Notably, GPS Trackit also includes a color-coded monitoring of driver behavior to highlight any potential red flags. This price also includes the hardware with unlimited free company-supplied training.
Finally, Fleetio provides a slightly different format of fleet management software. Unlike the previous options, Fleetio focuses on the elimination of paper used in fleet maintenance and data tracking. Whereas GPS is a foundation of other softwares, it’s not a feature of Fleetio. In turn, Fleetio is cheaper than its counterparts. However, Fleetio does have a minimum requirement of 15 units in your fleet. For $5 per month per unit, you’ll receive software for asset and VIN lookup, fuel management, service log and reminders, and driver and vendor management for unlimited users.
Upgrading to the $7 per month per unit package will unlock the ability to input work orders, parts management, purchase orders, inventory tracking, and a mobile app for parts. Fleetio is a more specialized software, but perfect for you if you just need help with managing your fleet maintenance.
In this post, we answered the question how much does fleet management software cost. Additionally, we’ve covered services, cost, pricing structure, and a few software options for managing your fleet. Hopefully, this helps ease the nerves you may have stepping into this vast world for the first time. Know what services you need, understand the pricing structure that is right for you, examine your options, and then make a confident choice. Selecting and pricing out fleet management software is easy with the correct knowledge and preparation.
This post was written by Matthew Zandstra. Matt has been working in transportation and logistics dispatch for the past six years, both as a broker and direct to drivers. He’s familiar with various facets of relationships, technical systems, pricing mechanics, and commodities.
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