Quick answer
The PT-30 and PT-40 are both Pacific Track ELDs that work with DocuDrive. The PT-30 connects over Bluetooth only and uses the driver's phone for GPS. The PT-40 has its own GPS and LTE cellular connection, so the truck reports location even when the phone is dead or gone. At DocuDrive, you can bring a PT-30 at no hardware cost or buy a PT-40 for $149.
Side-by-side
| PT-30 | PT-40 | |
|---|---|---|
| Connection | Bluetooth only, through the driver's phone | LTE cellular (CAT-M1/NB) plus Bluetooth Low Energy |
| GPS source | The driver's phone | Built into the device |
| Phone dies or leaves the cab | Location stops updating until the phone reconnects | The truck keeps reporting location on its own |
| Broker tracking (Highway, Trucker Tools) | Works while the phone is connected; gaps when it is not | Steadier, since position comes from the truck |
| IFTA mileage source | Engine odometer, with jurisdiction from the phone's location | Engine odometer, with jurisdiction from the device's own GPS |
| FMCSA-compliant HOS logging | Yes | Yes |
| Price at DocuDrive | Bring your own, no hardware cost | $149 one time, free shipping, yours to keep |
Service is $20 per truck per month either way, with GPS tracking included and a 14-day free trial.
What the two have in common
Both plug into the truck's diagnostic port and read engine data: miles, engine hours, and whether the truck is moving. Both feed the DocuDrive driver app, which records driving time automatically and handles duty status changes, DVIRs, and roadside Inspection Mode. At a scale house, the officer gets the same logs from either device, transferred from Inspection Mode by DocuDrive's registered telematic method.
The PT-30 is a legitimate, FMCSA-compliant choice. Plenty of owner-operators run one for years without a problem, mostly because their phone is always on them and always charged. If that describes you and nobody is tracking your loads, a PT-30 does the job.
Where the difference shows up
The difference is the source of location. Everything below comes back to that one point.
The phone at the shipper
A driver sits at a shipper for four hours. The phone runs down to zero while the driver sleeps. With a PT-30, location stops updating for the office and for any broker app watching the load. With a PT-40, the truck keeps sending its position over its own cellular connection.
The phone that went home
A company driver parks at the yard and takes the phone home. If the truck moves overnight, a PT-30 setup has nothing to report until a phone pairs again. A PT-40 still knows where the truck is.
Broker check calls
DocuDrive is a connected ELD provider on Highway and Trucker Tools. Brokers watching a load see whatever location the ELD sends. When the dot freezes because the phone died, the broker calls the driver, and some brokers flag the carrier. If you haul a lot of brokered freight, a PT-40 cuts down on those calls. See when a broker requires an ELD.
IFTA miles
IFTA needs miles by jurisdiction. Total miles come from the engine on both devices. The state each mile belongs to is worked out from location points, so gaps in location make the split less certain. With a PT-40 those points come from the truck itself, which gives you a steadier record for the quarterly return. More on IFTA reporting.
What it costs over a year
Run the numbers for one truck over the first 12 months at DocuDrive. Bring your own PT-30 and you pay $20 a month after the free trial, about $240 for the year. Buy a PT-40 and you add $149 once, about $389 for the first year, then the same $20 a month after that. The $149 is a one-time cost, and the device stays yours if you cancel.
Weigh that $149 against what a frozen tracking dot costs you. If one broker passes on your truck because the location kept dropping, the PT-40 has likely paid for itself.
Which one should you run?
- Keep the PT-30 if you already own one, you are an owner-operator who keeps the phone on you, and brokers or an office are not depending on live tracking.
- Go with the PT-40 if you run brokered freight with tracking requirements, have drivers who swap trucks or leave phones behind, want the office to see trucks without calling, or are buying a device anyway.
If you own a PT-30 now, you can move it to DocuDrive at no hardware cost and upgrade later. The steps are on Bring Your Own ELD. If you are buying fresh, the PT-40 is $149 one time and yours to keep. Start at /buy/.