ELD With GPS Tracking

What the ELD rule actually requires for location

FMCSA's technical specification for ELDs sets a floor for location, and the floor is low on purpose. The rule is built to check hours of service, so it only needs enough location to place each log event.

• When location is recorded. The ELD records location at log events: duty status changes, logins and logouts, engine power-up and shutdown, and similar events. While the truck is moving with no other event, the ELD adds an intermediate log once every hour (49 CFR 395.26(d) and Appendix A, section 4.5.1.2).
• How precise it is. Position is recorded to two decimal places of latitude and longitude, which works out to about 1 mile (Appendix A, section 4.3.1.6).
• Personal conveyance. When the driver has indicated personal use, precision drops to one decimal place, about a 10-mile radius (395.26(d)(2)).
• Acquisition. The ELD must be able to get a position fix at least every 5 miles of driving, but it only writes location into the record at events.

So an ELD that meets the rule and nothing more might show your truck an hour and 60 miles ago, rounded to the nearest mile. That satisfies an officer at a roadside inspection. It does not answer a customer asking where the load is right now.

What real-time GPS adds

Dispatch and the office

With live tracking, whoever answers the phone can see where every truck is from the DocuDrive web portal. ETA questions get answered without calling a driver who is trying to back into a dock. For a small fleet, that is the difference between running the day and chasing it.

Broker visibility

Brokers increasingly want to watch loads move. DocuDrive is a connected ELD provider on Highway and Trucker Tools: in either platform, you select DocuDrive as your ELD and authorize the connection. From then on, the broker sees your location on loads you share. Steady location means fewer check calls. See Highway ELD and when a broker requires an ELD.

IFTA miles

IFTA wants miles by jurisdiction. Hourly points rounded to a mile leave room for argument near state lines. Frequent GPS points make the state-by-state split cleaner, and DocuDrive builds IFTA mileage reports from that data. More on IFTA reporting.

Finding a truck

If a truck is stolen or simply not where it should be, a device that reports its own position gives you a starting point for the police and your insurer. That works best when the GPS is in the truck rather than in a phone that left with the driver.

Where the GPS lives matters

There are two ways an ELD gets location:

• From the driver's phone. Bluetooth-only devices such as the PT-30 use the phone's GPS and the phone's data connection. Tracking works while the phone is in the cab, charged, and connected.
• From the device itself. The PT-40 has built-in GPS and its own LTE cellular connection. The truck keeps reporting even when the phone is dead, off, or at home.

Both meet the ELD rule. For dispatch and broker tracking, the PT-40 is the steadier source. The full comparison is on PT-30 vs PT-40.

Questions to ask any ELD provider about GPS

• Does the device have its own GPS, or does it use the driver's phone?
• Does the device have its own cellular connection?
• Is real-time tracking included in the monthly price, or is it an add-on?
• Can I connect to the broker platforms I already use?
• What does the office see when the driver's phone is off?

The answers tell you whether you are buying a logbook or a logbook plus tracking. Comparing providers? See how DocuDrive stacks up on the comparison page.

GPS is included in the $20

DocuDrive does not charge extra for tracking. The $20 per truck per month plan includes real-time GPS tracking along with HOS logs, DVIR, IFTA mileage reports, roadside Inspection Mode, the web portal, the driver app, and U.S.-based support. It is month-to-month with no contract and starts with a 14-day free trial.

To get truck-reported location, add a PT-40 for $149 one time, free shipping, yours to keep. If you already own a PT-30 or PT-40, you can bring it. Start at /buy/ or see pricing.

Need tracking on service vans or work trucks that do not need an ELD? DocuDrive also offers GPS-only fleet tracking at $8 per vehicle per month.