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How to Connect DocuDrive to Trucker Tools

A broker tracking a load in Trucker Tools asked you to connect your ELD. DocuDrive is one of the ELDs you can select there. Here is the setup, start to finish.

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  • FMCSA-registered (ELD ID DDL996)
  • $20/truck, GPS included
  • No contract

Quick answer

DocuDrive is a connected ELD in Trucker Tools. Open a DocuDrive account (14-day free trial, then $20 per truck per month), install a PT-40 or move a PT-30 or PT-40 you already own, and drive so the device reports. Then, in Trucker Tools, find the ELD or telematics connection, choose DocuDrive, and authorize it. The broker tracking your load can then follow it from the truck's reported location.

Reviewed October 2026 by the DocuDrive team.

What Trucker Tools does for brokers

Trucker Tools is a load-tracking and visibility platform. Brokers use it to follow a load in real time from pickup to delivery, so they can answer the shipper without calling the driver every few hours. Its own site, truckertools.com, lists real-time load tracking among its broker tools and offers carriers a way to connect an ELD or telematics account.

A broker can track a load through a driver's phone or through a connected ELD. An ELD connection reports from the truck, so it does not depend on a driver remembering to keep an app open. Each broker sets its own requirements, so ask which method they want for the load in front of you.

Before you start

  • Your USDOT number and MC number, and your carrier name exactly as FMCSA has it.
  • The load or tracking request from the broker, if they sent one.
  • A device: a new PT-40, or a Pacific Track PT-30 or PT-40 you already own.

Connecting DocuDrive to Trucker Tools, step by step

  1. Open a DocuDrive account. Sign up online. You get a 14-day free trial, then $20 per truck per month, month to month. Use your carrier name and USDOT number exactly as they appear on your FMCSA record.
  2. Get a device into the truck. Order a PT-40 for $149 one time with free shipping (yours to keep), or move a PT-30 or PT-40 you already own with no hardware purchase. See bring your own ELD.
  3. Install the device and log in to the driver app. Plug the device into the diagnostic port. Pickups, vans, and most light box trucks use OBD-II. Heavy trucks use 9-pin or 6-pin. Follow the PT-40 installation guide.
  4. Drive so the device reports. Start the engine and drive. A platform cannot show location until the device has reported. A PT-30 reports location through the paired phone, so keep the DocuDrive app running.
  5. Select DocuDrive in Trucker Tools. In Trucker Tools, find the option to connect an ELD or telematics provider, choose DocuDrive, and follow the prompts.
  6. Authorize the connection. Approve the data sharing when asked. Nothing flows until you do.
  7. Confirm with the broker. Ask the broker to confirm the load shows your truck's location before you leave for pickup.

Troubleshooting

Carrier details do not match

If the carrier name or USDOT number in DocuDrive differs from what Trucker Tools and the broker have on file, the connection can fail to match your truck to the load. Compare the legal name, any DBA, and the USDOT number across all three. Call (720) 362-3783 or email sales@docudriveapp.com if your DocuDrive record needs a correction.

Connected, but the load shows no location

The device has probably not reported yet. Confirm it is seated in the port, the engine has been on, and the truck has moved. With a PT-40, the device reports on its own LTE connection. With a PT-30, check that the paired phone has the DocuDrive app open, has signal, and has location permission turned on.

The broker sees the wrong truck

If you run more than one truck, make sure the broker has the right truck or unit assigned to the load. Trucker Tools support can help with anything inside their platform.

Why the PT-40 suits load tracking

Load tracking breaks when the location source goes quiet. A phone dies after hours at a receiver. A driver closes an app to save battery. A phone gets left on the counter at home. The broker just sees a load that stopped moving.

The PT-40 has built-in GPS and its own LTE cellular connection, so location comes from the truck, not the phone. It stores data when coverage drops and syncs when it returns, and it has a backup battery. The PT-30 vs PT-40 comparison lays out the difference.

It works on vehicles the ELD rule does not cover

Brokers ask van, pickup, and light box truck carriers for tracking too. Those vehicles are often under 10,001 lbs and outside the federal ELD rule, and the broker's request is still a condition of the load. The PT-40 plugs into a standard OBD-II port, so you can connect a federally exempt vehicle for tracking alone. See ELDs under 10,000 lbs. DocuDrive is also a connected ELD in Highway.

Sources

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change; check the source before you rely on a figure.

Common questions

Is DocuDrive an ELD option in Trucker Tools?

Yes. DocuDrive is a connected ELD in Trucker Tools. Once your DocuDrive account and device are set up and reporting, select DocuDrive in Trucker Tools and authorize the connection so brokers can track your loads.

Do I have to use the Trucker Tools app on my phone if I connect an ELD?

It depends on the broker and how they set up tracking for the load. A connected ELD gives the broker location from the truck itself. Ask the broker whether the ELD connection covers their requirement or whether they also want the driver app.

Can I connect a van or pickup to Trucker Tools through DocuDrive?

Yes. The PT-40 plugs into the OBD-II port found in vans, pickups, and most light box trucks, and reports location through its own GPS and cellular connection. That works whether or not the vehicle is required to run an ELD.

Why does my load show no location after I connected?

The device likely has not reported yet. Check that it is seated in the port, the engine has run, and the truck has moved. With a PT-30, the DocuDrive app must be running on a phone with signal, since the PT-30 uses the phone for location.

What does it cost to connect DocuDrive to Trucker Tools?

DocuDrive is $20 per truck per month, month to month, with a 14-day free trial. The PT-40 is $149 one time with free shipping, or bring a PT-30 or PT-40 you already own. There is no extra DocuDrive charge for the Trucker Tools connection.

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