Greater insight and data about your fleet can be powerful information that can help you to better utilise your vehicles, optimise their productivity, reduce fuel and running costs, and reduce the administration involved in managing a fleet. Vehicle telematics devices are great in providing this data and can support drivers in improving their driving styles and behaviours which can improve fuel efficiency and safety. Below we have explored what telematics providers can offer businesses.
The table below gives a quick price comparison of the top UK providers for telematics.
Company Cost from Tracker cost
Webfleet Not stated Not stated
Tracker £130 per year £299
Fleetsmart £6.95 per month Free
Quartix £7.999 per month £50-175
Verizon Connect Not stated Not stated
Pinpointers £5.99 per month Not stated
Crystal Ball Not stated Not stated
Movolytics Not stated Not stated
RAM Tracking Not stated Not stated
Radius £6 per month Not stated
Trakm8 £5.99 per month Not stated
Scorpion Track Not stated £249.99
Asset Monitoring Solutions (AMS) Not stated Not stated
Teletrac Navman Not stated Not stated
Michelin Connected Fleet Not stated Not stated
Fleetio $4 per vehicle per month Not stated
Zubie $15 per month Not stated
Lyxt Not stated Not stated
ABAX Not stated Not stated
* The facts and figures included here come from each company’s website and were accurate at the time of writing but may have since changed. Also, please keep in mind these may not be apples to apples comparisons as each provider offers different solutions. This guide should be used as a starting off point for more research on your part.
Below we profile each of the companies’ services and features in a bit more detail.
Note companies are ranked in no particular order and this no way indicates one solution is better than another.
Topics
1. Webfleet
Some of the features and benefits of Webfleet’s telematics.
- Offers a variety of telematics
- Vehicle tracking
- Tools to support fleet management
- Driver behaviour monitoring
- Mileage logbooks
- Monitor and improve driving behaviours
- Navigation and traffic avoidance
- Workflow management
- Customisable reporting
- Helps to make informed decisions
Webfleet, formerly TomTom Telematics, is a specialist telematics provider offering a variety of tools to help businesses manage and optimise their fleets. They have over 25 years of experience and claim to provide a return on investment in six to nine months on average.
Webfleet products include vehicle tracking to help you track vehicle locations and replay journeys, driver behaviour monitoring to improve driving, reduce fuel consumption and improve safety, online mileage logbooks to help with compliance, and workflow management to improve driver communications and dispatching. They also offer accurate traffic information that helps you to navigate and avoid traffic disruptions.
2. Tracker
Some of the features and benefits of Tracker’s telematics.
- Vehicle tracking solutions
- Suitable for single vehicles to large fleets
- Provides solutions for a variety of vehicles
- Enhance tracking abilities
- Assists with traffic and route planning
- Real-time vehicle locations and replay journeys
- Fleet management tools
- Reporting suite
- Partners with the Police Force in the UK
- Improve your fleet efficiency
Tracker is a telematics provider offering a range of vehicle tracking solutions that are primarily designed to help you locate stolen vehicles but also to provide a wealth of data about your fleet in order to improve your efficiency and optimise each vehicle.
Tracker also offers fleet telematics and connected solutions that can aid you in managing your mobile workforce using iOn software. It can monitor your fleet performance and allows you to drill into the details when needed. The software supports your project management by assist you to get the right vehicles and tools to the sites on time. You can also utilise it to automate your maintenance scheduling and fault alerts, monitor real-time visibility of cargo, and gain insight into driver behaviour and vehicle performance.
3. Fleetsmart
Some of the features and benefits of Fleetsmart’s telematics.
- Fleet management software solutions
- Vehicle tracking
- Tailored solutions
- Simple fleet tracking
- Real-time locations
- Monitor drivers and their driving styles
- Utilises Google maps
- Reporting facilities
- Encourages efficiency and save money
- Offers demos and free trials
Fleetsmart is fleet and asset tracking provider who offer monitoring solutions that are flexible and can be tailored to meet your needs. Their fleet management software enables businesses to track their fleet and monitor their usage through real-time tracking and journey replay facilities.
Fleetsmart’s vehicle tracking gives a wealth of real-time data including location, speed and status as well as comprehensive reporting to help you to analyse your fleet activity. Their tracking systems utilise Google maps and have a 5 meter pinpoint accuracy. They also offer a range of optional extra products including remote immobilisation and roaming add-on so you can track your vehicles around the world.
4. Quartix
Some of the features and benefits of Quartix’s telematics.
- Fleet management software
- Vehicle tracking
- Monitor driving styles
- Produce timesheets
- Vehicle management
- Trip reports
- Driver behaviour
- Alerts
- Mobile app for drivers
- Reporting facilities
Quartix is a fleet management system provider which includes vehicle tracking, producing timesheets, monitor driving styles and comprehensive reporting. Their reporting facilities include real-time dashboards, vehicle utilisation analysis, mileage and speed reports, vehicle management, check time on-site and route analysis.
Quartix’s vehicle tracking gives real-time locations and ability to replay journeys using the Interactive Timeline. Their timesheet functionality pulls data to give reports on the trip reporter, driver reports and timesheet analysis. Their driving styles functionality allows you to track any driving concerns, run league tables and analyse lost points. You can also give your drivers access through their mobile app.
5. Verizon Connect
Some of the features and benefits of Verizon Connect’s telematics.
- Fleet management services
- Fleet and asset tracking
- Digital tachograph
- Route optimisation
- Driver management and safety
- Field service management software
- Comprehensive reporting
- Customisable dashboards
- Improve fleet efficiency
- Reduce costs
Verizon Connect is a provider of digital vehicle and driver management tools which includes fleet management software to assist businesses that manage mobile workforces. Their products include fleet and asset tracking, digital tachograph, route optimisation, field service management software, scheduling, driver management and safety.
Verizon Connect’s vehicle tracking provides real-time GPS tracking of vehicle locations using high-resolution maps which can help with improving fleet performance and efficiency as well as more accurate ETAs. Digital tachograph enables you to remotely download tachograph files to reduce admin and support compliance requirements. Field service management helps to organise and manage employees, vehicles and equipment.
6. Pinpointers
Some of the features and benefits of Pinpointers’ telematics.
- Vehicle tracking solutions
- Designed for cars, vans, trucks and coaches
- Cloud-based software
- Real-time location tracking
- Review past journey information
- Driver behaviour monitoring
- Road speed violations
- Traffic updates
- Timesheets
- Reporting facilities
Pinpointers is a vehicle tracking solutions provider whose products are designed for cars, vans, trucks and coaches. They provide cloud-based software which enables you to access the software from anywhere on any internet-connected device.
Pinpointers’ tracking solutions give real-time vehicle locations and access to past journey information. Their software helps driver behaviour monitoring which can help you to improve driver safety and driving efficiency as well as alert you to road speed violations. Other features include timesheets, setting entry and exit zones, real-time traffic updates and reporting facilities to help you analyse your fleet and drivers.
7. Crystal Ball
Some of the features and benefits of Crystal Ball’s telematics.
- Range of telematics solutions
- Vehicle tracking
- Fleet dash cams
- Mobile phone tracking
- Lone worker protection
- Field service management apps
- Improve efficiency and productivity
- Reduce running costs and fuel consumption
- Comprehensive reporting
- Set customs alarms, alerts and geofences
Crystal Ball is a supplier of telematics solutions that cater for vehicles and mobile workforces which includes vehicle tracking, fleet dash cams, mobile phone tracking, lone worker protection and field service management apps. They have designed their solutions to help managers to support and track vehicles and staff.
Crystal Ball’s vehicle tracking offers real-time locations, location sharing, journey playback and to set customised alarms, alerts, geofences and geo search options. They also offer a comprehensive reporting facility that can help you to analyse your fleet and drivers so that you can improve efficiency and productivity as well as reduce running costs and fuel consumption.
8. Movolytics
Some of the features and benefits of Movolytics’ telematics.
- Complete fleet management tools
- Vehicle tracking
- Fuel management
- Fleet safety
- Driver behaviour
- Maintenance management
- Reporting suite
- Dashboard
- Reduce running costs and fuel consumption
- Increase intelligence and visibility of your fleet
Movolytics is a fleet management systems provider offering solutions that are designed to support logistics and transport businesses. They provide the tools that businesses need to increase their intelligence and visibility of their fleet so that they can drive down the costs of running the fleet and fuel consumption.
Movolytics’ fleet management tools include vehicle tracking, fuel management, fleet safety, driver behaviour, and maintenance management. They provide a comprehensive reporting suite which allows you to monitor driver behaviour, improve safety, identify drivers across your fleet, create driver scorecards, compare drivers and view journey replays. You can set alerts for dangerous driving and reminders for maintenance checks.
9. RAM Tracking
Some of the features and benefits of RAM Tracking’s telematics.
- Offers a range of telematics solutions
- Vehicle tracking
- Dashcams
- Fleet management solutions
- Real-time vehicle locations
- Set alerts and reminders
- Customisable reporting
- Quick installation of tracking devices
- Suitable for small to large fleets
- Can be used in cars, vans and trucks
RAM Tracking is a fleet management software and hardware provider who offers solutions for fleets that are from 3 to 3,000 vehicles which can include cars, vans and trucks. The solutions they provide include vehicle tracking, dashcams and fleet management software. Their telematics solutions are cloud-based so can be accessed from anywhere on any internet-connected device.
RAM Tracking’s vehicle tracking devices can be installed quickly by their trained engineers. Once installed you can track real-time locations to increase the visibility of your fleet. You can also review and analyse fleet and driver data to help you increase efficiency and reduce running costs. OBD plug-in trackers can also provide vehicle health data such as fuel levels, battery status, mileage and fault codes.
10. Radius
Some of the features and benefits of Radius’ telematics.
- Vehicle tracking systems
- Designed for individual vehicles and fleets
- Works in cars, vans and HGVs
- Real-time vehicle locations
- Review historic journey information
- Tracks congestion and aids with route planning
- Comprehensive reporting
- Can self-install
- Can aid fuel and maintenance cost reductions
- Can increase fleet efficiency
Radius (formerly Kinesis) is a vehicle telematics systems provider that offers a range of vehicle tracking devices and software designed for use in cars, van and HGVs. Their vehicle tracking solutions are suitable for single vehicles and fleets. You can access your fleet data either through your PC or their mobile app.
Radius’ vehicle tracking is designed to help you reduce your fuel consumption and maintenance costs and it can increase your fleet efficiency. It provides real-time locations of vehicles and historical journey information as well as congestion information to help you plan routes. Their comprehensive reporting function allows you to access information including speeding, idling and concerning behaviour.
11. Trakm8
Some of the features and benefits of Trakm8’s telematics.
- Fleet management software
- Suitable for a variety of vehicles including plant equipment
- Real-time vehicle tracking
- Historical journeys
- Advanced mapping facilities
- Driver behaviour monitoring
- Geofences with alerts
- Can highlight driver events such as speeding
- Reporting facilities
- Increase fuel efficiency and savings
Trakm8, formerly Box Telematics, manufactures telematics devices and software including smartphone apps which are designed for a variety of vehicles and plant equipment solutions. Their smart vehicle tracking web portal helps businesses to increase their fuel efficiency and make savings.
Trakm8’s vehicle tracking provides businesses with real-time vehicle locations and movements as well as historical journey information. They offer solutions which are flexible and provides advanced mapping options to enable you to create geofences with alerts. You can use their reporting to review data including driver behaviour and speeding. It can also aid driver in recording business and private mileage to support P11D claims.
12. Scorpion Track
Some of the features and benefits of Scorpion Track’s telematics.
- Intelligent fleet management tools
- Security and vehicle tracking
- Real-time location tracking
- Monitor driver behaviour
- Analyse fleet usage
- Create geofences
- Assign groups
- Powerful reporting tool
- Helps to reduce fuel and running costs
- Optimise drivers and vehicles
Scorpion Track is a vehicle security telematics system supplier and manufacturer who creates vehicle tracking solutions suitable for fleets that are between 5 and 5,000. Their intelligent fleet management tools are easy to install and can help businesses to optimise their fleet, reduce fuel and running costs.
Scorpion Track’s vehicle tracking deploys GPS tracking to provide real-time vehicle locations and you can receive updates about the fleet. To help you to better manage your fleet view journey history and generate reports, create geofences and track private and business mileage to support expenses and HMRC compliance. They also offer driving style data to assist you in increasing safety and reducing motoring costs such as fuel, wear and tear.
13. Asset Monitoring Solutions (AMS)
Some of the features and benefits of Asset Monitoring Solutions’ telematics.
- Fleet management solutions
- Vehicle tracking
- Tailored offering
- Choice of tracking devices
- Real-time vehicle locations
- Track driver behaviour
- Temperature monitors can be included
- Simple software solution
- Helps in estimating arrival times
- Bespoke reporting facility
Asset Monitoring Solutions is a fleet management and vehicle tracking provider who offers solutions that are designed in-house so they can tailor their offering to you. They offer a range of additional services including driver ID, power take off and temperature.
Asset Monitoring Solutions’ software is designed to help businesses to increase their operational efficiency and reduce costs by having greater insight into vehicle locations and driver behaviour. Through increased data and vehicle locations you can provide customers with more accurate arrival times. Their bespoke reporting facility allows you to analyse your fleet and make more informed decisions.
Asset Monitoring Solutions website
14. Teletrac Navman
Some of the features and benefits of Teletrac Navman’s telematics.
- Reliable and simple fleet management solutions
- Increase the visibility of your fleet operations
- Optimise your fleet and reduce costs
- Vehicle and trailer tracking
- Tachograph and driver hours
- Job management
- Fleet safety
- Fleet maintenance
- Equipment management
- Ease the admin burden of compliance tracking
Teletrac Navman is a fleet management and vehicle telematics systems provider that offer tailored solutions to assist your business to more effectively manage your fleet. They offer a range of integrations and product enhancement options to create a bespoke solution for you. Their fleet management range includes vehicle tracking, safety and compliance software.
Teletrac Navman’s tracking software gives greater visibility of your fleet operations enabling you to optimise your fleet and reduce fuel and running costs. It can also ease the administrative burden of compliance tracking and reporting. They provide customisable dashboards and reporting which can include real-time alerts, KPIs, driver behaviour and events.
15. Michelin Connected Fleet
Some of the features and benefits of Michelin Connected Fleet’s telematics.
- Vehicle tracking solutions
- Greater visibility of your fleet
- Driving behaviour
- Job management
- EV transition and management
- Incident management
- Vehicle maintenance and checks
- Connected temperature monitoring
- Driver hours management
- OEM fleet management
Michelin Connected Fleet offers tailored fleet management and telematics solutions that have been designed to maximise fleet performance and optimise operations. They provide real-time fleet monitoring and smart solutions that can lower fleet costs through fuel optimisation, reducing insurance and maintenance costs.
Michelin Connected Fleet tailor their solutions to the customer and their business needs. They offer a wide range of solutions that allow you to track your vehicles, improve driver behaviour, manage jobs, monitor and schedule vehicle maintenance. They also offer monitoring facilities for driver hours, camera video monitoring, brake and tyre performance, tyre pressure and temperature monitoring.
Michelin Connected Fleet website
16. Fleetio
Some of the features and benefits of Fleetio’s telematics.
- Comprehensive fleet management software
- Connects with a variety of GPS hardware to capture telematics data
- Reduce vehicle downtime and improve safety
- View vehicle locations
- Automatic odometer updates
- Fuel management
- Maintenance tracking
- Inventory management
- Issue tracking
- Reporting and analytics
Fleetio is a fleet management software provider that works in partnership with GPS hardware providers to capture telematics data that can be used to monitor fleets, track locations, and receive automatic updates. Through increased data about your fleet, you can optimise vehicles and reduce fleet costs.
Fleetio also provides a wide range of fleet management tools which includes fuel management, maintenance tracking, inventory management, issue tracking, scheduling inspections, compliance monitoring and reporting, tracking works orders and preventive maintenance. Through the software, you can set alerts and reminders, monitor fuel economy and cost per mile, integrate fuel cards and analyse data through the reporting suite.
17. Zubie
Some of the features and benefits of Zubie’s telematics.
- Fleet management and vehicle tracking solutions
- Uses GPS tracking to locate vehicles
- Review journey history
- Monitor vehicle health
- Smart maintenance
- Review driver performance
- Set alerts
- Integrates with apps
- Simple to use software
- Offers flexible pricing plans
Zubie is a vehicle telematics and fleet management provider that offers an easy to use, cloud-based portal to assist businesses to better manage their fleets. They offer vehicle tracking and vehicle health tracking devices. Fleet Connect is an easy to use device which plugs into the vehicle’s diagnostics port to track driver activity and vehicle health.
Zubie’s system is designed to help fleet managers to track real-time locations of vehicles, monitor their health including fuel levels, engine issues, mileage, vehicle usage and maintenance activity. It can help track driver behaviour including fuel usage, hard braking, rapid acceleration and idling. Other features include estimating arrival times, driver app and scorecards.
18. Lyxt
Some of the features and benefits of Lyxt’s telematics.
- Customisable telematics and fleet management solutions
- GPS vehicle tracking
- Fleet dashcams
- Driver safety solutions
- Locate, track and manage your fleet
- Video integration
- Route optimisation
- Fuel management
- Predictive maintenance
- Maximise efficiency and productivity
Lyxt is a fleet management and compliance solutions provider offering products to help businesses more effectively manage their fleets. They offer customisable software and comprehensive solutions with product integrations for fleets with all-in-one video telematics solution.
Lyxt has designed its products to help businesses maximise their fleet efficiency and productivity but to also assist in improving driver behaviour and safety. They offer a variety of products including GPS vehicle tracking to help locate, track and manage your fleet, fleet dashcams that allow video integration and journey playback. Through these, they provide features such as find my nearest vehicle, access to up to 100 hours of video and reporting.
19. ABAX
Some of the features and benefits of Abax’s telematics.
- Offers live tracking of vehicles, machinery and equipment
- Real-time location data
- Collects usage data
- Fleet management
- Driving behaviour
- Optimise routes
- Mileage claim
- HMRC compliant
- Easy to install units
- 24/7 support
ABAX is a telematics company based in Peterborough that provides both software and hardware that they have developed in-house. Their products help businesses to track vehicles, machinery and equipment, and become more efficient in managing their fleets. They offer solutions which include fleet management, driver behaviour, mileage claims, plant tracking and tool tracking.
ABAX offers easy to install units that can be self-installed in 10 minutes with no specialist tools required. They provide products that have a lifetime warranty, roaming SIM to prevent freezes or delays and are HMRC compliant. They also provide 24/7 support for their customer 365 days a year.
FAQ
What is telematics, and how does it work?
Telematics uses GPS technology and onboard diagnostics or OBD to monitor vehicles and plot their movements, usually on a computerised map. A small telematics device or ‘black box’ records the information from the vehicle, from fuel use to speed.
Also known as GPS fleet tracking, the information it collects can help to save on maintenance costs or improve fuel efficiency by monitoring the vehicle and learning about the driving habits of the person behind the wheel.
Having vehicle telematics systems installed in your vehicles allows you to collect a great deal of information. This information is stored on a SIM card which will then transfer vehicle data to the cloud, where fleet managers can then download it.
It will show things such as vehicle location, trip time, distance covered, fuel consumption, vehicle faults, harsh braking or speeding, idling time, as well as other engine data.
Telematics systems enable fleet managers to get the best out of their drivers. The information collected by the telematics device allows for proper fleet management, including fuel usage and how fuel consumption can be reduced or if they need to improve driver safety standards.
What is telematics vehicle tracking?
Fleet managers can use telematics data to track the vehicle location and check driver safety and vehicle diagnostics. The telematics system allows businesses to gather important information about their fleet of vehicles and how well they are performing.
Once the data is collected, it can be interpreted by the fleet management team to see if any areas can be improved upon or if costs can be reduced. Telematics technology is widely used in vehicle tracking and is a big part of modern fleet management.
Who uses telematics?
Many industries will use telematics devices. The most obvious is fleet operators, including trucking and transportation, who have many vehicles to keep an eye on.
The construction industry makes use of telematics devices as their vehicles and machinery tend to be expensive. It enables construction business owners to be alerted to vehicle theft.
The Government will use it for monitoring the vehicles they use. This may include work vehicles or emergency vehicles. Businesses that rent cars will also use telematics to keep track of their cars whilst they are out on loan. Young drivers will also benefit from installing a black box to keep their insurance costs down.
What are the benefits of telematics?
There are many benefits to using a fleet telematics system. It enables you to manage remote resources, including fleet vehicles, effectively. It can improve productivity and efficiency. The data collected may show that you could create more efficient routes, reducing fuel consumption.
Raw telematics data can also provide information that can help promote vehicle maintenance remotely.
This is also known as preventative maintenance. The GPS data can notify you of a vehicle fault code detection, so you can keep on top of maintenance issues. It will save on large repair bills and keep vehicles operational for longer.
Telematics can increase driver safety as it will keep tabs on the speed and efficiency of their driving, ultimately making better and more conscientious drivers.
Perhaps more importantly, it supports your drivers in case of legal proceedings. If there has been a road accident, you can use the data to back up your driver’s testimony.
What are telematics devices?
A telematics device is also known as a black box and is fitted into your vehicle. It’s a GPS tracking device, and it collects data that helps build a picture of your driving and the vehicle itself.
What is a telematics provider?
Telematics service providers offer a service that will monitor all of the data collected by the telematics device and interpret it for you. They will do this usually for a subscription fee. It is a useful service if you don’t have the capabilities within your business to interpret the telematics data.
It can improve your fleet management processes. There are many companies out there who will offer this service so it is best to shop around and get quotes if you’re interested in having a telematics service provider.
What is the difference between telemetry and telematics?
Telemetry describes the science and technology behind automatically recording data and transmitting this data from the remote source to a place of analysis. The word telemetric is derived from telemetry.
How much does telematics cost?
Telematics systems will usually have two costs. The first is the cost of the actual tracker itself. These can range from being free (with a monthly subscription) to well over £1,000.
Then you’ll have a monthly subscription portion. These can range from £5.99 to over £100 per month per vehicle.
Given the very wide range of options out there, and the opaque nature of pricing in the industry it’s a good idea to get and compare quotes.