Note to reader: This list of leading fleet telematics companies was part of a competitive ranking from 2022. A more updated summary of ABI Research's commercial telematics company rankings can be read in this research highlight.
ABI Research recently ranked some of the top commercial fleet telematics companies based on various innovation and implementation criteria. Our analysts assessed what these companies are doing right to help you understand why their Fleet Management Systems (FMSs) lead the market. This post will provide you with a well-rounded summary of the following telematics companies:
Geotab
Canada-based Geotab is the top fleet telematics company in our latest competitive assessment. Geotab has provided supply chain operators with scalable, secure, and reliable open-platform telematics for fleet management for the last 22 years.
Geotab has experienced an average subscriber growth of 20% Year-over-Year (YoY) since 2019. Roughly 6 out of 10 of Geotab’s 41,000 customers have fleets with 500+ vehicles.
The commercial fleet telematics solutions provided by Geotab include both hardware and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)-based offerings. These products deliver data to support insights that can be acted upon and used to make the best business decisions.
Geotab also helps fleets with their sustainability efforts. The company provides fleets with the data-based tools and insights they need to accelerate their rate of carbon reduction. Not only do these fleet telematics systems reduce a customer’s carbon emissions, but they also lead to lower operation costs.
For example, Geotab’s upgraded GO9+ telematics device lets fleets use Wi-Fi connectivity for up to 4 hours when the vehicle engine is turned off. This reduces wasted fuel, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, and the number of cellular connections required in the field.
Verizon
Verizon Connect, an extension of Verizon Business, is the New Jersey-based company’s fleet telematics software product. The firm was named ABI Research’s top innovator.
Verizon Connect can cater to businesses of all sizes through a broad portfolio of fleet and mobile resource management software solutions.
Helping Verizon Connect rank as the second-best fleet telematics company is its ability to lean on the deep reach of Verizon Business’ resources, such as the following:
- Networks
- Labs
- Sales
- Wireless connectivity
- Internet of Things (IoT) products
- Business development
- Marketing
From long-haul trucking to local government fleets and small businesses to large enterprises, Verizon Connect is set up to experience long-term growth in many fleet domains. Moreover, the company’s telematics platform includes customizable dashboards and benchmarking that help fleets push toward Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Verizon Connect maintains its status as the world’s largest global commercial telematics vendor, mainly due to the company’s proficiency in critical areas, such as:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered video technology
- Advanced compliance and Hours of Service (HoS)
- Vehicle and asset tracking
It’s also beneficial that Verizon Connect is afforded a long track record of connectivity and partnerships. These advantages provide Verizon’s commercial telematics customers with reliability, stability, and fleet security.
Further Insight:
Container Telematics for Streamlined Trade: A New Partnership Enters the Market
Accessing the Value of Industrial Telematics Data
Samsara Redefining Its Fleet Management Portfolio with Enhanced Video Telematics Solutio
Solera
Solera, headquartered in Texas, is another leading fleet telematics company our research analysts took a close look at. The firm has a historical focus on driver risk and safety in the trucking industry. The lineup of commercial fleet management offerings, greatly expanded through a series of company acquisitions, falls under Solera’s “Fleet Solutions” pillar. It includes the following platforms:
- eDriving: Solera’s “Mentor” solution is an award-winning driver risk management application for commercial fleets. Using smartphone accelerometers and Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors, the eDriving platform collects and analyzes driver behavioral data. These data can identify which behaviors will most likely result in a crash.
- FleetLocate: In one pane of glass, FleetLocate conveniently enables fleet managers to monitor their remote assets and drivers, even for mixed fleets using GPS locating capabilities. According to Solera, 77% of FleetLocate subscribers report improved fleet productivity.
- Omnitracs: Solera acquired the leading cloud-based fleet management platform, Omnitracs, in 2021. This addition enables enterprises to use the software for route optimization and vehicle delivery, extending to last-mile delivery.
- SmartDrive: The company’s SmartDrive platform leverages AI-enabled video analytics to help better understand fleet and driver behavior. In May 2022, Solera announced the launch of SmartDrive Protect, which uses video-based analytics to exonerate fleet drivers from accidents, rewards drivers for safe driving, and provides managers with coaching tools.
- Spireon Trailer Tracking: After its acquisition of vehicle intelligence firm Spireon, Solera has been able to offer trailer fleets with a complete telematics solution. Products like customizable trailer asset trackers and sensors turn real-time data into actionable Business Intelligence (BI). Solera’s Spireon platform gives enterprise customers rich, customized analytics and robust, automated reporting. This is enriched with dispatch and other operational insights.
- SuperVision: This is Solera’s driver management product that provides fleets with driver safety, license monitoring, compliance, and performance management solutions.
Trimble
Trimble is a California-based industrial technology company operating in the fleet telematics space. Target markets for Trimble include trucking companies, freight brokerages, and Third-Party Logistics (3PL) providers.
Trimble Transportation is the company’s multi-modal solution group, including long-haul, on-road commercial vehicles, field service management, rail and construction logistics, heavy civil projects, telco, and cable.
Trimble Transportation provides the following business outcomes for commercial fleets:
- Safety and regulatory compliance
- Business Intelligence
- Data analytics; navigation and routing
- Final mile
- Transportation management
- Fleet maintenance
- Freight brokerage
- Supply chain visibility
Trimble is found in over 90% of the top 200 North American trucking companies and provides a broad portfolio of fleet telematics-related applications.
Below is a general summary of the firm’s offerings:
- Driver Apps and Efficiency: Seamless connectivity and simplification for fleet operations, including navigation, routing, final-mile delivery, and assistance for any route.
- Regulatory Compliance: Electronic driver logs, vehicle inspection (eDVIR), and automated weigh station bypass.
- Supply Chain Visibility: A snapshot of all active shipments, current status, and location, with a large set of customizable preferences. Available across all modes of transportation for each business unit, product, and brand— down to the Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) level.
- Transportation Management: Visibility, streamlined billing, shipment planning & execution, business intelligence, real-time exception alerts, and fleet management.
- Trimble Transportation & Logistics: Track trucks, drivers, shipments, as well as handle personnel management, fleet management efficiency, and fuel consumption analysis. Furthermore, collaborate via eShipCo and e-CMR for digital waybills.
- Vehicle Health Management: Tire pressure monitoring, PeopleNet Fault Intelligence, PeopleNet Fault Code Monitoring, and TMT Fleet Maintenance and TMT Service Center end-to-end maintenance management tools.
Zonar
Rounding out our list of top fleet telematics companies is Seattle-based Zonar. With a strong presence with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), more than 100 strategic patents, and being line-installed with Daimler vehicles, Zonar has a robust market share in North America. The vertical markets that Zonar focuses on include pupil transportation, commercial trucking, heavy-duty construction (such as pits and quarries), vocational/utilities (such as electric and gas), and Department of Transportation (DOT)/state vehicles.
One of the company’s key differentiators is its superior customer service, with 24/7/365 support. In 2022, Zonar earned accolades in Business Intelligence Group’s Excellence in Customer Service program.
Zonar MobileCommand, launched in 2021, is a mobile driver workflow that enhances the productivity and efficiency of over-the-road trucking fleets. The application provides drivers with a modernized experience that boosts job satisfaction, and makes it easier for fleet dispatchers to assess driver and vehicle availability.
Another useful telematics solution that Zonar offers fleets is Ground Traffic Control Maps. This application allows for detailed tracking of in-transit assets from any mobile device. The data, details, and trends seen in Ground Traffic Control maximize asset output. Fleet operators can evaluate a vehicle’s historical data for a clearer picture of the following:
- How drivers used their time
- Determining if the best routes are being used
- What led to an incident
- If the vehicle reached its destination
Moreover, users can protect against false insurance claims and inaccurate complaints about speeding, stopping, and service levels. Ultimately, Ground Traffic Control removes the guesswork from the equation for fleet managers.
Some notable additions to Zonar’s fleet telematics portfolio within the last couple of years include:
- Expansion of Zonar Coach: The telematics solution uses a dual-facing High-Definition (HD) camera to analyze the road conditions ahead and detect eight risk behaviors behind the wheel.
- Partnership with Bytecurve: This move combines Bytecurve’s integrated school transportation technology platform with Zonar’s schedule management, dispatch, and telematics features. Bytecurve brings routing, GPS, and payroll data to the alliance.
- Launch of Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 3: The 2022 launch expanded Zonar’s mobile ecosystem with this sleek and ruggedized tablet, designed to endure the most demanding environments.
- Addition of Zonar SightIQ: As part of the company’s fleet health portfolio, Zonar SightIQ collects and decodes proprietary Engine Control Module (ECM) data across prominent manufacturers. These fleet data are then translated into actionable insights and predictive diagnostics for preventing vehicle maintenance issues. The SightIQ platform provides a single pane of glass for multiple job sites and assets.
- Enhanced Tire Pressure Monitoring (TPM) Capabilities: Through the company’s sister division, Continental Tires, Zonar continues to expand TPM system features. Fleet dispatchers and technicians receive real-time alerts on each vehicle’s individual tire pressure and temperature. Further, mobile devices allow drivers to see their vehicle’s tire pressure before conducting pre-trip inspections.
Learn More
While this blog post summarized the top five leading telematics software companies, our latest competitive assessment goes into much more detail on each of them. The latest edition also includes a shakeup in the rankings, differing from what is presented in this early 2023 article. To get a summary of these insights, read the Research Highlight Selecting the Right Video Telematics Supplier for Your Commercial Fleet. This content is part of our company’s Supply Chain Management & Logistics Research Service.