Best ELD Devices Ranked - Features, Fees & Support (2024) (2024)

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The best ELD device for truckers in 2024 comes from Samsara. Samsara offers users all the compliance and tracking tools needed in an ELD, as well as an impressive array of features, including two-way messaging, GPS location tracking, and even 24/7 support; a key offering for businesses that might be new to ELD technology.

As of 2019, the US government requires Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) for almost all commercial motor vehicles operating across the nation. That means you need to ensure that your fleet has ELDs today or you could face some hefty fines.

In this guide, we’ll showcase some of the best ELD devices available today and help you decide if top fleet management software options – which include ELD compliance and more – might be a better fit.

In this guide:

• Top 3 ELD Devices 2024
• Best ELD Devices: Reviews
• How to Choose the Right ELD
• ELD vs Fleet Management Software
• Best ELD Devices With Fleet Management
• Methodology: How We Rank the Best ELD Devices
• Next Steps for Choosing ELD Tracking Software
• Verdict: What Is the Best ELD Device?

Best ELD Devices for 2024 – Full Reviews

The best ELD devices in 2024:

1. Samsara –Best overall ELDs
2. Matrack ELD –Best-priced ELD compliance
3. GPS Insight–Best for customer support
4. Gorilla Safety ELD –Best for document management
5. BigRoad’s Dashlink ELD –Best for seasonal or irregular ELD users
6. EROAD Ehubo ELD –Best for ease of use
7. Motive ELD (formerly KeepTruckin) –Best for advanced fleets
8. GPS Trackit ELD –Best for simple maintenance
9. Azuga eLogs – Best for quick adaptation
10. Verizon Connect ELD –Best for add-ons and extras
11. Lytx with Geotab GO Cloud ELD –Best for data security
12. Teletrac Navman ELD –Best for fleet manager support

1. Samsara ELD – Best overall ELD system

Price: Custom
Who it’s for: Truckers that need full fleet management

Samsara’s ELD is the best option for fleet managers who are also interested in a complete fleet management service. The provider’s ELD features alone stand out for two reasons. For one, we found the mobile app easy to use, which is always nice. On top of that, the reporting functions cover International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) fuel tracking and Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIR) for easy compliance.

It has a minimum contract length of three years, so Samsara requires a longer commitment than many other ELDs. If you would prefer a rolling monthly contract, take a look at Matrack, our second top pick on this list.

Samara’s ELDs plug directly into a vehicle engine via its OBD port and is paired with a mobile app that a driver can use to track and log their vehicle data in real time. In addition, dispatchers can use a dashboard to see the hours of service (HOS) for all of their drivers in one central location. They will also receive alerts for compliance violations.

The devices are easy to connect and set up, and managers can easily upgrade to Samsara’s full fleet management service while retaining the ELD-specific software’s dashboard and app infrastructure.

2. Matrack ELD – Best priced ELD compliance

Starts at: $19.95 per month, no contracts
Who it’s for: Truckers on a budget

The Matrack ELD hardware device comes free with its monthly subscription, which starts at $19.95 per month and goes up to $25.95 per month (if you choose the Premium Plan). Users will receive a lifetime warranty and can cancel at any time because they won’t be bound by a contract, unlike Samsara and its three-year contract.

This makes Matrack the cheapest no-contract option on our list, and a great pick for trucking operations that don’t have much runway and need to keep their costs low.

Our research found that Matrack isn’t quite as powerful or comprehensive as Samsara. Two-way messaging is not offered, and dispatch is only through an add-on. Still, it offers a strong range of features that are easy to use, an audit trail and the ability to keep a timeclock that logs an employee’s hours worked.

All that to say, Matrack is an inexpensive solution providing the basics for those who need ELD compliance without additional efficiency features like fuel comparisons, route optimization, and driver safety tools.

3. GPS Insight – Best for customer support

Starts at: $14.95/month
Who it’s for: Truckers who need help with ELDs

GPS Insight’s standout quality is its great customer support. Along with Motive and Omnitracs, it’s one of just a few providers to offer 24/7 support via phone and email, as well as an online knowledge base. Plus, GPS Insight is our highest-rated ELD to offer account managers to users, as neither Samsara or Matrack offer this support perk.

For trucker safety, GPS Insight uses audible and visual alerts to ensure truckers keep their remaining hours at the forefront of their minds, which helps the business run at peak efficiency. In addition to maintenance, alerts can be set up for management, safety, vehicle health, and assets.

Fleet management features are also included in this solution, from maintenance tracking to fuel reports to traffic updates on a live map. As with our other top picks, Samsara and Matrack, GPS Insight includes two-way messaging for better driver-manager communication. We’ve reviewed the full GPS Insight fleet management system here.

Thanks to GPS location tracking, it lets managers know where their drivers are at all times. Managers can dispatch jobs with auto-generated step-by-step instructions that guide drivers to their next location. The end result is a streamlined operation that can respond rapidly to unexpected events, such as rapid roadside assistance in the case of a breakdown.

Fleets can self-install the hardware units, both plug-in and hardwired. The HOS solution is available as an add-on to the Standard fleet management plan. Since plans start at $14.95 per month, GPS Insight is one of the most cost-effective solutions for small and medium fleets that need fleet management alongside GPS tracking.

4. Gorilla Safety ELD – Best for document management

Starts at: $175 initial + $26.99/month
Who it’s for: Truckers with paperwork

Gorilla Safety offers great document management tools, grouping paperwork into four files: Driver Qualification File, Truck File (registration, cab cards, and repair history), Company File (IFTA reports, loss runs, and permits), and ELD Supporting Documents. All these tools make the service particularly useful for large fleets that need to keep all their paperwork handy and well-sorted.

Gorilla Safety also offers a unique feature: using the app, drivers can switch on document tracking. This will allow them to scan and digitally file documents to different categories, including sections specific to the driver, the truck, or the company. According to Gorilla Safety, this makes it the “only company to offer a fully automated ELD document feature.” It can also help speed up the journey to paperless. You won’t get similar tools from no-frills compliance ELDs like GPS Insight, which helps Gorilla Safety stand out.

The Gorilla Safety ELD offers public pricing, which is something that some ELDs don’t. The service comes with three plans (Prime8 ELD, Fleet Xpress, and Xtreme), starting at $26.99 per monthwith no minimum contracts. You’ll get different options with different plans, with features like fuel tracking, remote document delivery, DOT inspections, and DVIR reporting in the more expensive plans.

Each ELD unit costs around $175 if bought to own, but just $7 each if leased. In addition to an online knowledge center, its support hours are from 7am to 7pm CT on weekdays, giving it more hours than GPS Insight, but fewer than Samsara and Matrack’s 24/7 support.

5. BigRoad’s Dashlink ELD – Best for seasonal or irregular ELD users

Starts at: Custom pricing
Who it’s for: Truckers who only need a month of ELDs at a time

BigRoad’s Dashlink system is a standalone ELD solution, since it offers all of the necessary core features, including hours of service (HOS) tracking, duty status, and report generation. Complete with dash cam support, Dashlink offers a full fleet management system bundle for those who need more than just an ELD. The pricing for this is higher than that of Samsara and Verizon, with Dashlink plans starting at $36 per month.

Dashlink doesn’t require you to sign a lengthy contract, making it a great fit for fleets that operate during one season and will only want to pay for the months in which the ELD is used. Dashlink also comes with a one-year hardware warranty. Included in this is a fuel-tracking ability and notifications ahead of a violation. Dashlink displays traffic conditions to help truckers know what their ETA is and any possible changes.

6. EROAD Ehubo ELD – Best for ease of use

Starts at: $35/vehicle/month
Who it’s for: Truckers that need a flexible, intuitive solution

7. Motive ELD (formerly KeepTruckin) – Best for advanced fleets

Starts at: Custom pricing
Who it’s for: Truckers that want around-the-clock support

8. GPS Trackit ELD – Best for simple maintenance

Starts at: Custom pricing
Who it’s for: Truckers that just need the basics

9. Azuga eLogs – Best for quick adaptation

Starts at: Custom pricing
Who it’s for: Truckers that need an ELD fast

10. Verizon Connect Reveal ELD – Best for add-ons and extras

Starts at: Custom pricing
Who it’s for: Truckers that need really specific features

11. Lytx with Geotab GO Cloud ELD – Best for data security

Starts at: Custom pricing
Who it’s for: Truckers concerned about data breaches

12. Teletrac Navman ELD – Best for fleet manager support

Starts at: Custom pricing
Who it’s for: Managers who need extra features

How to Choose the Right ELD

All this talk about the best ELD options for truckers and you could get overwhelmed with your options, particularly if you don’t know how to choose which ELD is right for you. Fortunately, we’ve put together a short buyer’s guide to with important criteria to consider before making a decision.

• Price – The cost of an ELD should always be at the forefront of your decision making, as prices can range dramatically depending on your particular needs.
• Compliance – The purpose of an ELD is to be compliant with certain laws and regulations around trucking, so make sure your device offers the correct compliance for your situation.
• Ease of use – You aren’t going to use it if it’s difficult to figure out, so make sure the device is intuitive for new users, or at least has a responsive support team to help with the learning curve.
• Device type – There’s two options: dedicated solutions, which are the ones listed above, and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) that allows truckers to use smartphones and tablets as their logging option.
• Security – All this trucker data needs to be protected, so make sure your ELD offers some kind of security and encryption protocol to keep it safe.

The most important thing to consider when it comes to choosing the right ELD is what you’ll actually use it for. Make sure you establish your needs before starting your search, as this will help inform your ELD decision in the long run.

Check out our how to use an ELD guide for more information

ELD vs Fleet Management Software

If you’re in the market for an ELD, there’s a good chance that fleet management software (FMS) might actually be what you’re looking for. These platforms are admittedly a bit more expensive but provide a lot more functionality that can help you manage your entire fleet.

All of the best fleet management software providers offer data tracking that helps maintain ELD compliance.If a small fleet starts to add even more trucks, its need for better routing features will grow, too. Avoiding an upgrade to a full FMS means that a fleet will miss out on chances to improve routing efficiency — as well as the possible financial savings.

If you’re an owner-operator, an ELD should be enough to handle your needs, though, as a fleet management software is designed for, you guessed it, managing an entire fleet, rather than just a single truck.

Here’s a look at how the two fleet-oriented services overlap in terms of features:

Best ELD Devices With Fleet Management Included

If you’re open to exploring fleet management companies, these are the top ELD-compliant choices to consider.

Verizon Connect

The biggest of the FMS options, Verizon Connect offers a fleet management system that tracks IFTA, DVIR, and ELD data. As an FMS, the service offers more ways to save fuel than simply tracking IFTA data.

Route optimization finds the best routes, while real-time route updates help drivers avoid bad traffic. Unneeded idle times and fuel card fraud can be tracked and deterred, while additional features include work order delivery, engine diagnostics, and weather alerts.

Fleets that need to track high-value assets can opt for Verizon Connect’s Asset Tracking. This lets managers locate non-vehicle assets in real time through a desktop or mobile interface, helping deter theft and boost efficiency. Field service management software can also be added to the central dashboard.

For more on features, pricing, and support, check outTech.co’s full Verizon Connect review.

Samsara

Samsara’s ELD service can be upgraded smoothly to an FMS service. The FMS retains the same dashboard, but adds features including routing and dispatch, driver safety, vehicle diagnostics, improved fuel tracking, and asset tracking.

The easy-to-use interface, intuitive hardware units, and 24/7 support options make this FMS an attractive option. It is also easy to adapt to if your fleet doesn’t need a full FMS yet, but plans to use one in the future.

Read Tech.co’s full review of Samsara FMS for more details on its features, support options, and pricing.

Teletrac Navman

Teletrac Navman provides more features than a high-end ELD, but at a lower cost than a typical FMS. It offers users ELD compliance, GPS fleet tracking, two-way messaging, and safety alert features. In addition, Teletrac tracks drivers’ fuel usage, idle times, vehicle authorization, harsh turning, rapid acceleration, or instances of speeding – any of which can be set to automatically send alerts to managers when triggered.

A customizable dashboard also allows managers to decide which KPIs are the most important, and whether they’d prefer to see their fleet in real time via the satellite view, a GPS map, a list of vehicles, or even a street-level camera.

Check out Tech.co’s full Teletrac Navman review for more details on these features, pricing, and support.

These three FMS systems are far from your only options: check out Tech.co’s comparison of the best fleet management systems for a detailed breakdown. You can also read our guides to the best trucking software and the best route planning systems.

Methodology: How Did We Compare the Best ELD Devices?

To find the best ELD device, we analyzed products from the top ELD providers in the US. We focused on criteria that fleet managers told us were important to them to accurately rank and rate each one.

Each factor in our analysis receives a different weighting, depending on how important it is to business operations. For example, cost was given higher importance than installation because we found that most ELD devices are fairly easy to install.

What we analyzed:

• Reporting – Compliance tools including HOS logs, driver reports, DVIR, and alerts. This was weighted the highest because these functions are the purpose of the system.
• Price – Costs, contracts, warranties, and how easily the ELD can be expanded to a full fleet system. This category was weighted second highest because businesses want ELD compliance at the most cost-effective price point.
• Mobile app – iOS and Android apps, and their customer ratings. This was weighted third highest because this nifty add-on feature increases the ease and flexibility of compliance.
• Installation –Installation fees and services, plus the type of hardware unit offered. This was weighted second lowest — most ELD services offer similar installation options, so these factors don’t play a large role in comparative difference.
• Customer support –Email, phone, online help centers, or account managers. This was rated the lowest — while still important, support options aren’t specific to ELD as a product, so they’re less likely to influence a purchase decision.

Once each ELD device has been tested and ranked, we award a single five-star score for each service, allowing us to compare them in this guide.

Next Steps for Choosing ELD Tracking

Prices in the ELD industry are not always public knowledge and are subject to change. Once you know which vendors you are interested in, you’ll want to compare prices to make sure you’re getting the best deal. If you operate a large enough fleet, the vendor may offer you a custom quote aimed specifically at your needs.

To find the best prices and ensure your fleet of trucks is ELD compliant, you’ll need to find and compare prices that are tailored to you. Fill out Tech.co’s handy fleet management quote comparison tool, and you’ll be contacted by the top companies with obligation-free quotes.

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