Managing a small fleet is challenging, and as your business grows, these complexities compound. But if you can manage your fleet efficiently, you can reduce costs, keep vehicles on the road, and improve delivery. The best fleet management software will help you manage:
- Asset tracking
- Maintenance
- Safety
- Vehicle health
- Vehicle inspections
But which fleet management software do you choose?
We’ve researched this year’s best solutions, including each platform’s:
- Key features
- Ideal business size
- Primary focus
- Limitations
Nobody can do everything right, so we look at the strengths AND limitations of each solution to get a more well-rounded perspective. The idea is to help you make a decision with the specific needs of your business in mind.
Our top fleet management software recommendations are:
Best Fleet Management Software for 2024
1. IntelliShift
Key Features: Real-time telematics and fleet analytics, AI dash cams, fleet equipment, and health monitoring.
Best For: Larger enterprises and organizations with complex fleet operations looking for a comprehensive solution that offers detailed analytics, safety monitoring, and operational efficiency in one package.
Limitations: Pricing not advertised, occasional lags, and update delays.
IntelliShift’s fleet management software provides real-time insights into fleet performance, safety, and operational efficiency. Its AI-driven dash cams are particularly noteworthy, offering advanced monitoring capabilities that help reduce accidents and enhance driver accountability.
A focus on driver safety is complemented by IntelliShift's telematics and maintenance features, which deliver up-to-the-minute data on vehicle health, location, and usage. These additions enable proactive maintenance and efficient route planning.
Lastly, there’s IntelliShift’s commitment to breaking down data silos within organizations. By offering a unified platform that integrates data from various sources, IntelliShift enables businesses to make informed decisions that can lead to significant cost savings, improved compliance, and optimized fleet performance.
2. Samsara
Key Features: All-in-one platform, easy integration, telematics, real-time tracking and data reporting, and workflow automation.
Best For: Small to large businesses looking for a cloud-based fleet management platform with high scalability and integration capabilities.
Limitations: No free plan, expensive hardware, and the shortest contract is one year.
Samsara provides real-time visibility across facilities, fleets, drivers, and customer services into a single, unified platform connected to the cloud. Its key features include vehicle telematics, equipment monitoring, automated workflows, and video-based safety.
The platform’s open API, data connectors, and hundreds of integrations enable businesses to develop custom workflows, integrate systems, and run all their fleet management operations on Samsara. With a strong focus on scalability and a wide array of integrations, Samsara caters to a diverse range of industries.
While Samsara's platform is comprehensive, its route management capabilities are designed to meet basic operational needs. Businesses can elevate delivery efficiency and optimize routes beyond these foundational features by integrating Routific's advanced route optimization software into Samsara's system.
3. Fleetio
Key Features: Maintenance scheduling, asset management, fuel tracking, and driver management.
Best For: Small to large businesses seeking an all-in-one fleet management solution that automates key aspects of fleet operations while strongly emphasizing maintenance scheduling and fuel management.
Limitations: Requires third-party integration for live tracking; part management is only available with higher-tiered plans.
Fleetio excels at managing a fleet's entire lifecycle, from maintenance and fuel tracking to vehicle assignments and driver management. A standout feature is its ability to automate maintenance workflows. Ensuring vehicles are serviced promptly helps prevent downtime.
The software's fuel tracking capabilities provide valuable insights into fuel consumption patterns, helping to identify areas for cost savings. Fleetio also offers real-time data and analytics, enabling fleet managers to make informed decisions quickly.
However, the disadvantage is that Fleetio offers no route planning or optimization. This is where the integration with Routific can bridge the gap, offering a complete fleet management solution.
4. AUTOsist
Key Features: Maintenance tracking, receipt and document storage, and a simple user interface for managing fleet records.
Best For: Small to medium businesses seeking a straightforward tool for fleet maintenance management and record-keeping, with an emphasis on accessibility and compliance.
Limitations: No live-tracking capabilities, no integrated invoicing or billing, and no support for barcode scanning.
AUTOsist provides a solid foundation for fleet health and compliance by simplifying maintenance and record-keeping. It helps businesses maintain compliance and reduce downtime through a user-friendly platform.
AUTOsist's main appeal is its digital garage feature, which allows users to keep detailed records of each vehicle, including service history, fuel logs, and other important documentation. With centralized record-keeping, maintenance schedules, inspections, and repairs are easier to track, ensuring vehicles are serviced on time and within budget.
Another significant advantage of AUTOsist is its ability to share and access records across devices. This feature ensures that everyone involved in fleet operations has the latest information, leading to better-informed decisions and smoother operations.
While AUTOsist excels in maintenance and documentation, it lacks advanced route optimization features that can further streamline fleet operations and enhance delivery efficiency. This is where a solution like Routific becomes invaluable.
By integrating Routific's route optimization capabilities with AUTOsist, businesses can ensure their fleets are well-maintained and operate on the most efficient routes.
5. Azuga
Key Features: Desktop and mobile app, precision GPS tracking, driver coaching, security, and vehicle diagnostics.
Best For: Every fleet size, from small to enterprise-level fleets. Ideal for companies that want to focus on safety monitoring, efficiency, and vehicle maintenance.
Limitations: SafetyCam comes at an additional monthly cost, and the dashboard makes it difficult to view individual driver views.
Azuga’s fleet management solution offers insights into fleets that keep customers and drivers happy. Built with fleets in mind, location data updates every 30 seconds to two minutes, depending on the plan chosen.
Advanced vehicle diagnostics and scheduled maintenance promote efficiency. Fleet managers can run reports, add driver scores and rewards, and set geofencing parameters to send alerts if an asset enters or exits a specific space.
Azuga helps fleet managers keep track of teams, add stops, and even alert clients when a driver is running late. Notifications are highly customizable and can be set for device unplugging and even speed limits.
6. Motive
Key Features: IoT and AI automate fleet management, equipment tracking, compliance, maintenance alerts, and AI dashcam with real-time alerts.
Best For: Businesses that require advanced fleet management solutions with “smart” features and AI to help improve safety ratings.
Limitations: Connection loss in urban areas, but the GPS tracking system still logs location data and will upload it when a connection is re-established.
Motive automates operations for 120,000+ companies, from small businesses to enterprises. Infraction notifications can be sent directly to a manager’s email, who can then coach the driver.
Dashcam accuracy, speed, and alerts help keep drivers on track and safe on the road. The smart dashcam can also coach drivers and help reduce accidents.
Tracking and telemetrics, spend management, dispatch with route optimization, maintenance insights and monitoring, and IoT devices make Motive a highly advanced solution for fleets of all sizes.
7. Verizon Connect
Key Features: Real-time driver and vehicle tracking, driver behavior tracking (idling, speeding, etc.), route optimization to lower fuel cost, and vehicle and asset maintenance management.
Best For: SMBs and enterprises looking for a simple way to manage their drivers, reduce maintenance costs, improve route planning, and automate compliance.
Limitations: A 3-year minimum for contracts, steep learning curve, and poor customer service.
Verizon Connect is a feature-rich solution that offers all the features a fleet could need, from GPS tracking to maintenance reminders and route optimization.
One standout feature is the platform’s drag-and-drop live map, which allows fleet managers to view their drivers’ dash cams in real-time. Verizon Connect can also integrate with third-party GPS maps for greater flexibility and customization.
A robust alert system keeps managers informed, with crash reporting, engine temperature tracking, theft prevention, fuel management, and more.
Although Verizon Connect is a robust solution, it does have a steep learning curve, and businesses must commit to a three-year contract. For these reasons, this software is best suited for established businesses that have the resources for training and committing to a lengthy contract.
8. Onfleet
Key Features: Driver management, route optimization, onboarding via intuitive Android and iOS apps, and real-time driver tracking.
Best For: Small businesses offering in-house delivery and looking for a solution that will optimize routes, provide real-time updates to customers, and improve driver communication.
Limitations: No maintenance alerts, fuel efficiency tools, or compliance tools.
Onfleet is a niche fleet management solution focusing more on route planning, driver management, and creating a positive customer experience. The platform offers many customer-facing features, like automatic status updates, live driver tracking, messaging, and more.
Fleet managers can use the built-in, secure driver chat to stay in communication throughout the day. Onfleet also offers proof of delivery tools, like photos, signatures, and barcodes.
Through the Onfleet dashboard, fleet managers can monitor key metrics and generate comprehensive reports with the click of a button.
9. Routific: A great delivery management companion
Key Features: Intelligent route optimization, user-friendly driver app, live tracking, automatic delivery notifications, and easy API integration.
Best For: Small to medium businesses seeking to enhance delivery efficiency while improving driver satisfaction through smarter, traffic-aware routing, and balanced workloads.
Limitations: Not ideal for multi-day routing; does not support barcode scanning.
If you’re operating a delivery fleet, you probably need delivery management software as well as fleet management software. Routific stands out for our innovative approach to optimizing delivery operations. Our intelligent route optimization goes beyond simply providing shorter route distances. It is designed with real-world challenges in mind, ensuring that routes are not only efficient but also practical and manageable for the people behind the wheel.
We have made this possible with our intuitive route optimization algorithm powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and over 150 machine learning models. Models collect and analyze essential data that enable a more balanced and realistic route generation system, such as real-time traffic patterns, driver shift times, delivery locations, and vehicle capacity.
Routific’s user-friendly interface also provides real-time fleet tracking, easy route editing capabilities, one-click dispatching, and simple driver break scheduling. By prioritizing real-world situations and driver well-being, Routific boosts efficiency and job satisfaction. This can quickly contribute to lower delivery costs and happier teams.
How to choose the best fleet management software for your business
Fleet management software can make all the difference in streamlining operations, boosting driver morale, and cutting down costs. Each platform we've discussed brings something unique to the table.
But your business is also unique and has needs that a specific software solution may or may not accommodate.
If you’re impressed by the features above but aren’t quite sure which fleet management tools will work best for your small business, consider the following.
What to consider for your business’s needs
You may have a large fleet of vehicles or just two or three, or you may ship 100 large-sized items per month rather than thousands of smaller ones.
Multiple factors will help you narrow down your choices to select one that’s ideal for your fleet.
Business size and fleet scale
How large is your fleet? Do you plan on increasing delivery or pickup? Smaller fleets and businesses often have more options than enterprises, which will need to negotiate custom packages to better meet their needs.
Ideally, you’ll select a fleet management system that has sliding tiers to:
- Add additional asset tracking
- Scale up or down as your requirements change
Operational needs
What operational needs do you need for your fleet? If you consider a platform like Motive, you may not need:
- Motive card
- Fleet maintenance
Fleet owners should sit down with key stakeholders in the company and narrow down must-have features for their operational needs.
Current software
Your business already relies on software. Integrations with your existing tech stack will be very beneficial because what’s working for you now may work even better when paired with fleet management solutions.
For example, OnFleet works with:
- Shopify
- Square
- Dozens of other solutions
IntelliShift can connect to AUTOsist or Uptake to maximize your data for a powerful solution to help with fleet maintenance. Uptake’s integration offers component failure predictions and maintenance strategies based on predictive analytics.
Budget constraints
Your budget will dictate which software to keep on your list of potential options. Some solutions offer “everything” for a monthly fee with limits, but you may not need all of the features offered.
AUTOsist is a good example:
- If you need help with maintenance and work order management, they offer per-asset pricing just for maintenance.
- If you want to add maintenance and GPS tracking, you can do so at a per-asset cost.
Growth plans
Businesses that plan to scale operations in the near future will want to discuss options with customer support or the sales team before selecting a solution.
A lot of resources go into integrating new management software for an entire fleet, so it’s best to choose one that can scale as your fleet grows.
What to consider when comparing software
Once you better understand your business’s needs, you can start comparing fleet maintenance software to find the right solution for your operations. Here are a few important things to keep in mind when reviewing your options.
Features
The first and most important thing to consider is the software’s features and functionality. Every business is unique, but most will benefit from software with the following features:
- Electronic logging device (ELD) compliance tools: These tools track a driver’s hours of service to ensure they remain in compliance. These time-tracking metrics can also be used to streamline payroll processes.
- GPS tracking: Many solutions allow you to track vehicle locations in real-time, so you’re always in the know about driver and vehicle location. Vehicle tracking features can improve transparency and give you peace of mind.
- Mileage tracking system: Preventative maintenance plays a fundamental role in keeping your fleet up and running. Mileage tracking features will allow you to stay on top of oil changes, fluid changes, and other maintenance tasks. Some solutions also integrate maintenance reminders into the mix to keep your fleet healthy.
- Diagnostics: Some solutions have sensor-driven components that connect to vehicles to provide vehicle maintenance reminders and assist with diagnostics.
- Incident reporting: Fleet managers have little control over driver behavior. Incident reporting features will keep you informed by alerting you to accidents, speeding, or other driver performance-related incidents.
Customization and flexibility
Having the right features is crucial, but don’t overlook the advantages of solutions that offer flexibility and customization.
Most software solutions will offer at least basic customization, including the ability to:
- Adjust workflows
- Change labels
- Add or remove fields (e.g., tracking vehicle maintenance)
- Customize your dashboard
- Create custom reports that track unique data points
- Add or remove alerts
Having some flexibility in how you use the software and customizable options will allow you to maximize the benefits of whichever solution you choose.
Integrations
When comparing software, pay close attention to its integrations. Will the solution fit neatly into your tech stack?
Integrations will allow you to access data from other sources and get a more comprehensive view of your operations. Popular fleet management solutions often include GPS tracking, maintenance schedules, and fuel card integrations.
Look for solutions that will integrate with software you’re already using in your workflows.
Scalability
As your business grows, will your fleet management software be able to scale along with you? It’s important to keep your future growth in mind and the features or functions you may need.
Some software solutions base their packages on delivery or pickup tasks, while others base their packages on fleet sizes.
For example, Onfleet’s Scale package includes 5,000 delivery or pickup tasks. Azuga, on the other hand, offers solutions for fleets with less than 100 vehicles and fleets with 100+ vehicles.
In either case, it’s important to analyze the scalability of each solution you’re considering to ensure there’s enough room for growth.
Cost-effectiveness
Will the software be worth the investment? Whenever you invest in new technology, you should consider the cost-effectiveness of each solution you compare.
In general, fleet management software can:
- Save you time
- Improve the efficiency of your fleet
- Enhance safety, which will also save you money
- Reduce costs
- Simplify driver management
Weigh the advantages of incorporating the software into your tech stack to see if it will provide a worthwhile return.
User reviews and reputation
When comparing solutions, don’t overlook the importance of reading user reviews and researching the provider’s reputation.
Look for solutions that are well-rated by users and make note of the feedback given in negative reviews. What are users complaining about? How does the company respond to negative reviews (if at all)?
You may also want to consider security and compliance features and whether the provider offers support and training for new customers.
This thoughtful approach ensures you invest in a solution that not only addresses your current challenges but also supports your future growth.
Here's to making every delivery count and driving your business forward with the best tools by your side!
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