The Best GPS Vehicle Tracking Systems for Fleets in Canada

We compared the top five leading GPS tracking suppliers in Canada today and found that Verizon reigns supreme, offering the best overall GPS vehicle tracker for fleets, scoring a spectacular 4.6/5 in our latest independent research.

It’s worth noting that Verizon does have a hefty price tag and a standard three-year contract, which some small businesses might not be able to fit into their budgets. But we've got you covered! Our latest in-depth analysis will delve into the best GPS tracking solutions in Canada, looking at the cost-effectiveness and GPS tracking capabilities of the top providers.

For over a decade, Expert Market has been leading the research on fleet tracking systems. So, if you’re looking for a fleet tracking system that fits your business needs and budget, use our free quote comparison tool to find the most cost-effective solution for your business.

1. Verizon: Best Overall GPS Vehicle Tracker System

In our latest in-depth research, Verizon is the only supplier to score a perfect 5/5 across three categories: tracking, driver management, and vehicle management.

Verizon offers superb tracking capabilities. While it doesn’t update data as quickly as Motive (4.3/5), its 30-second data refresh remains a standout feature, providing accurate monitoring of your entire fleet. Moreover, it comes with powerful route optimization features and a user-friendly dashboard that colour-codes a vehicle’s status, making it easy to keep track of all your drivers on the road.

Moreover, Verizon offers the most comprehensive vehicle reports, giving you full access to your maintenance record history. It also provides on-demand data on fuel usage, speeding events, and detailed fleet performance metrics that can help you identify money-saving opportunities.

One caveat: Verizon offers a minimum three-year contract and you can only unlock its full features on its pricier Reveal plan, taking Verizon down to last place in pricing with a 2.2/5. If you want more budget-friendly fleet solutions, scroll down to Motive (3.9/5) or RAM (3.7/5).

2. Samsara: Best for Vehicle Management

Samsara scores a perfect 5/5 in our vehicle management category, on par with our best overall system, Verizon. However, Samsara stands out as it is the only one on this list to offer advanced cargo and temperature monitoring capabilities. It has Reefer Monitoring, which monitors and ensures your vehicle’s temperature is ideal for your refrigerated assets. This is crucial for fleets carrying temperature-sensitive goods, such as food and medicine.

Samsara also scores 4.9/5 in our vehicle tracking analysis, just a wee bit behind Verizon (5/5). It updates every 30 seconds to one minute, which is not too far behind Verizon’s 30-second updates. Moreover, it has Live Location Sharing, which delivers  live location links to equip your customers with accurate ETAs.

It is unfortunate that these great features do come alongside some hefty prices. Samsara scores 2.5/5 in our pricing category. Moreover, it does not have fuel card partners in Canada, making it one of the least cost-effective systems considering the steady hike in fuel prices. If you're looking to alleviate your fuel expenses, scroll down to Motive (3.9/5), which offers no-fee fuel cards, propelling it to the top of our pricing category.

3. Azuga: Best for Efficient Routes

Our latest in-depth research crowns Azuga as the undisputed champion of route planning and dispatch software. Unlike its competitors, Azuga offers an exclusive feature that allows you to make real-time edits on all stops in your route, including the start and last stops, surpassing even our top scorer Verizon. Plus,  Azuga is equipped with intuitive route optimization features that steer your fleet away from traffic and other potential roadblocks, like construction sites and road hazards. This not only cuts significant fuel and labour costs, but can also improve your drivers' safety.

Azuga scores 4.9/5 in our vehicle tracking analysis, tied with Samsara, and just a hair’s breadth behind Verizon (5/5). It is on par with Samsara’s 30 to 60-second updates, which is just a tad slower than Verizon’s 30-second updates.

Regrettably, Azuga's score takes a significant dip to 2.5/5 in our pricing category. Azuga's contracts are continuous – meaning you have one renewal date, no matter when you add devices. Moreover, it offers only the standard three-year contract. If you’re looking for shorter subscription plans, scroll down to Motive (3.9/5) or RAM (3.7/5).

4. RAM Tracking: Best Help and Support Channels

According to our latest research, RAM has the best help and support channels, scoring 4.4/5 and beating best overall scorer Verizon (3.5/5). It boasts a 98% retention rate, offers a 30-day free trial, and is the only system to offer installation setup for free.

RAM also scores a solid 4.6/5 in our tracking category, taking fourth place. It updates data every 30 seconds, on par with the gold standard in our tracking category, Verizon (5/5). Moreover, it makes live tracking easy with its user-friendly dashboards.

Unfortunately, RAM scores a low 2.8/5 in vehicle management as it has limited reporting and recordkeeping capabilities. You’ll have to set self-reminders and manually track your mechanic reports. In contrast, Verizon (5/5) keeps all your data in one platform for easy access, and even allows you to edit them as you see fit.

While RAM is pretty lowkey about its pricing, our researchers have found that it also offers some of the most affordable deals on the market, taking second place in our pricing category with a 3.7/5. If you’re on the hunt for the most budget-friendly fleet solutions, check out the cheapest vehicle solutions in Canada.

5. Motive: Best Value for Money GPS Vehicle Tracking

Motive ranks first in our pricing category, scoring 3.9/5. While it is pretty hush-hush when it comes to its prices, our researchers found that it’s the only system to offer monthly subscriptions, giving you a lot of flexibility in terms of payment. In contrast, our second placer RAM (3.7/5) offers a minimum one-year contract, and our top scorer Verizon (2.2/5) offers the standard three-year minimum subscription.

While Motive may take the last place in our tracking category with a 4.3/5, it isn’t too far behind! In fact, it boasts the fastest refresh rate out of the five leading suppliers, updating you about your vehicle’s whereabouts every one to three seconds. Unfortunately, it is the only system on our list that doesn’t allow you to set custom locations or streamline driver scheduling and dispatching. If you want to optimize your daily workflow, you can scroll back up to Verizon (5/5) or Azuga (4.9/5).

However, Motive does excel in driver management, scoring a perfect 5/5. It offers a unique DRIVE risk score calculator that automatically ranks driver performance and takes into account the context and severity of every safety event. Moreover, it tracks the impact of coaching over time, so you know if your drivers are taking your words seriously.

How Did We Compare the Best GPS Vehicle Tracking Solutions?

At Expert Market, we take great pride in our rigorous, independent research process. Our team of expert software researchers has subjected each vehicle tracking system to a battery of tests, meticulously scrutinizing crucial factors such as:

• Price: How much it costs, and if it delivers exceptional value for your money
• Vehicle tracking: How accurately it can track your vehicles and their status in real time
• Driver management: If it can help you better monitor your drivers' performance and provide real-time coaching via in-cab audio alerts
• Vehicle management: How effectively it can keep track of your vehicles’ condition, and if it’s equipped with powerful alerts to ensure you never miss a tune up
• Product features: If it offers exceptional functionalities, such as fuel card integrations, automatic tax reporting, and theft-prevention alerts
• Customer support: We look to see if it provides multiple support channels, and if its customer support team is available around the clock to assist you

How Does GPS Fleet Tracking Work?

GPS fleet tracking works by using Global Positioning Systems (GPS satellites) to pinpoint the exact location of your fleet vehicles in real time.

It uses a small GPS tracking device installed on each vehicle in your fleet, which communicates with GPS satellites to determine your vehicle's location, speed, and direction of travel. This information is then sent to a central server, which you can access via a computer or mobile device.

Advanced GPS systems are equipped with powerful alerts to notify you if a vehicle is going too fast, wasting fuel by idling, or entering a non-work zone area. Moreover, top fleet management companies in Canada offer advanced tracking systems that can: help you better manage driver behaviour; automate maintenance scheduling; and simplify reporting, so you get valuable insights (with minimal effort) to help you optimize your fleet operations.