The Best DOT Compliance Software

DOT compliance

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While every software platform on this page is DOT compliant and worthy of consideration, three of them are fully-fledged vehicle GPS tracking software. When looking at them through this lens, the best option is Verizon Connect, which scored a hearty 4.7/5 after our extensive research.

Whether you’re a fleet manager or an independent trucker, you’ll know that most commercial vehicles are tied up in red tape from the moment they leave the lot. Yes, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) places a heavy regulatory burden on motor carriers, and the costs of non-compliance can be high. A downgraded CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) score is the first step towards frequent inspections, heavy fines, high insurance rates, and even lawsuits or shutdown orders.

Fortunately, the right DOT compliance software can help you to avoid these issues by providing the tools you need to adhere to the DOT’s regulations, and automating many of the tedious admin processes that traditionally come with compliance. From ELDs to IFTA reporting, these software solutions are a godsend but which one is worth your money? Let’s find out.

What are the top 4 DOT compliance softwares in 2023?

These are the providers we recommend based on our research. Use our cost comparison tool to find the best value service for your business

  1. Verizon Connect – Best overall
  2. Samsara – Best for managing vehicles
  3. Azuga – Best for efficient routes
  4. J.J. Keller – Best standalone DOT compliance software


The Best DOT Compliance Software

We’ve conducted extensive research into the market in search of the best DOT compliance software options out there. Having analyzed a variety of systems and solutions, those that come out on top are:

  • Verizon Connect: Best overall
  • Samsara: Best for managing vehicles
  • Azuga: Best for efficient routes
  • J.J. Keller: Best standalone DOT compliance software

Three of our picks Verizon Connect, Samsara, and Azuga are full fleet management systems that also provide DOT compliance tools, making for excellent all-round solutions that effectively kill two birds with one stone (a DOT compliant fleet that’s also comprehensively tracked and optimized for commercial success? Check!).

While we believe installing a fleet management system that can also provide everything needed for DOT compliance is the easiest way to manage your fleet’s regulatory obligations, we’ve also reviewed a fantastic option J.J. Keller for those who already have fleet management in place, but need more specialized help to achieve DOT compliance.

So, without further ado, let’s explore the best DOT compliance software systems available to US fleets.

DOT compliance software
The best DOT compliance software helps your fleet stay road legal

Verizon Connect

Best for Large Fleets

Verizon Connect logo
Verizon Connect
4.7
Pricing From $20 to $40 per month
Quick overview

While Verizon's prices make it better suited to medium to large businesses, it offers some fantastic features and you’ll get a lot of bang for your buck if you go for it. It does score 2.5/5 for pricing, which puts it in a very low 6th place when compared to its contemporaries, but this is made up for by the astronomical scores it earns everywhere else.

5.0/5 in tracking, driver management, and vehicle management means that Verizon is the number one fleet management provider on the market, at least as far as we're concerned. Pretty much anything you'd want from these areas, Verizon has it. It also pulls in a 4.9/5 when it comes to other product features, like its truckload of apps, weather updates, panic button, and fuel card integration.

Outside of pricing, the only other conceivable shortcoming is their customer support, which scores a 3.5/5. This is due to the lack of installation help and a chat bot on their sites. If you're looking for better pricing, RAM is cheaper than Verizon Connect, and Teletrac Navman is substantially better at customer service.

Pricing
Verizon Connect Pricing Verizon provide bespoke software packages on a case-by-case basis (as is industry norm). They provide custom quotes based on: contract length, fleet size, and depth of features

Pros

  • Create bespoke dashboards for personalized reporting
  • Individual driver performance scores encourage safe driving
  • Awesome customizable alerting system helps track compliance in real-time
  • Scored an impressive 9.4/10 for its tracking capabilities in our analysis

Cons

  • Only the more expensive subscriptions support fleet maintenance information
  • Favors a lengthy initial contract period of two to three years

Verizon Connect’s DOT compliance software suite has been designed to help large fleets manage their myriad reporting and regulatory requirements. Using a mobile app, drivers can update their records of duty status (RODS) and carry out simple but thorough eDVIRs (electronic driver vehicle inspection reports) with a few taps of their fingers. Meanwhile, this data is rapidly synced to your dashboard, empowering you to keep on top of driving hours and schedule necessary maintenance in good time. Verizon Connect’s ELD system also makes life easier for your drivers, with an app that they can use to automatically track their hours and avoid penalties at roadside inspections.

Verizon Connect: Key Features for Compliance and Safety

FMCSA-certified ELDs (electronic logging devices)
HOS (hours of service) reporting
eDVIRs
IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement) reporting
Vehicle maintenance scheduling (only with its more expensive subscriptions)
Driver performance reporting
Dash cam system available
Live weather updates

Is Verizon Connect Right for my Business?

As a fleet management and DOT compliance system, Verizon Connect is about as comprehensive as you can get. The sheer volume of sophisticated data it can collect and report on makes it our top pick for larger fleets with solid data handling capabilities. If you’re ready to translate detailed insights into tangible improvements, Verizon Connect could be for you.

Verizon Connect’s focus on vehicle monitoring and safety, along with its customizable alert setup, make it a particularly awesome solution for fleets in the trucking or construction sectors – but we’d happily recommend it to large fleets in every industry.

Verizon Connect Pricing

Verizon provides bespoke pricing plans that are tailored to your business' exact needs, making it impossible for us to say exactly how much it’ll cost your business. However, we do estimate that Verizon Connect charges somewhere between $50 and $250 per vehicle, per month.

We know that DOT compliance is complicated – and that’s only made worse when you have no idea how much you’ll need to pay for it. That’s why we want to help you cut through the noise and find out exactly how much fleet management and compliance will cost you. 

Simply tell us what your fleet needs help with, and we’ll matchmake you with the best fleet management and DOT compliance software for you. These suppliers will then be in touch with no-obligation quotes tailored to your exact needs. It’s the easiest, fastest way to compare the right options – oh, and it’s free!


Did You Know?

The ELD Mandate came into full effect on December 16, 2019 – but not every fleet is compliant yet. If you still need to get there, we can help you sort it out, fast. Simply tell us what you need, and you’ll receive tailored ELD quotes from excellent fleet management suppliers to compare. It’s super easy, and totally free!

If you’d like to learn more about the ELD Mandate, check out our guide to US vehicle tracking laws.


Samsara

Best for Medium to Large Fleets

samsara logo
Samsara
4.6
Pricing From $27 to $33 per month
Quick overview

Whether your transportation fleet carries goods or people, it’s important that your routes are optimized to get those jobs done in the fastest timeframe – saving you money and fuel. This is where Samsara’s route optimization feature comes in. After you’ve entered a series of upcoming jobs, Samsara can use traffic predictions and the average time your drivers spend at each site to automatically plan your fleet’s schedule, ordering the jobs and pencilling in departure times to plot out the most efficient day for your drivers. It's this feature, among others, that bestow Samsara with a 4.9/5 for tracking, the second best score from our research.

Not to mention Samsara’s unique driver messaging, which helps you to quickly and safely communicate any changes directly to your drivers, and its comprehensive fuel usage reporting, which we believe to be the best on the market. Plus, Samsara also provides insightful fleet maintenance reports that give a quick view of your fleet’s overall health – keeping you informed of everything from the services and inspections your vehicles are due to the insurance that needs to be renewed.

These two great features ensure Samsara earns a 5.0/5 in both driver and vehicle management, which is an obvious 1st place finish. These scores, coupled with the 4.0/5 in both customer support and product features, lead to Samsara earning a 4.6/5, giving it our second place spot. The only shortcoming is the price, which scores a 2.5/5. If you're looking for a more affordable option, RAM is a more affordable option, scoring a 4.6/5 for price.

Pricing
Samsara Pricing Samsara provide bespoke software packages on a case-by-case basis (as is industry norm). Pricing varies by contract length, fleet size, and features chosen.

Samsara is known for innovation in the field of fleet management, and we can certainly see this in its DOT compliance features. The IFTA, for example, is a notoriously confusing web of rules specifying the interstate division of taxation on your fleet’s fuel usage – Samsara makes this much easier to navigate, combining real-time vehicle location data with fuel tank monitoring tech to calculate how much tax you owe in each jurisdiction. Easy! Add a driver app for eDVIRs, HOS logs, and dispatching (included with every subscription), and ELDs with built-in wifi hotspots that still work in areas without cellular reception, and you’ve got yourself a DOT compliance software system that uses automation to make your life easier.

Pros

  • Samsara’s fuel usage reporting is the best on the market
  • Excellent automated route optimization makes Samsara a fantastic option for transportation industries
  • Offers live tracking at its best, with data refreshing every 30 to 60 seconds

Cons

  • New additions to your software will need to be self-coded, requiring some technical know-how
  • Favors longer contract periods, typically three to five years

Samsara: Key Features for Compliance and Safety

FMCSA-certified ELDs
HOS reporting
eDVIRs
IFTA reporting
Vehicle maintenance scheduling
Driver performance reporting
Dash cam system available
Live weather updates

Is Samsara Right for my Business?

While Samsara’s price point may put it beyond the reach of smaller, more budget-conscious businesses, it is a truly excellent option for everyone else. Its range of incredibly clever fleet management and compliance features means you’ll get a lot of bang for your buck.

In particular, its clever route optimization functions can help transportation industry fleets to boost their efficiency massively – but that’s not to say that it wouldn’t also bring benefits to fleets across all industries.

Samsara Pricing

Samsara’s most popular packages range from $27 to $33 per vehicle, per month. Depending on the GPS tracking hardware you choose and the length of contract that you go for, Samsara’s vehicle tracking hardware costs between $99 and $148 per unit.


Compare prices from leading DOT compliance software providers
Are you already compliant with the DOT?

Azuga

Best for Efficient Routes

azuga logo small
Azuga
4.4
Pricing From $25 to $35 per month
Quick overview

Azuga is an overall positive mixed bag. On one hand, it scores a 2.5/5 in pricing, which means it has obvious room for improvement. However, its tracking and vehicle management scores (4.9/5 and 4.8/5 respectively) earn Azuga second place in both categories.

These scores are courtesy of cargo and engine temperature readings, a rapid tracking refresh time of 30 seconds, loads of alert types (long stop, speeding, geofencing, idling, and more) speed control, and maintenance scheduling.

Its remaining scores of 4.3/5 for driver management, 4.0/5 for customer support, and 3.8 for product features might not move mountains, but they're all respectable scores that earn Azuga third place overall in our fleet management platform ranking. If you're looking for a more affordable product, however, RAM scores a great 4.6/5 for its pricing - much better than Azuga.

Pricing
Azuga Pricing From $25-$35/month

Here at Expert Market, GPS Insight is known as one of the most intuitive, easily navigable fleet management systems out there. It more than lives up to this reputation when it comes to DOT compliance, providing everything you need to meet your regulatory obligations in an easy-to-use package. When it comes to ELDs, this supplier provides two options: ELD Mobile – an app that drivers can use to keep track of their HOS – and ELD Connect, a dashboard-mounted tablet that poses as an electronic logbook and GPS tracker. A second app, DVIR Mobile, enables drivers to complete vehicle inspections quickly and easily, while GPS Insight’s State Mileage report helps you keep on top of fuel tax.

Pros

  • Brilliant route optimization
  • Great driver and vehicle management features
  • Very easy to asses vehicle health and maintenance

Cons

  • Quite expensive
  • Minimum 3 year contracts
  • Lacking some handy features (cargo temperature, in-cab driver alerts)

Azuga: Key Features for Compliance and Safety

FMCSA-certified ELDs
HOS reporting
eDVIRs
IFTA reporting
Vehicle maintenance scheduling
Driver performance reporting
Dash cam system available
Live weather updates

Is Azuga Right for my Business?

With a starting price of $25 per month, Azuga is certainly on the pricier side, but it backs this price up with a solid array of features. You also don't need to worry about installation costs, so you won't be spending much outside of the monthly costs.

Other than the high price, there are no real shortcomings when looking at Azuga. They have a near-perfect offering of tracking features and vehicle management, and their driver management offering isn't far behind.

Azuga Pricing

Azuga has a nice and simple pricing structure. The monthly payments will range from $25 to $35 per month. While this is a bit steep, there are no other costs to worry about. Installation is free, and you won't have to pay for additional features.


Did You Know?

In order to comply with the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Mandate, you must keep a record of duty status (RODS) data for all your drivers, and store a backup of that data on a separate device, for six months. You also need to make sure that these records are stored securely to protect driver privacy.

That said, some fleets and drivers are exempt from complying with the ELD Mandate. Find out whether you need to get ELDs or not with our guide to the six exemptions to the ELD Mandate.


J.J. Keller

Best Standalone DOT Compliance Software

J.J. Keller is an industry leader in the field of fleet compliance, offering everything from easy plug-and-play ELDs to training in construction vehicle safety. J.J. Keller’s app enables your drivers to update their duty status, check and certify their HOS, perform vehicle inspections, browse vehicle records and engine data, and view their GPS coordinates on the go. Meanwhile, using its back-office portal – Encompass Fleet Management – you’ll be able to check in on data including driver qualification and performance, fuel tax reporting, accident recording, and more.

Pros

  • Specializes in DOT compliance
  • Its plug-and-play ELD system makes for a speedy setup with no downtime
  • No contract, pay-as-you-go billing
  • Excellent customer support

Cons

  • Limited fleet management functionality (besides compliance features)
  • Some customers report connectivity issues

J.J. Keller: Key Features for Compliance and Safety

FMCSA-certified ELDs
HOS reporting
eDVIRs
IFTA reporting
Vehicle maintenance scheduling
Driver performance reporting
Dash cam system available(but accident reporting is included)
Live weather updates

Is J.J. Keller Right for my Business?

While J.J. Keller is an incredible software solution if you’re looking for total DOT compliance, its laser focus on compliance means it is a little weak in the wider fleet management department – that isn’t its speciality, after all.

We’d recommend it to those who already have solid fleet management in place, but need something extra to get their compliance up to scratch.

J.J. Keller Pricing

J.J. Keller offers its DOT compliance services on a pay-as-you-go basis – in other words, it only charges you for as long as you want to use it, and doesn’t tie you into a contract. That's a win in our book.

However, we can’t tell you how much that monthly fee will come to, as J.J. Keller doesn’t openly share its pricing model. Instead, it asks that businesses get in touch directly for bespoke quotes.

That said, some online sources have taken a stab at calculating J.J. Keller’s figures. These sources estimate that the company charges $199 upfront for ELDs, and $25.50 per vehicle, per month for a subscription to its compliance services. J.J. Keller also provides ‘Compliance Tablets’ – tablets with its driver app loaded on, and restrictions in place to avoid unauthorized app use – which sources say cost $349 upfront or $59 per month when bundled with the subscription fee. 


Compare prices from leading DOT compliance software providers

How Did We Find the Best Fleet Management Software?

Our team of independent researchers looked at a selection of the best and most popular fleet management systems. After finding all the information we need, the researchers then compare each platform against its competitors, allowing us to find the cream of the crop. The criteria we look at include:

Price: Simple enough – the platform with the lowest price tag scores the best

Tracking: How robust and effective are the platform's tracking features? For example, how quickly does the tracking map refresh, does the map factor in traffic, etc.

Driver Management: Tracking and logging the behavior of each of your drivers. Does Driver #3 idle his vehicle for too long? Does Driver #4 tend to speed?

Vehicle Management: Checking up on the health of your vehicles. Are they in need of maintenance? Are they well protected against theft?

Product Features: What else can the product do? Can it sync up with third-party satnavs? Is there a phone app?

Customer Support: Again, easy enough – look at the options available and see what each platform offers its customers when it comes to their support resources

After factoring in all this information, alongside the scores they received, we were able to calculate a final overall score for each fleet management system.

Expert Verdict

Achieving DOT compliance may seem like a minefield, but with DOT compliance software to streamline your compliance tasks and automate that pesky admin, you’ll find yourself meeting those regulatory obligations with vigor and pride – rather than the usual dread and fatigue.

If you manage a large fleet, we recommend Verizon Connect. If your fleet is medium to large, we think that Samsara is a fantastic option. If you manage a small to medium fleet, GPS Insight is the way to go. Alternatively, if you already have a fleet management system in place but need something additional to help you reach compliance, J.J. Keller is worth investigating.

If you’d like even more personalized recommendations, we can still help. Simply answer a few questions about your fleet and what you need help with, and we’ll match you up with the perfect DOT compliance software systems and solutions for your fleet. Those suppliers will then be in touch directly with no-obligation quotes that are tailored to your needs, so that you can compare the numbers from the suppliers that are best for you. It’s a super easy way to narrow down your options, and it’s free.

Frequently asked questions

What is DOT Compliance?
Put simply, you are DOT compliant when you successfully adhere to every one of the US Department of Transportation’s regulations. These regulations are in place to ensure the safe and lawful operation of commercial motor vehicles. In other words, they’re not just there to make your life difficult – they’re there to improve driver safety and prevent road accidents.

Enacted through the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration), the DOT is a federal agency, and violating its regulations can lead to hefty fines, shutdown orders, and even lawsuits that can end with you behind bars. We reiterate: DOT compliance is seriously important.

But don’t let that scare you – once you understand what’s required, full DOT compliance is certainly possible, especially with the help of DOT compliance software.

Want more information about the laws and regulations surrounding fleet management in the US? Be sure to check out our comprehensive guide to US vehicle tracking laws.

What does a DOT compliant business actually look like
Essentially, a compliant business is a business that: 

  • Has registered each vehicle with the DOT
  • Displays each vehicle’s USDOT number on the vehicle
  • Only hires drivers who have obtained a commercial driver’s license (CDL) through the DOT
  • Has installed an ELD in every eligible vehicle
  • Accurately tracks drivers’ RODS and HOS, and enforces restrictions on driving time
  • Has its drivers carry out DVIRs at the start and end of every day
  • Files any necessary IFTA tax returns on time
  • Keeps records of any maintenance services and repairs, and of any road accidents that have happened
  • Keeps a copy of each driver’s license and accident history on file
  • Keeps chain of custody records to uphold the security of company documents
  • Keeps copies of current DOT regulations in the office and with each driver
Written by:
Julia Watts author headshot photo
Specialising in business software, Julia writes jargon-busting guides about VoIP, fleet management, dash cams, fuel cards, and more. Having spent almost a decade writing for entrepreneurs and reviewing business solutions, she loves helping exciting ventures – big or small – to flourish.
Reviewed by:
James thinks all businesses can improve if they use the right technology. At Expert Market, he utilises his 4+ years experience as a researcher to offer specialised advice on a wide range of categories from CRM to Fleet Management.