GPS • Telematics
GPS fleet tracking: what it is, what it costs and how to choose a provider
GPS fleet tracking is a separate product category: a device fitted in the vehicle sends its position and operating data to a telematics provider's platform. This guide explains what you get, how it is paid for, what you owe your drivers and how it fits with the software where you keep your trips. To be clear from the start: 4transports does not do GPS tracking.
What a GPS fleet system does (short answer)
- It shows the vehicle's position on a map, updated at an interval set by the provider.
- It keeps route history: where the vehicle went, where it stopped and for how long.
- It can collect operating data: kilometres, idling, speed, sometimes fuel use, through a connection to the vehicle.
- It can send alerts when the vehicle enters or leaves a defined zone (geofencing).
Costs and contracts
- You usually pay for the device (bought or included), installation and a monthly subscription per vehicle.
- Check the minimum contract term and what happens to the device when it ends.
- Ask who owns the data, how long history is kept and whether you can export it.
- Get the full price in writing: basic and optional features are often charged separately.
GDPR: your duties when you track drivers
- The position of a vehicle driven by an identifiable person is personal data.
- Define the purpose (cargo security, work organisation) and inform drivers in writing before installation.
- In Romania, electronic monitoring of employees has extra conditions (art. 5 of Law 190/2018), including consulting employee representatives.
- If the driver may also use the vehicle privately, set out how tracking is switched off or limited.
- Keep the data only as long as the purpose requires and limit who can see it.
How to choose a provider
What to check when choosing a GPS tracking provider
| Criterion | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Coverage | Does it work in every country you drive in? |
| Data | How much history is kept and in what export format? |
| Support | Who repairs the device and how quickly? |
| Contract | Minimum term, notice period, penalties? |
GPS and TMS: what each one does
A GPS system answers "where is the truck right now". Transport management software answers "which trips do I have, for whom, with which driver and what do I invoice". They are different products with different subscriptions, and many companies use both.
How 4transports helps
- 4transports does not do GPS tracking, does not show vehicle positions and has no geofencing; a GPS provider is a separate subscription.
- You follow the trip status (planned, in transit, delivered, invoiced), updated by the dispatcher.
- Vehicles and drivers have their status and deadlines (inspection, insurance, licence, certificate), and maintenance is recorded per vehicle.
- Delivered trips are invoiced through 4invoices.