Guide
GPS Tracking for Trucks
A truck tracker is usually a hardwired terminal on a powered tractor. That is a different product from a trailer gateway and a different product from Hours-of-Service.
- Most truck GPS installs use vehicle power so the device can report more often than a battery trailer unit.
- An ELD may already report location for the driver; a separate tracker is for the asset or a different software workflow.
- TruckerPro’s truck candidate is the Teltonika FTM880 (TP056). The tracking application is not live.
What a tractor install usually looks like
On a Class 8 tractor the common pattern is a hardwired device on 10–30 V, with ignition or motion used to change reporting rate. The unit needs a GNSS view and a cellular path. Professional installation matters: a poor ground, a shielded cavity, or an antenna laid on its side will make a certified terminal look “broken.”
The TruckerPro candidate for this pattern is the Teltonika FTM880-Q2AB0 (internal label TP056): LTE Cat M1, 320 mAh backup battery, IP69K. Those are manufacturer facts. They do not prove coverage on your lanes or a working TruckerPro map.
If you already run Motive or Samsara
You may already have tractor location inside that ELD platform. Extra truck GPS is only justified if you need a separate system of record, a different user set, or assets those platforms do not cover well—most often dropped trailers.
TruckerPro’s intended role is first-party asset telemetry beside an existing ELD, not a Motive or Samsara replacement. See the platform comparisons.
Truck-specific checks before you buy anyone’s hardware
- Who installs, who owns the SIM, and who can deprovision a sold tractor.
- Whether location is shown to dispatch only, or also to customers and drivers, and under what policy.
- How the system behaves in tunnels, dense yards, and across the Canada–US border.
- Whether you need engine diagnostics. Many asset trackers do not read the J1939 bus; do not assume they do.
Related reading
Questions
Do semi trucks already have GPS?
Many do, through an ELD, OEM telematics, or a fleet platform. That does not always give you a trailer position, a customer-shareable map, or the workflow you want.
Is truck GPS the same as an ELD?
No. ELDs record duty status. GPS tracking records asset location. Some platforms bundle both; they remain different obligations.
Is TruckerPro GPS available for trucks?
Not as a commercial service. TruckerPro is evaluating hardwired Teltonika FTM880 hardware and has not launched ingestion or a customer map.
Share a pilot use case
Tell us what you would track and where it operates. This records interest; it does not place an order.