Telematics provides vehicle or asset information such as location, odometer readings, or diagnostics. An electronic logging device (ELD) records defined hours-of-service data for drivers and operations covered by federal rules. Some systems share data with maintenance or transportation platforms, but telematics features and ELD obligations are separate buying decisions.
Check ELD applicability first
FMCSA says the ELD rule applies to most drivers required to prepare records of duty status (RODS), subject to exceptions. See the FMCSA overview and 49 CFR §395.8. Common exceptions include qualifying short-haul operations and drivers who must prepare RODS on no more than eight days in any rolling 30-day period; the conditions matter. Check the exact device and identifier on the FMCSA registered ELD list. Providers self-certify listed devices; FMCSA listing is not approval or endorsement.
Named connections by fleet workflow
- Trucking Hub TMS and Samsara: Samsara documents real-time GPS location and driver HOS data syncing into Trucking Hub. A carrier can use that link to bring vehicle position and driver information into its transportation workflow. Integration details.
- Shipwell and Samsara: the integration sends automated vehicle location into Shipwell for shipment visibility; Shipwell’s page describes load requests based on fleet location and fewer manual check-ins. It fits carriers and 3PLs coordinating loads with customers. Integration details.
- Trimble TMT Fleet Maintenance and Samsara: Samsara describes timely meter updates feeding preventive-maintenance schedules, DVIR connectivity to TMT repair orders, and asset-location updates for maintenance teams. This is useful to carriers and private fleets linking vehicle data to shop work. Integration details.
These connections cover separate needs: transportation status, load visibility, and maintenance. The federal ELD record is narrower than any one telematics suite. FMCSA describes location recording and the limits on required data in its ELD functions guidance; continuous business GPS, camera video, repair orders, and tax-mileage reports are separate functions.
Fleet-by-fleet choice
For a regulated carrier, prioritize listed device model, driver log flow, roadside transfer, account administration, and malfunction handling. Under 49 CFR §395.34, a driver notifies the carrier in writing within 24 hours and follows manual-record procedures until repair; the carrier has an eight-day repair deadline and a separate five-day extension-request window. Assign someone to check list status and train dispatchers on paper-log fallback before the device is needed.
For a private fleet, choose whether the business needs HOS logging, live location, diagnostics, or maintenance data. A carrier moving time-sensitive freight may value the Samsara-to-Shipwell location handoff; a maintenance team may benefit more from meter, DVIR, repair-order, and location flow into TMT. For field service, dispatch and appointments may matter more than carrier load tendering. Fleets filing IFTA need separate distance and fuel records under the 2026 IFTA Procedures Manual; ELD data should not be treated as the complete tax record.
Choose the device and data connections around the fleet’s actual dispatch, customer-visibility, or shop workflow.